VCAA investigates website hack during Victorian exams
The assessment authority says there is no indication papers for 11 November or previous weeks were accessed. Exams continue until 18 November.
By Quang Dinh
A forensic investigation is under way after the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) confirmed its website was hacked on 11 November, while students across Victoria were still sitting exams.
A spokesperson said the authority was investigating the attack's scope. The VCAA said it had no indication that papers for exams held that day or in previous weeks had been accessed.
A message posted on the compromised website by someone using the name DaggerElite claimed exam papers had been taken from a printing provider's internal servers. It also claimed copies had been distributed using email details obtained from a legal services provider.
The VCAA home page initially showed an error before switching to a maintenance notice. Victoria's exam schedule runs until 18 November.
The incident follows a 2024 error in which some exam questions appeared in online practice materials. In April 2026, the Victorian government announced more than A$222 million to rebuild the VCAA, with the stated aim of protecting exams over the longer term.
