Thousands of Queensland senior students are sitting a different test to their classmates this exam season, as special conditions and allowances rise, and educators voice doubts about whether the testing format remains fit for purpose.
Across the 17-day external assessment block last year, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority approved adjustments on at least one exam for 5056 students, or 12 per cent of the cohort.
These allowances included alternative format papers such as black-and-white materials, braille, and enlarged typeface, rest breaks, readers, scribes, or additional time.
The proportion of students receiving adjustments has risen by 1 per cent of the testing cohort each year since 2022.
In 2025, this amounted to almost 10,300 special condition allowances, although a student may be granted multiple adjustments for a single exam.
Dr Matthew White, an expert in inclusive education at the Australian Catholic University, said the trend highlights shortcomings of the exams themselves, rather than students’ abilities.
“A lot of universities have early entry now,” he said. “We’re still wedded to a final exam … what’s the purpose of that exam?”
Between 2022 and 2025, the overall number of adjustments grew by 49.1 per cent, and alternative formatting for papers increased by 89.5 per cent.
White said a similar range of adjustments had been offered across states since the late 2000s, but the options were “too narrow”.
“So much has changed since then with regard to technology and health,” he said.
“Our way of looking at exams and the whole way of looking at adjusting for young people with disability and things like that has advanced since then, but this hasn’t. It’s remained exactly the same.”
A QCAA spokesperson said the assessment authority awarded adjustments for long-term or chronic conditions, mental health diagnoses, temporary injuries or short-term conditions, and illness or misadventure. The latter applied for students taught the wrong ancient history topic in 2025.
These four eligibility categories had remained the same since the new Queensland Certificate of Education system was rolled out in 2020, the spokesperson said.
The most common special condition was additional time, granted for 4781 exam papers, followed by rest breaks, which were applied for 2513 external assessment sittings.
Students used, on average, about 40 per cent of their approved extra minutes, and between 9 and 11 per cent of their rest breaks.
White said the arrangements were frequently given for students with anxiety, so the most important part was just knowing a time or break was available.
“When you have a rest break, you’re usually in a separate room, you usually have someone sitting close by you, you’re not in a big exam room, and it’s that just that psychological safety net,” he said.
“You don’t have that same time pressure … [but] more often than not, students are just keen to get through the exam.”
Over the next three weeks, 43,277 Queensland students will sit at least one general subject external exam.
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