VCE exams 2015: The question hundreds of students butchered

THEIR final results aren’t yet in, but we already know that hundreds of students managed to butcher this question.

Last VCE exam of the year.

VCE exams have finished for the year but while thousands celebrate, it has emerged hundreds of students butchered their answers to an exam question.

Yesterday’s Italian, Indonesian and Chinese exams were the last in the annual three week “test-fest” that marks the end of school years for more than 50,000 Victorians.

Italian students at Pascoe Vale Girls College, Sarah-Jane Ossino, 17, and Chiara La Rocca, 18, were thrilled exams were over at last.

“I feel great, I feel excited to move onto bigger and better things. I’m excited to just experience the world and not worry about school,” said Sarah-Jane.

“I’ve just finished my last exam forever,” said an excited Chiara.

“It’s going to be weird not going to school any more and have no routine and a lot of freedom.”

VCE students Sarah-Jane Ossino 17 and Chiara La Rocca 18, from Pascoe Vale Girls Secondary College celebrate getting through their Year 12 exams. Picture: David Caird.

But about 400 other Victorian students have had a nerve-racking time after misreading and mucked up their answers to the Studio Arts exam.

Section A of the exam asked students to chose from images 1-10 provided on a detachable insert and write about them.

But an estimated eight per cent of the subject’s 5455 students wrote about pictures 11 and 12.

Fortunately the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has taken pity on the students who wrote about the wrong images and agreed to mark the exams despite their error.

VCAA spokesman Justin Shortal said initial marking was not yet complete and the authority was monitoring the assessment process carefully.

“Given that Section A represents 32 per cent of the marks on the paper, and that a valid assessment could be made of the significant number of student responses to artworks 11 and 12, the VCAA determined it would be unfair to not to assess the responses of these students.”

Once initial marking was completed, the VCAA would analyse and make adjustments if required, to ensure students who selected art works 11 and 12 were not advantaged and that all students are treated fairly.

Twitter:@kathrynpowley

Originally published as VCE exams 2015: The question hundreds of students butchered