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The critique highlights numerous examples of major mathematical errors and poorly conceived questions, including items with unclear purpose, shallow low-mark design, and convoluted wording that borders on incomprehensibility. It argues that the external review’s confidentiality and unclear terms may limit transparency and reduce effectiveness, and stresses the need for broader systemic reform rather than only addressing listed issues.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/critique-of-victorian-vce-mathematics-exams-external-review-concerns/315286/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/critique-of-victorian-vce-mathematics-exams-external-review-concerns/315286.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Jasmine","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-06","2026-09-20",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":52},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is the purpose of this critique regarding VCE mathematics exams?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It provides examples of serious errors in the 2022 exams and summarizes concerns about the structure, development, and vetting processes for those exams.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does the document define a “major” mathematical error?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"An error is considered major if the question has no proper answer or if it is so mathematically flawed that it very likely caused substantial student confusion.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Why does the document question the effectiveness of the external review?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It raises concerns that reviewer selection, terms of reference, and the resulting report may be confidential, limiting transparency and potentially hampering the review’s effectiveness.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},315286,1789999569,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":52,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},2336478487870,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Critique of Victorian VCE Mathematics Exams  \nProf. Burkard Polster [burkard.polster@monash.edu](burkard.polster@monash.edu)  \nDr. Marty Ross [marty.ross@monash.edu](marty.ross@monash.edu)  \nDecember 20, 2022  \nWe thank VCAA for arranging an external review and analysis of our concerns with VCE mathematics exams. For this purpose, and as requested, we provide here a critique, including but not limited to examples of serious errors on the 2022 exams and a summary of concerns with the structure, development and vetting processes for these exams.  \nIt is pleasing that there will be an external view. We have signi􀀌cant concerns, however, that the structure and format of the review, and the plans for post-review communication, may hamper the conduct of the review and its potential e􀀋ectiveness:  \n􀀏 The reviewer and the manner of their choosing are con􀀌dential  \nThe meaning of an \\external provider\" who shall conduct this review is unclear. There is no information regarding how that person or body might be chosen, or by whom, or whether the reviewer will be properly quali􀀌ed and properly independent. Given that, as we argue in Sections 7 and 8, VCAA has had demonstrable problems with engaging quali􀀌ed personnel, and with openness and candour, this lack of transparency is of serious concern.  \n􀀏 The terms of reference for the review are con􀀌dential  \nThe review will not be part of a legislatively formal process. Nonetheless, the reviewer will be provided with an introduction and direction. These details matter, and nothing is known of them. As it stands, it is not even clear that this critique would be forwarded in its entirety to any reviewer.  \n􀀏 The review is limited in scope and input  \nThere is good reason for limiting the review to VCE exams, and indeed in our recent communication with VCAA we have focused upon the exams. Nonetheless, we have also continually emphasised that the exams are the tip of the iceberg, the clearest sign of broader, systemic problems. In particular, an appreciation of these broader problems is required to understand why VCAA produces such poor exams. At some point, soon, these broader problems must also be addressed.  \nWe also note that the review is seemingly limited only to the concerns raised in this critique. Marty is perhaps the most prominent critic of VCE exams, but we are far from being the only critics, and we stress that we are not claiming that our list of criticisms is exhaustive. Even addressing every one of our listed concerns does not mean that the exams would then be \\􀀌xed\".  \n􀀏 The report will be con􀀌dential  \nThat the report will be con􀀌dential is of the greatest concern. VCAA's commitment to providing an \\overview\" does nothing to allay this concern.  \nIn summary, it is pleasing that VCAA has initiated a review of VCE mathematics exams, and VCAA must determine the parameters of that review. In turn, anyone will be free to decide upon their response to the structure of the review, and to any resulting report or \\overview\".  \n1 Introduction  \nIn this critique, we shall indicate a number of ways in which VCE mathematics exams are grossly de􀀌cient, including in their production, their grading and their reporting. We shall provide many examples from the 2022 exams to illustrate these de􀀌ciencies, focusing upon Specialist Mathematics and Mathematical Methods, the subjects with which we are most familiar.  \nIt is important to recognise that we have not attempted to be comprehensive, even in considering the 2022 exams, and it would be almost impossible to be so. Every Specialist Mathematics and Mathematical Methods exam that we have seen is marred by at least minor mathematical problems, and most exams contains at least one major error. Every exam contains a number of poorly conceived questions, more than a few of which exhibit little mathematical sense or purpose. Every exam consists almost entirely of low-mark questions, requiring only shallow answers and e􀀋ectively guaranteeing an over-we","cbCaihmJBAH4bUnP","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihmJBAH4bUnP","pdf",144582,14,"English","# Introduction\n## Major Mathematical Errors on the 2022 Exams\n## External Review Concerns","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of this critique regarding VCE mathematics exams?\",\"answer\":\"It provides examples of serious errors in the 2022 exams and summarizes concerns about the structure, development, and vetting processes for those exams.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the document define a “major” mathematical error?\",\"answer\":\"An error is considered major if the question has no proper answer or if it is so mathematically flawed that it very likely caused substantial student confusion.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the document question the effectiveness of the external review?\",\"answer\":\"It raises concerns that reviewer selection, terms of reference, and the resulting report may be confidential, limiting transparency and potentially hampering the review’s effectiveness.\"}]","Critique of Victorian VCE Mathematics Exams - External Review Concerns | PDF",1789904288,35]