Panel traces exam error to late tweak

Late changes in a top-level school maths exam paper led to a mistake so bad students could not answer the question.

In a review into last year’s errorridden NCEA papers, an expert panel says no one individual was responsible for the mistakes, including a major blunder in a maths paper that left students in tears.

It has asked the national qualifications body that sets the exams to tighten checking procedures and made a series of recommendations aiming to prevent mistakes slipping into papers in future.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) yesterday said a late change had led to the worst mistake in last year’s Level 3 statistics exam and, to avoid a repetition, it would implement the panel’s recommendations immediately.

A spokeswoman said the lastminute alteration to the exam paper had gone through unchecked and resulted in part of a multi-answer question not being able to be solved.

The panel considered the mistake so bad it was likely to disadvantage pupils sitting the exam.

It was revealed four other external NCEA mathematics and statistics exam papers were affected by mistakes last year but these were not considered severe.

The review advised strengthening processes, including not approving exams for printing without a final and formal independent check.

It also wanted decision-making about errors or late changes to examination papers to be dealt with at senior levels of the organisation.

The panel recommended overall accountability for technically correct, error-free exam papers lie with the leader of the examination paper development team.

The panel recommended a new checking stage in the exam-setting process, especially when late changes had taken place, and that any alterations not be approved for printing without a final, formal independent check.

Where examiners asked for late changes in examination papers, it was recommended that there were defined deadlines, and for any late requests for changes to go to NZQA senior management for approval.

The NZQA welcomed the recommendations and said changes would be implemented this year.

“We are moving ahead to implement these recommendations ... ahead of the next examination round,” said deputy chief executive Kristine Kilkelly.

Kilkelly said results for the Level 3 statistics paper were in line with previous years, indicating the error did not affect student achievement.