The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) says there is no evidence any exam papers were accessed or leaked in the hack that took down its website on Wednesday, as more than 8,600 students sat the physics VCE exam on Thursday morning. Chief executive Andrew Smith apologised for any distraction and warned students against handing over personal information to anyone claiming to sell exams; the hack has been reported to Victoria Police.
The website was taken down on Wednesday evening after someone using the alias "DaggerElite" posted a message claiming to have breached the authority's systems and sold exams to "hundreds of students statewide".
VCAA has strongly refuted the claims, calling them "fabricated" and designed for financial gain from the exploitation of anxious students. "There is no evidence at all that any VCE exams have been accessed or leaked," a spokesperson said.
"I'm really sorry for any distraction that this has caused for students who are sitting their exams today or in the coming week," Smith told the ABC. He said the likelihood exam papers could have been downloaded from secure printers was "very, very low".
Nick Lowther, from cybersecurity firm Semperis, said the tone of the message "comes across as quite immature and attention-seeking, which could be consistent with a current or former student". He added that the lack of evidence did not mean the hacker had not accessed the papers.
St Kevin’s College was among schools warning students not to engage with anyone claiming to have exam content. Fake exam papers were also posted to social media.
The hack follows several years of bungles for the VCAA. In 2024, the government ordered a review after the authority accidentally published 56 test papers, including English. The then-chief executive Kylie White resigned and the board was sacked in 2025. Errors also appeared in 2022 and 2023 maths exams.
Education Minister Gabrielle Williams said VCE exams would continue as normal. Premier Ben Carroll acknowledged the stress on students but said the government did not believe the exam program had been disrupted. The exam period concludes on November 18.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Over 50,000 VCE students are in the middle of high-stakes exams; the hack and the associated claims add to stress and confusion.
- The incident raises serious questions about the VCAA's cybersecurity and its ability to protect the integrity of the examination system so soon after the 2024 scandal.
- Students are being actively targeted by scammers, risking financial loss and serious consequences for exam integrity.
Background
The VCAA has had a deeply troubled few years. In 2024, it accidentally published 56 exam papers online, giving students access to content identical or very similar to their final exams. The then-chief executive Kylie White resigned, and the board was sacked in 2025. Errors were also found in maths papers in 2022 and 2023. Andrew Smith was brought in as CEO to restore confidence.
Key Perspectives
VCAA: maintains there is no evidence exams were accessed, calling the claims fabricated, and has reported the incident to Victoria Police.
Hacker (DaggerElite): claims to have breached the system and sold exams to hundreds of students, mocking the authority's security.
Cybersecurity expert Nick Lowther: says the hacker's tone is "immature and attention-seeking", potentially a current or former student, but notes the lack of evidence does not mean no breach occurred.
Education Minister Gabrielle Williams: states VCE exams will continue as normal.
What to Watch
- Victoria Police's investigation and whether the hacker is identified.
- Whether any students come forward claiming to have purchased papers, and the VCAA's response.
- The findings of the VCAA's own internal investigation and any promised security changes.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedVCE exams are continuing as normal after the hack.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Education Minister Gabrielle Williams said in a statement that the VCE exams would continue as normal.”
- SupportedVCAA says there is no evidence exam papers were accessed or leaked.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “There is no evidence at all that any VCE exams have been accessed or leaked.”
- SupportedDaggerElite claimed exams had been sold to hundreds of students statewide.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Using the alias “DaggerElite”, someone claimed to have accessed the VCAA site and its external printing providers, downloading VCE exams and selling them to “hundreds of students statewide”.”
- SupportedThe hack was reported to Victoria Police.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Smith told ABC on Thursday the hack had been reported to Victoria Police.”
- SupportedMore than 8,600 students sat the physics exam on Thursday morning.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “More than 8600 students sat the physics exam on Thursday morning”
- SupportedSmith apologised for the distraction to students sitting exams.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““It’s incredibly disappointing, and I’m really sorry for any distraction that this has caused for students who are sitting their exams today or in the coming week,” he said.”
- SupportedSmith warned students not to hand over personal information to people claiming to sell exams.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““Please do not hand over private information or personal information or bank details and so on, because we know that there are a range of claims being made about exams being available for sale.””
- SupportedA VCAA spokesperson said, “There is no evidence at all that any VCE exams have been accessed or leaked.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““There is no evidence at all that any VCE exams have been accessed or leaked. These are false claims designed for financial gain from the exploitation of anxious students,” they said.”
- SupportedVCAA called the claims fabricated and said they were designed for financial gain from exploiting anxious students.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““The claims made in relation to VCE exams are fabricated.””
- SupportedSmith said the likelihood of exam papers being downloaded from secure printers was “very, very low”.World news | The Guardian: “adding the likelihood exam papers could be downloaded from secure printers was “very, very low”.”
- SupportedLowther said the message sounded immature and attention-seeking and could be consistent with a current or former student.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““It comes across as quite immature and attention-seeking, which could be consistent with a current or former student, although it’s impossible to draw that conclusion based on the wording alone,” he said.”
- Reports differThe former chief executive who resigned after the 2024 exam bungle was Kylie White.World news | The Guardian: “Then-chief-executive, Kylie White, resigned from the VCAA in the fallout from the “cheat sheet” bungle”