The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has confirmed an error in the VCE specialist maths exam and sought to reassure students they would not be disadvantaged, as the authority’s website stays offline after a hacker claimed to have illegally accessed exam papers.
The error was identified during the marking process, the VCAA said. In a letter to schools on Sunday, chief executive Andrew Smith wrote: "Marking guides have been updated to ensure no students are disadvantaged as a result of the error. Examinations will proceed as scheduled for the final three days, with the last VCE examinations this Wednesday 18 November."
The VCAA website remained offline on Monday after a hacker claimed to have accessed the site and illegally accessed exam papers last week. The site was taken down on Wednesday while the VCAA investigated the breach. A temporary website has been set up to provide students with access to study material.
Smith said the attack exploited a vulnerability in the website, which was developed and maintained by Ernst and Young. He said the VCAA remains confident that no 2026 VCE exams were accessed prior to the exams.
The maths error follows similar incidents in 2022 and 2023, when errors were identified in maths and chemistry exams. In 2024, the authority unintentionally published 56 test papers, giving thousands of students an advantage over others. The government ordered a review into the 2024 exam period. Then-chief executive Kylie White resigned after the bungle, before the board was sacked in 2025.
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12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
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- SupportedThe VCE specialist maths exam contained an error.WA Today - Latest News: “The state curriculum authority has confirmed an error has been found in the VCE specialist maths exam”
- SupportedThe VCAA website remained offline on Monday after the reported hack.WA Today - Latest News: “The VCAA website remained offline on Monday, after a hacker claimed to have accessed the site and illegally accessed exam papers last week.”
- SupportedThe VCAA said marking guides were updated to ensure students would not be disadvantaged by the error.WA Today - Latest News: ““Marking guides have been updated to ensure no students are disadvantaged as a result of the error,” Smith wrote.”
- Partly supportedThe VCAA website was offline while the VCAA investigated the hacker’s claim of exam-paper access.WA Today - Latest News: “The site was taken offline on Wednesday evening while the VCAA investigated the hack.”
- SupportedAndrew Smith wrote that marking guides had been updated and exams would proceed as scheduled for the final three days, ending Wednesday 18 November.WA Today - Latest News: ““Marking guides have been updated to ensure no students are disadvantaged as a result of the error,” Smith wrote. “Examinations will proceed as scheduled for the final three days, with the last VCE examinations this Wednesday 18 November.””
- SupportedThe error was identified during the marking process.WA Today - Latest News: “The VCAA chief executive Andrew Smith said the error was identified in the marking process, in a letter sent to schools on Sunday evening.”
- SupportedA hacker claimed last week to have accessed the VCAA site and illegally accessed exam papers.WA Today - Latest News: “The VCAA website remained offline on Monday, after a hacker claimed to have accessed the site and illegally accessed exam papers last week.”
- SupportedThe site was taken offline on Wednesday while the VCAA investigated the hack.WA Today - Latest News: “The site was taken offline on Wednesday evening while the VCAA investigated the hack.”
- SupportedSmith said the VCAA remained confident that no 2026 VCE exams had been accessed before the exams.WA Today - Latest News: “Smith said the VCAA remains confident that no 2026 VCE exams were accessed prior to the exams.”
- SupportedSmith said a vulnerability in the website was exploited in the attack.WA Today - Latest News: ““I can confirm that the cause of the attack on the VCAA public website was a vulnerability that was exploited to gain unauthorised access to the site,” he said.”
- SupportedErnst and Young developed and maintained the VCAA website.WA Today - Latest News: “Smith said Ernst and Young developed and maintained the VCAA website.”
- SupportedIn 2024, the VCAA unintentionally published 56 test papers, giving thousands of students an advantage over others.WA Today - Latest News: “the VCAA unintentionally published 56 test papers that gave thousands of students an advantage over others.”