Last updated: August 2026
Before using ChatGPT in an assignment, check your university AI policy. The rules may determine whether AI can support brainstorming, research planning, proofreading or other stages—and whether its use must be acknowledged.
That simple habit could protect you from an avoidable academic-integrity problem.
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education reported in July 2026 that approaches to generative AI vary between institutions—and may even be applied differently across courses, modules and assessments. In other words, advice from a friend studying at another university may not apply to you.
This guide explains how to check your university’s AI policy, understand what it means for a particular assignment and use AI responsibly when permission has been given.
The Short Answer
Before using ChatGPT for assessed work, check:
- The assignment brief
- The marking rubric
- The module handbook
- Announcements on your university’s Virtual Learning Environment
- The university’s academic-integrity and generative-AI policies
- Any instructions issued by your lecturer or module leader
You must also determine:
- Whether AI is permitted for this specific assessment
- Which activities are allowed
- Whether its use must be acknowledged
- How that acknowledgement should be presented
- Whether prompts or outputs must be submitted
- What information must not be uploaded
- Who to contact if the instructions remain unclear
A university’s general support for AI literacy does not automatically mean unrestricted AI use in every assignment.
Why Your University AI Policy Matters
Your university AI policy may distinguish between acceptable learning support and prohibited assistance in assessed work.
The rules may depend on:
- The subject being studied
- The module learning outcomes
- The type of assessment
- The particular stage of the assignment
- Whether the work is formative or summative
- The way AI contributes to the submitted work
- Whether its use is declared
For example, a lecturer might allow ChatGPT to help you generate initial questions but prohibit it from writing or rewriting assessed paragraphs. Another assessment might permit AI-assisted coding but require you to explain, test and acknowledge the generated code. In a different module, all generative-AI use may be prohibited.
The Open University, for instance, tells students to acknowledge generative-AI use where a module permits it. UCL also advises students to acknowledge AI assistance used during the creation of assessed work. These examples demonstrate an important principle: permission and disclosure requirements are institution- and assessment-specific.
Never assume that a rule found on another university’s website applies to your course.
Step 1: Read the Assignment Brief Before Using AI
The assignment brief should be your first source of authority.
Look for sections titled:
- Generative AI
- Artificial Intelligence
- Academic Integrity
- Unfair Academic Practice
- Permitted Tools
- Assessment Conditions
- Referencing Requirements
- Declaration of AI Use
Read the complete document rather than searching only for the words “ChatGPT” or “AI”. A restriction may appear under plagiarism, third-party assistance, authorship or assessment conduct.
Pay particular attention to statements such as:
- “Generative AI must not be used in this assessment.”
- “AI may be used for preliminary brainstorming only.”
- “AI-assisted proofreading is permitted.”
- “All use of AI must be acknowledged.”
- “Students must retain and submit their prompts.”
- “AI-generated text, code or images are not permitted.”
- “Use is allowed only in the sections identified below.”
Do not interpret “AI may support your learning” as permission to use it in assessed work. Learning activities and formal assessments can have different rules.
Step 2: Check the Module Handbook and Online Learning Platform
The university AI policy may also be explained through module announcements, assessment folders or the online learning platform.
Log in to your university’s Virtual Learning Environment—such as Moodle, Blackboard or Canvas—and check:
- The module handbook
- Assessment folders
- Lecture materials
- Academic-integrity resources
- Module announcements
- Frequently asked questions
- Recorded assessment briefings
- Discussion-board responses from the teaching team
Look for the most recent version of each document. AI guidance changes quickly, and an older handbook or saved webpage may no longer reflect current expectations.
If the university-level policy and module guidance appear different, do not decide which one takes priority yourself. Ask the module leader for clarification.
Step 3: Find Your University’s Official AI Policy
Use your university website or student portal rather than relying on social-media posts, online forums or AI-generated summaries.
