A review into a series of mistakes in last year’s VCE exams has uncovered more examples of flawed questions in mathematics tests in both 2023 and 2022, saying that in some cases, precision and “correctness” had been given a lower priority in the interests of accessibility for students.
The review confirmed errors had occurred during exams last year, including the five mistakes already identified in maths tests and one in chemistry. It also examined processes that led to students being given the incorrect Chinese exam.
A review has been conducted into mistakes in the 2022 and 2023 VCE exams.Credit: Robert Pearce
But a team of independent mathematicians uncovered further concerns with 11 questions from the mathematical methods and specialist mathematics exams.
It also found that five questions from the 2022 maths exams contained errors, contradicting a Deloitte review that exonerated the testing authority.
Education Minister Ben Carroll asked the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority to review its processes last November after the series of exam “stuff ups”, which he said should never have occurred.
Carroll said on Wednesday the government supported all the review’s recommendations and would work to implement them as soon as possible before the 2024 examination period.
Thousands of general and specialist maths students were awarded bonus points due to the errors. A number of exams also had confusing typos, and six students were given the wrong Chinese language test.
Carroll and the authority’s former chief executive, Stephen Gniel, were forced to apologise after the errors were discovered.