Minister orders inquiry into VCE exam fiasco that advantaged thousands of students

The VCAA will undergo a full external review of its structure and operations as part of the review process.

The announcement is something of an about-face for the minister after he dodged questions on Thursday about whether the VCAA should be reviewed after the latest gaffe.

Carroll said there had been change at the VCAA after last year – when mistakes were made on exams – including the appointment of a new chief executive and experts to look at how exams were prepared and written.

Instead, he blamed the bungle on human error and sought to reassure students.

“It’s still not an acceptable human error, and I will get to the bottom of this,” Carroll said on Thursday.

“There will not be any penalties, [students] will not be inadvertently affected in their marks or examinations. They should put their best foot forward.”

“It is clear to me that some students have been let down as a result of these errors, and that is completely unacceptable.”

Education Minister Ben Carroll

The minister’s office said a person of “appropriate standing and expertise” will be appointed to start the review early next year.

Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson had called for an independent review of the VCAA and the exam process as a whole.

She branded this year’s bungle worse than those the VCAA made in previous years and said the public had lost faith in the authority.

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VCAA chief executive officer Kylie White has been on the defensive since the mistake was made public, insisting exams had not been compromised.

White has conceded “similar” questions were included in exams as the material was unintentionally published but said no student was disadvantaged.

The VCAA has been contacted for comment.