Hackers have breached the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) website, claiming to have downloaded and sold VCE exam papers to hundreds of students.
The VCAA has rejected the claims, with CEO Andrew Smith saying there is “no evidence” that any exam papers have been leaked.
The website remains offline as the authority investigates the breach.
Here’s what you need to know.
Hacking
Victorian Year 12 students are in the final week of their VCE exams.
At about 6pm on Wednesday, a hacker using the alias “DaggerElite” took over the VCAA website.
The hacker posted a message mocking the authority’s security, thanking the VCAA for its “dogshit security standards”.
They claimed to have accessed the internal file servers of an external printing provider used by the VCAA and downloaded copies of the 2026 VCE exams.
DaggerElite claimed to have sold the papers to “hundreds of students statewide”, distributing them through an email address belonging to law firm Go Ahead Lawyers.
The law firm has denied any involvement, saying it found no evidence of unauthorised access to its email systems.
The hacker warned students against sharing the papers, claiming each copy contained an “identifiable signature” that could be used to trace recipients.
They also suggested they could sell 2027 exam papers well before next year’s exam period.
Responses
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ContributeEducation Minister Gabrielle Williams disputed DaggerElite’s claims, saying there was no indication VCE exams had been accessed.
VCAA CEO Andrew Smith also told ABC Radio Melbourne there was “no evidence that these exams have been leaked”.
“The claims that they were downloaded from our secure printers don’t stand up at this stage,” he said.
“I’m sorry for the distraction caused to students sitting exams.”
Controversy
The latest incident comes two years after the VCAA accidentally published material containing questions from 2024 VCE exams before students sat them.
The error affected around 60 exams, with hidden text in sample cover sheets revealing exam questions when copied into another document.
The fallout led to the resignation of then-CEO Kylie White and the dismissal of the VCAA board following an independent review.
The review found problems with the authority’s exam processes and governance.
What’s next?
Williams said the VCAA had referred the incident to Victoria Police for investigation.
She also confirmed VCE exams would “continue as normal”, with the final exams scheduled for November 18.
The VCAA website remains offline, displaying the following message:
