The Page Research Centre report argues that differences in assessment across states, "grade-creep" and unchecked use of AI are harming the integrity of Australia's school system. It recommends the government commission a feasibility study into three new national exams designed to measure student progress from kindergarten to year 12, with an English test in each exam period.
Students would sit one series of exams in year 6 to measure performance in core areas of the curriculum, another in year 10, and would be able to opt in to final standardised tests in year 12.
The report says that because each state sets its own rules, some students can obtain an ATAR without ever sitting a formal exam, while others are required to do so. It also argues the system's reliance on take-home assessments leaves it highly vulnerable to AI misuse and external tutoring.
Opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser said it was time to question existing approaches and demand change. "ATAR is a national system, but how can we be confident in our school-leavers if an ATAR from Perth doesn't carry the same weight as an ATAR from Melbourne?" he said. "We need the ability to distinguish between whether a student has completed an assessment task, and whether they have learned from it."
In NSW, the Universities Admissions Centre says ATARs are comparable across all Australian states and territories. "An ATAR of 85.00 in NSW or the ACT is equivalent to an ATAR of 85.00 in any other state," it says.
The report found evidence of "grade creep" in year 12 reports, with an increasing number of students receiving top marks, despite stagnant or declining performance in independent standardised tests such as NAPLAN and PISA. It calls for an independent review into Australia's current assessment system, an evaluation of the quality of the ATAR, and a national framework to guide school-leavers.
Report author Dr Fiona Mueller said Australian education policies are disproportionately influenced by unproven, experimental approaches to curriculum, teaching and assessment. She said state and territory authorities were racing to introduce what they called evidence-based reforms, but assessment deserved equally close attention. "The world's highest performing education systems are unequivocal about the importance of formal examinations for measuring student achievement across the curriculum in valid and reliable ways. The OECD calls these 'trusted signals of achievement'," she said.