Back 7News.Au Victoria's Year 12 exams disrupted as VCAA website hacked
Victoria’s Year 12 exams have been disrupted after the state’s curriculum and assessment authority website was hacked.
A bizarre message appeared on the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) website on Wednesday evening, with the hacker mocking the authority’s security and claiming to have obtained and distributed this year’s exam papers.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Victorian Year 12 exams in chaos after VCAA hack
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The message, posted under the alias DaggerElite, claimed the papers had been sold to “hundreds of students statewide” after the hacker allegedly accessed the file servers of an external printing provider.
The hacker also claimed the papers had been individually marked with identifying information, warning students that leaked exams could be traced back to those who had received them.
The message thanked those allegedly involved in the operation, stating: “The success of their campaign could not have been possible without all their help together.”
The hacker further claimed the successful operation would allow them to begin selling 2027 examination papers well ahead of year’s exam period.
‘No indication’ exams papers have been accessed
The VCAA confirmed its website had been hacked and said forensic investigations were underway to establish the extent of the attack.
It did however confirm there is “no indication” that exam papers had been accessed.
In a message to teachers, seen by 7NEWS.com.au, the VCAA clarified the breach was limited to its public-facing website, which is hosted by a third party provider and does not store private information.
The authority said the website could not be used to access VCE examination papers or other VCAA data.
It also said its external printing providers had confirmed they complied with the authority’s security requirements and found no evidence of unauthorised access to 2026 exam papers.
The authority’s homepage was subsequently taken offline, displaying a maintenance message reading: “We’ll be right back”.
The matter has been referred to Victorian Police, with the VCAA facing questions over how the breach occurred and whether any sensitive information was comprimised.
The incident has sparked concern among students and parents, with some questioning whether the authority can guarantee the integrity of this year’s exams.
Despite concerns, VCE exams will continue as normal while the authority works to restore its website.
The authority apologised for any impact the incident may have on students and warned students against sharing personal information with anyone claiming to be selling examination papers.
Not the first time integrity has come into question
The hack comes just two years after the VCAA was embroiled in a major exam controversy when test material was inadvertently published ahead of the 2024 VCE examination period.
The incident affected dozens of exams and gave some students access to material before they sat their tests, prompting a government-ordered review.
The authority’s then chief executive resigned and its board was dismissed in 2025 following the controversy.
Victoria’s 2026 VCE examination period is scheduled to continue until November 18, with results due to be released at 7am on December 10.
The full story
This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.
