Sydney’s Presbyterian Ladies’ College said it was updating the “open book” exam concept, in which students are able to bring in reference books, to take into account new technology.

The school is trialling the use of the new media with 14 and 15-year-old English students but hopes to expand its use across all subjects by year end, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

English teacher Deirdre Coleman, who is coordinating the pilot programme, said students were being encouraged to access information using their mobile phones, the Internet and from pod casts on their MP3 players during exams.

But any time a source is used, it must be cited on the test paper to prevent plagiarism, she said.

“In terms of preparing them for the world, we need to redefine our attitudes toward traditional ideas of cheating,” Coleman told the newspaper.

“In their working lives they will never need to carry enormous amounts of information around in their heads.”