Students and parents are calling for more transparency and adequate solutions from the VCE authority after at least two high schools gave Chinese language students the wrong exam paper this week.
Some students who were meant to take the Chinese Second Language Advanced (SLA) exam were given papers for the Chinese as a Second Language (SL) exam — a significantly easier level — which is due to be held next Wednesday.
Multiple sources told the ABC the students affected have been asked to sign a confidentiality agreement to not share details of the exam before November 16.
However, several insiders with knowledge of the exam have confirmed that at least one of the essay questions and details of some listening exercises have already been leaked online and are being circulated on Reddit and Chinese social media sites.
There has also been no explanation from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) as to how those students who have received the easier paper will be graded, causing concern they will be graded the same way as students who received the correct papers.
“On Monday, two schools contacted the VCAA to report that they had inadvertently administered the wrong Chinese Language examination. Six students were affected,” the spokesperson said.
They added the VCAA is working directly with the two schools to ensure that no students are disadvantaged.
Jenny said the biggest issue was the leak of the exam questions, and those questions potentially being seen by students taking the SL exam on Wednesday.
“It’s hard to guarantee fairness without changing the [SL] exam papers,” she said.
Several SLA students and parents also told the ABC they were concerned about allegations that SLA students will receive the scores they get on the SL papers.
Jenny said since the VCE uses a scoring system based on the ranking of students doing the same subject, the SLA students who did the SL papers will be “more advantaged”.
Several affected students and parents the ABC approached declined an interview because of the confidentiality agreement.
Jessie Zhao, a SLA student who received the correct paper, said her friend who completed the SL paper was asked to sign the confidentiality agreement in front of the school principal.
“They also have to give the names of everyone they talked to about the exams before they signed the agreement.”
Ms Zhao said her friend realised his paper was different when discussing the exam with friends from other schools.
“Few hours after the exam, the school called him and asked him to sign the agreement,” she said.
(ABC)
