Using AI in a graduate job application: where UK graduate employers now draw the line

The Institute of Student Employers (ISE) published its Student Recruitment Report 2026 on 14 October 2026. Its summary says AI is "an increasingly acceptable tool for candidates looking to gain an edge in the hiring process", while "the proportion of employers reporting misconduct has reached a new high". This guide sets out what the report and the employers quoted alongside it say about where the line sits.

About the data: the ISE says the report analyses "data from 155 employers, covering more than 1.7 million applications and 31,577 hires during the 2025/26 student recruitment cycle". The full report is for ISE members or paid access; this guide rests on the ISE's public summary, with BBC and Guardian reporting marked as such.

The headline figures

• Misconduct: "Some 92% of employers suspected or confirmed student misconduct in assessment and selection processes, compared with 85% in 2025 and 78% in 2024."
• What it was: "The most common forms of misconduct were the unauthorised use of AI during interviews and online assessments." The Guardian reports that 66% of respondents reported at least one incident of a graduate misusing AI during an interview.
• Guidance: employers providing guidance on "what is acceptable and unacceptable use of AI" rose to 82%, up from 55% in 2025, according to the ISE.
• Competition: "141 applications per graduate role and 96 per apprenticeship", rising to 172 per graduate vacancy in London, the ISE says.

Step 1: find the employer's own AI guidance first

The ISE's head of insights, Claire Tyler, who led the research, said: "When applying for jobs it’s really important to understand how and where your potential employer is happy for you to use AI."

On our reading, with 82% of surveyed employers saying they provide guidance, it is worth looking for it before you start. The BBC reports that EDF, for example, "now issues guidance on the appropriate use of AI in job applications".

Step 2: written applications are where AI help is most accepted

The ISE says employers "increasingly accept the use of AI in the hiring process (up to 64% from 46% last year), particularly to help write CVs, cover letters and applications."

Its own tips for students set limits on that help:

• "Use AI to enhance, not create": refine an application, but "only include skills and achievements you can genuinely evidence", the ISE advises.
• "Maintain your own voice: Use AI for structure and proofreading, ensuring the final application reflects your personality and experiences."
• "Start with self-awareness": understand your interests, skills, experiences and motivations before using AI.

That acceptance has limits too: the Guardian reports that the ISE also counted using AI "to write CVs or covering letters (10%)" among forms of misconduct.

Step 3: assessments and interviews are usually off limits

The ISE says: "Candidates are usually not allowed to use AI during online assessments, interviews or assessment centres."

That is where the report says the most common forms of misconduct occur. Employers quoted by the press describe what they see:

• Chris Morrow, who runs a Manchester recruitment agency, told the Guardian that apps which listen in and suggest answers in real time were being used in virtual interviews. "Whenever it happens to us, we tend to end the interview. It’s cheating," he said. On how candidates give it away: "There is a delay," he said.
• EDF's Hollie Moody told the BBC: "A lot of the answers [we hear] are the same. Or people might pause whilst they wait for AI to come back to them with an answer. It's almost like people are reading a script."

The ISE says employers are tackling misconduct with measures "including more personal questions, time limits and randomised questions", and that 77% are "reviewing or redesigning processes".

Step 4: be ready to explain why you want the role

The ISE's tips include: "Demonstrate authentic motivation: Be prepared to explain why the role and organisation appeal to you personally." Stephen Isherwood, the ISE's joint chief executive, told the Guardian that candidates should research the role they are applying for because "that’s what interviewers are looking for".

Step 5: mass applications can work against you

Mr Isherwood said in the ISE's summary of the report: "Tools that enable candidates to apply for multiple jobs at once are driving up the competition and pressure on students." He added: "Employers are faced with applications that look the same and, in some cases, AI is being used to the point where it misrepresents a candidate’s skills and abilities."

The ISE says some employers are responding by "shortening application windows or closing campaigns early, and limiting the number of roles or programmes candidates can apply for". The BBC reports that EDF decided to close its graduate scheme early after receiving 12,000 applications. On our reading, that means a deadline on a listing may not be the date a scheme actually closes.

Will an AI read your application?

According to the ISE, "only 16% of employers currently use AI in recruitment and 52% don’t plan to adopt it", although "29% of employers" plan to introduce it within the next year.

Why it matters

On our reading, the ISE's figures describe a split rather than a ban: AI help on a CV or cover letter is increasingly accepted, while AI use during online assessments and interviews is usually not allowed, and unauthorised use there is the most common form of misconduct employers report. The ISE says the rise in guidance "suggests employers are moving beyond simply policing AI use and towards helping candidates understand the boundaries." Ms Tyler also advised: "Above all, be yourself."