Exam leader leaves
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The Victorian Government says it is addressing significant errors in the 2024 VCE exams.
These measures follow revelations of a publishing error that compromised around half of the state’s VCE exams.
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has been instructed to apply an existing anomalous grade check to detect inconsistencies in affected exams.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll has confirmed that the system, used previously during COVID-19 to account for disruptions, will review and adjust student marks where necessary.
“This process will identify anomalies, analyse discrepancies, and ensure fair outcomes for all students. No one will be disadvantaged,” Mr Carroll said.
Unfair questions could be invalidated, with full marks awarded to students if warranted.
An independent expert panel, chaired by former VCAA CEO Professor John Firth, will oversee the review. Other panel members include Dr Nathan Zoanetti, a research director at ACER, and Professor Barry McGaw, an expert in education assessment.
Kylie White, CEO of the VCAA, has stepped down following the incident.
Her departure comes after a year in the role, which began in the wake of errors in the 2023 maths exams.
Dr Marcia Devlin, CEO of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, will serve as interim CEO while a permanent replacement is found.
Carroll has expressed dissatisfaction with the VCAA’s assurances that exams would be rewritten.
“I was deeply angered to learn that these assurances were inaccurate. While some exams were corrected, others were not,” he said.
The error originated from hidden text in sample cover pages published by the VCAA.
These texts contained answers and questions similar to those in final exams, with some exams sharing up to 50 per cent of their content.
Despite the VCAA removing the cover pages in October, students had already circulated them.
Professor Firth said decisions on student marks would rely on data, including performance comparisons across unaffected questions and past results.
While full marks could be awarded for invalidated questions, Professor Firth did not rule out the possibility of deducting marks if clear advantages were identified.
The government says it will commence a broader review of the VCAA in January 2025 to prevent future errors.
Carroll has reassured students and parents that results would be published by 12 December, as scheduled.
“I apologise for the stress caused to students and families,” he said.
“This situation is unacceptable, but I am confident the new processes will uphold the integrity of the results.”
Opposition education spokesperson Jess Wilson has criticised the process as “convoluted” and questioned its ability to fairly assess students who may have accessed the sample material inadvertently.
Mathematician and education advocate Marty Ross argues that while the leak is a serious administrative failure, the exams' underlying issues reflect systemic problems in VCE mathematics. He has expressed concern that White’s resignation might stall ongoing reforms.
