Year 12 students from at least eight Queensland schools were taught the wrong topic for their final history exams, with authorities now checking all 172 schools sitting the exam to see if more were affected.
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority said students were meant to study Julius Caesar, but instead learned about his nephew Augustus. The authority's acting chief executive, Claude Jones, stated: 'We are now proactively checking with all 172 schools to confirm the number is not higher.'
Schools involved in the error will submit an 'illness and misadventure application' so students receive special consideration when their papers are marked. An entire class at Brisbane State High School has already applied for such consideration before sitting the external exam on Wednesday.
A Department of Education spokesperson confirmed that Brisbane State High School identified the error on Monday, noting that students were taught the unit on Augustus instead of Julius Caesar, the topic for the 2025 external exam. Augustus was the focus of the 2024 exam.
The spokesperson said the department and school are 'deeply sorry for this mistake' and are supporting students, including providing a full day of support with practice exam questions and exemplars. Students had already completed 75% of their assessments in the subject.