Useful searches include:
- “[University name] generative AI student guidance”
- “[University name] ChatGPT assessment policy”
- “[University name] AI academic integrity”
- “[University name] acknowledging generative AI”
- “[University name] AI referencing guidance”
Make sure the page belongs to your university’s official website. Check its publication or review date, particularly if several versions appear in the results.
The relevant information may be divided across several documents, including:
- Academic-integrity regulations
- Generative-AI guidance
- Assessment regulations
- Library referencing guidance
- Data-protection rules
- School- or faculty-specific guidance
Reading only one page may therefore give you an incomplete answer.
Step 4: Identify Exactly What You Want AI to Do
“Can I use ChatGPT?” is often too broad a question.
A better question is:
“Can I use ChatGPT for this particular activity in this particular assessment?”
Write down the activity before using the tool. For example:
- Explaining a theory in simpler language
- Suggesting keywords for a database search
- Brainstorming possible research questions
- Creating an initial outline
- Summarising a journal article
- Rewriting a paragraph
- Generating analytical content
- Producing code
- Analysing data
- Creating an image
- Checking grammar
- Formatting references
Your university may permit some of these activities and prohibit others.
A simple traffic-light interpretation can help:
| Policy position | What it generally means |
|---|---|
| Red: Prohibited | Do not use generative AI for the assessment. |
| Amber: Restricted | AI may be used only for specified activities or stages. Follow every condition and acknowledgement requirement. |
| Green: Permitted | AI may be used within the stated boundaries, but you remain responsible for accuracy, originality, disclosure and the final submission. |
| Unclear | Pause and ask the lecturer or module leader before proceeding. |
These colours are only a reading aid. Your university’s exact wording remains the authority.
Step 5: Check the Acknowledgement and Referencing Requirements
Follow the acknowledgement format specified in your university AI policy rather than creating your own declaration.Permission to use AI does not necessarily mean permission to use it without disclosure.
Your university may ask you to provide:
- A brief AI-use declaration
- The name and version of the tool
- The date it was used
- A description of how it supported the work
- Copies of relevant prompts and outputs
- An appendix documenting the process
- A formal reference in a specified style
- Confirmation that AI was not used
Do not invent your own declaration if the university provides a template.
An acknowledgement might explain that AI was used to generate search terms or improve the clarity of the student’s own writing. It should not disguise the extent of AI involvement.
Transparency is part of academic responsibility. The aim is not merely to state that a tool was used, but to explain how it contributed to the work.
Step 6: Protect Personal, Confidential and Research Data
Even when ChatGPT is permitted, you should not automatically upload everything connected with your assignment.
Do not paste confidential or sensitive material into an AI system unless your institution has explicitly authorised the tool and the activity. This may include:
- Participants’ names or contact details
- Interview transcripts containing identifiable information
- Medical or health information
- Workplace documents
- Commercially confidential data
- Unpublished research
- Restricted teaching materials
- Another student’s work
- Information covered by a research-ethics agreement
Jisc recommends that institutions provide clear guidance on data privacy and intellectual property when students use AI. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office also emphasises data protection, security and data minimisation in the use of AI systems.
If you are unsure whether material is safe to upload, do not upload it. Ask your supervisor, lecturer or data-protection team first.
Step 7: Ask for Clarification in Writing
If the policy is vague, contradictory or silent, contact your lecturer before using ChatGPT.
A clear question might be:
“The university guidance allows limited generative-AI use, but I could not find assessment-specific instructions. May I use ChatGPT to generate search keywords and review the structure of my own draft? If so, what acknowledgement is required?”
This is much easier to answer than simply asking, “Can I use AI?”
Keep the response with your assessment records. If the guidance is explained verbally during a lecture, make a note of it and ask where the written version can be found.
Silence should not be interpreted as permission.
A Five-Minute AI Policy Check
Before using ChatGPT, complete this checklist:
- I have read the complete assignment brief.
- I have checked the module handbook and online assessment area.
