Executive Summary - Independent Review into the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Examination-Setting Policies, Processes and Procedures for the Victorian Certificate of Education - March 2024

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Kurz

Executive Summary March 2024 presents the findings of an Independent Review of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s (VCAA) VCE examination-setting policies, processes, and procedures. The review, conducted from 8 December 2023 to 12 March 2024, examined mathematics and chemistry question content and editorial review, and assessed distribution processes to ensure students received the correct papers. It addresses concerns raised from 2023 examinations, including alleged mathematics errors, a chemistry question error, and incorrect distribution of the Chinese Second Language papers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Review background and trigger issues

Approach and terms of reference

Panel composition and consultation scope

Independent Review into the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Examination-Setting Policies, Processes and Procedures for the Victorian Certificate of Education Report to the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Education March 2024 Executive Summary 13 March 2024 Dear Secretary On behalf of the members of the expert panel – myself, Ms Juliette Mendelovits and Mr Menchi Schneier – I am pleased to provide you with the final report from the Independent Review into the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s (VCAA) examination-setting policies, processes and procedures for the Victorian Certification of Education (VCE) examinations. The expert panel (the Panel) conducted its review from 8 December 2023 until 12 March 2024. It undertook 42 detailed consultations with key officials from the VCAA (including Chairs and members of VCE examination-setting panels of Mathematics and Chemistry, and staff involved in the administration of the VCE examinations), the Department of Education (the Department), staff from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the NSW Education Standards Authority, and representatives from Mathematics and Chemistry faculties from multiple Victorian universities. It also consulted with representatives from the Victorian Catholic Education Authority and Independent Schools Victoria. To assist in its considerations, the Panel also drew on the expertise of independent Mathematics experts from other universities and credible educational organisations. The Panel would also like to recognise the cooperation and commitment of staff and executives from the VCAA. I would like to thank my fellow Panel members for their commitment to the review task. I would also like to recognise the Secretariat support provided by Nous Group. Your sincerely Dr John Bennett AM Chair, Independent Review Panel The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is a world-recognised senior secondary school credential. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) is responsible for the development of the curriculum and assessment requirements for the VCE. The VCAA develops and administers over 160 examinations to more than 80,000 students in approximately 630 examination centres in Victoria. The examinations include written examinations and oral and performance examinations held during October and November each year. In addition, the VCAA develops a separate suite of 14 examinations in VCE subjects that are sat by students attending schools operating under the northern hemisphere school timetable. In response to several issues emerging around the 2023 VCE examinations, the Secretary of the Department of Education (the Department) initiated an Independent Review (the Review) of the VCAA’s VCE examination-setting policies, processes and procedures, with a focus on Mathematics, Chemistry and the incorrect distribution of copies of the Chinese Second Language examination. The specific issues were as follows: • An open letter signed by 73 university mathematicians presenting a critique of the 2022 VCE Mathematics examinations including 5 alleged ‘major’mathematical errors, which coincided with similar concerns being expressed about alleged errors in the 2023 Mathematics examination papers. • An error in one of the questions in the 2023 VCE Chemistry examination paper. • At 2 schools (examination centres), students were incorrectly given the VCE Chinese Second Language examination paper instead of the Chinese Second Language Advanced examination paper. Approach The Secretary appointed an independent expert panel (the Panel) to the Review, with 3 broad Terms of Reference including: 1. Content of the questions in the Mathematics and Chemistry examination papers. 2. Editorial review of the questions in the Mathematics and Chemistry examination papers. 3. Process for the distribution of examination papers to ensure students received the correct examinat

FAQs

What prompted the Independent Review of the VCAA’s VCE examination-setting processes?

The Secretary initiated the Review in response to issues arising from the 2023 VCE examinations, including concerns about mathematics examination questions, an error in a chemistry question, and incorrect distribution of Chinese Second Language examination papers.

What periods and scope did the expert panel cover?

The panel conducted the review from 8 December 2023 until 12 March 2024, undertaking 42 detailed consultations with VCAA, Department, interstate curriculum and assessment bodies, university representatives, and education authority stakeholders.

What were the main terms of reference for the review?

The review examined the content of mathematics and chemistry questions, the editorial review of those questions, and the process for distributing examination papers to ensure students received the correct paper for different levels of study.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Kurz