WA Australian Certificate of Education - Errors in Exams

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL - Wednesday, 24 November 2010]
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Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Peter Collier

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION — ERRORS IN EXAMS
Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Education:
My question relates to the errors in this year’s Western Australian Certificate of Education exams.
(1) How is the minister responding to parents who are distressed and concerned about the exam results and
the potential impact on their children’s educational futures?
(2) What specific actions will the minister take to ensure that students who sat papers containing errors will
be assessed in a fair manner in respect of —
(a) the physics paper;
(b) the modern history paper;
(c) the music paper; and
(d) the 3A/3B maths paper?

Hon PETER COLLIER replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The minister has supplied the following
answer —
(1)–(2) I have grave concerns about errors in a number of examination papers and mishaps at a number of
individual examination centres. I have met with the chairman and the chief executive officer of the
Curriculum Council of Western Australia on three occasions during the course of the examinations, and
my office has been in regular contact with the Curriculum Council on these matters. I have been assured
by the chairman and chief executive officer that the examination results will be closely monitored, and
that the results of affected candidates will be adjusted where necessary to ensure that they are fair and
that no student will be disadvantaged. The chief executive officer has also invited students who
potentially may have been affected to contact him directly after the results are released if they have any
concerns. The member should note that I have not been informed of any error in the 3A/3B maths
paper; however, there was an error in the 3C/3D maths paper.