State govt yet to reveal full list of 56 compromised VCE exams

The true extent of the VCE exam bungle remains unknown, with schools fearing the list of 56 affected tests could balloon.

Education Minister Ben Carroll has committed to releasing the full list of compromised VCE exams within “days” as he admitted bureaucrats do not yet know with certainty the full extent of the leaks.

One teacher told the Herald Sun a “frenzy of activity” inside his school has prompted concerns the list of 56 affected exams out of 116 could grow.

Victorian Education Minister Ben Carroll on Monday said names of the 56 subjects identified last week was “days away” but could not yet be released until officials could be sure it was “100 per cent correct”.

Mr Carroll said the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) had “brought in additional resources to ensure that the 56 number that I released myself on Friday, in the interest of transparency, is 100 per cent correct”.

“I met with the VCAA on Friday … I want to make sure things are doubly right when they are released,” he said.

A letter to schools and students from interim CEO Marcia Devlin acknowledges the “production error”. Picture: 7NEWS

When asked if he would be open to an Ombudsman investigation into the debacle, Mr Carroll said it was before the upper house.

“We’ve ordered a full root-and-branch, top-to-bottom review of what’s occurred here and we want to make sure that VCAA, under the Allan/Labor government, has more resources put into it, has increased funding, and has an increased headcount.”

As students head to Schoolies celebrations to unwind after a stressful year, exam marking is well underway, the VCAA confirmed plans to invalidate questions or give all students a full mark if necessary.

Marks will also be taken off in the case of “anomalies”.

A letter to schools and students from interim CEO Marcia Devlin acknowledged the “production error” which allowed potentially thousands of students to see questions that ended up on exams before the tests.

The admission only followed revelations from the Herald Sun.

The Department of Education told the Herald Sun the ‘VCAA has committed to transparency and will provide regular updates on the VCE exams’. Picture: Supplied

The outside subject experts will be drawn from peak teaching bodies including the Victorian Commercial Teachers Association, the Mathematical Association of Victoria,

Master Teachers-in-Residence at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, as well as representatives from universities.

They will look at all marks to “identify anomalies”, analyse discrepancies and if needed, look at how that answer compares to the student’s other answers.

Although the VCAA itself was responsible for the leaks, it is still committing to “adjust student marks if any questions are identified as providing anyone with an unfair

Advantage”.

“This could mean invalidating questions and awarding all students who sat

this exam a full mark if necessary,”

The authority says it is still on track to release results on December 12.

Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said: “The Minister’s refusal to provide the list of compromised exams is simply unacceptable.

“Every day this list is kept secret adds further stress for VCE students, teachers and families.

“Why has the Minister backflipped on his commitment to provide this list? Is he concerned more errors in more exams will be identified?

“Enough of the spin and delays. Minister Carroll must do what he said he would a week ago and release the list of compromised exams now,” she said.