- I have found the latest official university AI policy.
- I know whether AI is allowed for this assessment.
- I know which specific activities are permitted.
- I understand the acknowledgement requirements.
- I know whether prompts or outputs must be retained.
- I have removed personal, confidential and restricted information.
- I will verify every fact, quotation, calculation and reference.
- I can explain and defend every part of my final submission.
- I have asked my lecturer about anything that remains unclear.
If you cannot tick every relevant box, pause before using the tool.
Common Mistakes Students Should Avoid
Following another student’s policy
Your classmate may be completing a different module or assessment. Their permission does not automatically apply to your work.
Assuming proofreading is always allowed
Some institutions distinguish between basic spelling support and substantial AI rewriting. Check how your policy defines acceptable editing.
Treating ChatGPT as an academic source
AI-generated answers can contain incorrect claims, misleading summaries and fabricated references. Locate and read the original academic source before using a claim.
Declaring AI without checking whether the use was permitted
Acknowledging prohibited use does not make it acceptable. Permission must come first; disclosure follows.
Checking only the university-wide policy
Your faculty, module or assessment may impose more specific conditions.
Uploading the complete assignment brief
Assessment materials may be protected, restricted or unsuitable for uploading to an external system. Check your university’s data and intellectual-property guidance first.
Using AI output you cannot explain
Your name appears on the submission. You remain responsible for its argument, evidence, calculations, references and conclusions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ChatGPT if my university generally allows AI?
Not necessarily. You must also check the rules for your module and individual assessment. Assessment-specific instructions may restrict or prohibit uses that are permitted elsewhere.
Is using ChatGPT for brainstorming considered cheating?
It depends on the policy governing that assessment. Some universities permit limited brainstorming with acknowledgement; others may prohibit generative AI entirely. Check before using it.
Do I need to reference ChatGPT?
Requirements vary. Your university may require a formal reference, an AI-use declaration, an appendix containing prompts, or a combination of these. Follow its official referencing guidance.
Can I use ChatGPT to improve my grammar?
Possibly, but “grammar checking” and “rewriting” may be treated differently. If the tool substantially changes your wording, tone or argument, it may go beyond permitted proofreading.
What should I do if the policy says nothing about AI?
Ask your lecturer or module leader for written clarification before using it. Do not assume that the absence of a rule means unrestricted permission.
Final Thought: Use AI Transparently, Not Automatically
Responsible AI use begins before the first prompt.
It begins with understanding the assessment, reading the policy and deciding whether the tool is appropriate for the task. When AI is permitted, it should support your learning—not replace the judgement, reasoning and subject understanding that the assessment is designed to evaluate.
A useful final test is simple:
Can you explain what you asked the AI to do, verify what it produced and defend every decision in your submitted work?
If the answer is no, the work is not ready for submission.
How SCRIPTURAM Can Support You
SCRIPTURAM provides guidance-focused academic support for UK university students, including:
- Assignment brief and marking-rubric interpretation
- Assignment planning and skeletal modelling
- Dissertation and methodology planning
- Academic gap analysis
- Tutor-feedback interpretation
- Proofreading and referencing guidance
- Responsible AI-use guidance
We do not promote cheating or replace a student’s academic responsibility. Students must complete their own final submissions and follow their institution’s academic-integrity and AI policies.
WhatsApp: +91 9830391024
Email: scripturam21@gmail.com
Instagram: @scripturam2026
Website: scripturamacademic.com
Sources and Further Reading
- QAA: Variability of AI policies and practices in assessment, July 2026
- QAA: State of the Nation 2026
- Jisc: Student Perceptions of AI 2025
- The Open University: Generative AI for Students
- UCL: Engaging with Generative AI in Education and Assessment
- Information Commissioner’s Office: AI and Data Protection
Need academic planning or review support?
SCRIPTURAM supports students with assignment planning, brief and rubric understanding, gap analysis, proofreading, referencing and dissertation planning.