VCAA forced to admit its errors as another 2024 VCE exam comes under scrutiny

Multiple errors in the 2024 VCE English Language exam have been raised by teachers questioning whether exam setters are up to the job.

The exam, which left students panicked and confused, was held last October, and was not affected by the exam leak scandal that affected 65 papers. Picture: Supplied

Irate English teachers have formally complained to the VCE exam-setting authority about a litany of errors in the year 12 2024 English Language exam.

The exam, which left students panicked and confused, was held last October, and was not affected by the exam leak scandal that affected 65 papers.

However, serious problems with almost every single section of the English Language exam sat by more than 4000 students have been raised in a letter written by Jo O’Mara, president of the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English.

The struggling Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) - which is under external review - has been forced to admit there were “challenges” with the exam which led to the first question being invalidated. This means all students were given full marks.

A spokesman for the VCAA said: “any error in an exam question that leads to invalidation falls short of the standard we expect.”

The struggling VCAA - which is under external review - has been forced to admit there were “challenges” with the exam Picture: Rohan Kelly

The invalidated question about vocal effects stumped many students, who asked: “Am I cooked?” and “What the f*** are they asking for there?”

In her letter to the VCAA, Dr O’Mara said many students “felt bewildered and failed to fully recover”.

A heated online meeting on Thursday night between exam assessors and teachers led one veteran educator to say it was hard to conclude that “the same old people” who set the exam were not “up to the rigours of clearly and impeccably administering a statewide examination”.

The teacher also argued question one was invalidated incorrectly and was possible to answer.

Dr O’Mara’s letter notes a raft of other issues in the exam, including the language used in question 2, the wording in question 3, and the drafting of question 5 which was deemed “unclear and abstract”.

There were also concerns about the formatting and difficulty of Sections B and C which “compounded the distress many students experienced”.

Irate English teachers have formally complained to the VCE exam-setting authority about a litany of errors in the year 12 2024 English Language exam. Picture: Supplied

She said the exam “was too complex for the strugglers, and it left the top end

questioning their own knowledge and feeling like they weren’t able to show what they have learned this year”.

Dr O’Mara also criticised the short answer questions because they “didn’t allow for students to fairly and equitably show their year’s learning ... many students reported they simply didn’t understand what was expected of them”.

In response, the VCAA curriculum manager for English Dr Annelise Balsamo said the concerns “provided key points of reflection”.

“We acknowledge there were some challenges with the 2024 VCE English Language

Examination,” she said.

The VCAA review ordered by Education Minister Ben Carroll is expected to lead to a spill of senior positions and a complete overhaul in procedures.

Originally published as VCAA forced to admit its errors as another 2024 VCE exam comes under scrutiny