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Mistake shows up in VCE Maths Methods 2 exam on Thursday

The testing period for VCE maths students has gone from bad to worse with an error in the Maths Methods 2 exam — the latest snafu coming after an earlier test contained two mistakes.

VCE maths exams riddled with errors for decades, expert claims

This year’s VCE exam period has gone from bad to worse with the Maths Methods 2 exam containing an error, the third mistake to emerge from two mathematics exams held so far.

Students sitting the exam, which started at 11.45am on Thursday, were told they needed to make a change to question 4J, Section B on Page 20.

They were told to cross out the letter M after the number 8 and replace it with “metres”.

The question should have read “metres per second” not “m per second” as it did.

A senior maths figure told the Herald Sun the latest correction “shouldn’t have been needed — you say either m/s or metres per second. You don’t say m per second”.

Question 4J contained an error. Picture: Supplied
Question 4J contained an error. Picture: Supplied
There have been three errors in the VCE maths exams so far.
There have been three errors in the VCE maths exams so far.

It is another embarrassing moment for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority which on Wednesday was forced to award a one-mark bonanza to all students who sat the General Maths 2 exam after a typographical error in question 9d.

There was also another error in another question which the students were told to correct during the reading time at the start of that exam.

Education Minister Ben Carroll branded those errors “unacceptable” and ordered an investigation.

The latest high profile errors follow years of more serious errors in VCE math papers and marking as the Herald Sun reported two months ago.

The VCAA chief executive Stephen Gniel told school officials after the first two errors were found that a “comprehensive review of the vetting and proofing process for VCE examinations will be undertaken with any recommended changes to be implemented for 2024 examinations”.

“We apologise for the undue stress this has caused,” he said earlier this week.

“We are disappointed that these errors occurred and are committed to reviewing our processes and strengthening our vetting and proofreading of examination papers prior to the 2024 VCE examinations.”

A senior maths figure told the Herald Sun the latest correction “shouldn’t have been needed — you say either m/s or metres per second. You don’t say m per second”.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/victoria-education/mistake-shows-up-in-vce-maths-methods-2-exam-on-thursday/news-story/9997ab7299e21bc3ab2a2335b4300b4e