Pen, Paper, AI Panic: The Return of the Blue Book

A digital generation is being forced to write in analog.

According to the Wall Street Journal and Gizmodo, universities across the U.S. are witnessing a stunning surge in blue book sales:

• Up 30% at Texas A&M

• Nearly 50% at the University of Florida

• An 80% spike at UC Berkeley

Why? Because instructors feel they have no other option. With 89% of students admitting to using ChatGPT on assignments, and AI-detection tools routinely failing, professors are losing trust—not just in students, but in the entire system. Going back to pen and paper feels like the last remaining safeguard against AI-assisted cheating.

But it comes at a cost.

Analog Exams Hurt Everyone

Blue books may feel like control, but they create new problems:

• Students lose accessibility: No assistive tech, no spell check, no accommodations.

• Instructors lose time: Manual grading, printing, and classroom logistics become a full-time job.

• Learning suffers: These tests don’t reflect how students work today—in real life or in their careers.

We’re not solving the problem. We’re just moving the pain.

Proctaroo: Reclaim Digital Without Compromise

At Proctaroo, we understand the frustration—and we offer a better way.

We built Proctaroo for educators who want to restore integrity without giving up digital tools. Our system offers real-time user analysis and authorship verification, compatible with whatever platform you teach on—Google Docs, Word, Excel, coding IDEs, and more. No lockdown browsers. No external proctors. Just security that actually works.

We don’t force educators to regress—we help them move forward.

AI Is Not the Enemy—Misuse Is

Today’s challenge isn’t just cheating—it’s that we’re asking the wrong question.

Instead of trying to catch students hiding AI use, why not assess how well they wield it? At Proctaroo, we’re already building for that future. In just a few years, we believe exams will shift to measure AI fluency as a core skill. Our mission is to make that future possible without sacrificing fairness or rigor along the way.

The Bottom Line

Educators are not wrong to be concerned—but pen and paper isn’t the answer.
It’s a temporary retreat.
Proctaroo is the return.

Don’t teach backward. Test forward.
Visit proctaroo.com to learn how.