On March 15, 2024, a group of 140 Year 12 students in Queensland experienced an unexpected challenge during their ancient history exam, which focused on the life and times of Julius Caesar. The students entered the exam room with less than 48 hours to prepare, raising concerns about the adequacy of their knowledge and preparation.
The exam, administered by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), comprised four questions designed to assess students’ analytical skills rather than rote memorization. Despite the anxiety surrounding the exam, the QCAA asserted that students taught the wrong topic—specifically, those who had studied Augustus instead of Caesar—would still be able to complete the test successfully.
Exam Details and Student Reactions
The QCAA provided a stimulus booklet containing nine texts, including excerpts from Plutarch and Cicero, along with a depiction of a gold Roman Republican coin from 48-47 BCE. Each text came with context statements detailing its creation date and the authors’ intentions. Students had two hours to respond to the exam questions, which included:
“Evaluate the reliability and usefulness of evidence in Sources 4 and 5 in the stimulus book for understanding Caesar’s motives in establishing the Triumvirate.”
A total of 2,510 students from 172 schools sat for the exam. The QCAA noted that nine schools, including St Teresa’s Catholic College in Noosaville, had been informed earlier in the academic year that they were teaching the incorrect topic. Consequently, students from these institutions were placed at a disadvantage.
John-Paul Langbroek, the Education Minister, has directed the QCAA to review its communication practices with schools to prevent such issues from recurring. Schools that identified the mistake were able to submit applications for special consideration, citing “illness or misadventure.” Nevertheless, the QCAA indicated that there would be no alternative exam provided, as maintaining a standardised testing process is paramount.
Future Implications and Continued Assessments
The QCAA explained that creating a single exam involves multiple rounds of checking and editing, a process that can take weeks to months. As Queensland’s Year 12 external exams continue over the following weeks, students are faced with further assessments, including modern history and general mathematics, which has a cohort of 21,350 students.
Despite the challenges, the QCAA remains committed to ensuring the integrity of the examination process. The organization emphasizes that marks are not awarded for extraneous knowledge outside the scope of the questions and provided material. As the situation unfolds, both students and educators await the outcomes of the ongoing reviews and the future of Queensland’s educational assessments.
