Brisbane State High Ancient History exam error affects 140 students
A Brisbane student fears his dreams of a medical career could be shattered after learning the wrong ancient history topic for an entire year.
An aspiring doctor caught up in a year 12 exam bungle says he is heartbroken and fears the major error could ruin his dream of studying medicine.
A total of 140 students across nine schools – including Kayden Brown, 18, from Brisbane State High School – were forced to cram for a significant ancient history exam with just one day’s notice after having been taught the wrong topic throughout the year.
The students had spent all year studying about Roman emperor Augustus, when they should have been learning about Julius Caesar.
This despite the Queensland Curriculum Assessment Authority informing about 180 schools that teach the subject about the change 12 months in advance.
Mr Brown, speaking after he had sat the exam, said the bungle could be a “big blow”.
“Because if I don’t do well, I’m not going to get what I would want (to study at university),” he said.
Mr Brown wants to study medicine at the University of Queensland and is looking to score an ATAR of above 98 to get into the course.
A career in medicine was the path he has been set on for several years, he said.
“We spent this whole time putting resources into learning about Augustus only to find out that all that was pointless, because it’s about Julius Caesar,” he said.
Since the story broke, the number of schools affected has since risen to nine but it can be revealed that at least one school – Brisbane State High – had the right topic listed in its senior course guide all along.
Other affected schools such as James Nash State High School in Gympie have Augustus listed and others still have Augustus down as the topic for the 2026 exam.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has ordered a full investigation into how the bungle happened.
According to the Queensland Curriculum Assessment Authority (QCAA), affected students were given the choice as to whether or not they would sit the exam.
Australian Catholic University School of Education senior lecturer Dr Kylie Kerr said anything that made students uncertain during exams could certainly impact them.
“Some students might feel added stress or be rattled by an unexpected event like this,” she said.
“This really does emphasise that communication between the QCAA and the teachers teaching at that level really needs to be very strong.”
If the students do not receive a satisfactory mark or one that meets the standards of their previous assessment, however, it will not count towards their ATAR.
Mr Langbroek said communications had “obviously not been carried out appropriately” and they would investigate the situation further.
“I’m very unhappy about the situation developing as it has, for the stress that it will have caused for everyone,” he said.
QCAA acting chief executive Claude Jones said the body would work closely with the Department of Education to understand how nine schools had taught last year’s ancient history topic instead of this year’s topic.
“As a first step, the QCAA will make the exam topic more prominent on our websites and online portal, include it in the exam timetable published in May, and seek early confirmation that schools are teaching the correct topic,” Mr Jones said.
A department spokesman said external exam processes at all schools would be included in the examination of the ancient history incident.
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