Section 8: Special provision in VCE external assessments

Data source: 2025 data were extracted from the VCAA corporate database on 7 January 2026 (Published).

If you have any concerns or comments, please contact the Data Analysis and Reporting Unit by emailing: research.vcaa@education.vic.gov.au

Section 8

The VCAA recognises that students with a disability, as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth), may require Special Examination Arrangements. The VCAA Special Provision policy provides students with disabilities, illnesses, or other circumstances affecting their ability to access VCE external assessments, the opportunity to participate in and complete their secondary-level studies.

Two types of special provisions are available to students completing VCE external assessments:

• Special Examination Arrangements
• Derived Examination Scores

This section provides a statistical overview of VCAA Special Provision for VCE external assessments for 2021 to 2025.

1. Special Examination Arrangements

Special Examination Arrangements may be approved for students with disabilities, illnesses or other circumstances that affect their ability to access a VCE external assessment.

Between 2024 and 2025, the number of students with applications for Special Examination Arrangements increased by 19.0%, and by 90.4% since 2021. Mental Health Condition (44.2%) and Health Impairment (22.4%) were the most common approved categories, accounting for over half of all applications. In 2025, 99.8% of applications were approved, which is a 1.2 percentage point increase from 2024 and a 0.9 percentage point increase from 2021.

The increases in Special Examination Arrangements since 2023 are primarily due to streamlining of evidence requirements, which place greater emphasis on school judgment and the history of prior provisions provided to a student by their school.

Emergency applications are submitted where students experience a sudden illness, injury or personal circumstance immediately before or during an external assessment period.

2. Derived Examination Scores

Students who are ill or affected by other personal circumstances at the time of a VCE external assessment and whose result is unlikely to be a fair or accurate indication of their learning or achievement in a study may apply for a Derived Examination Score. A Derived Examination Score is not available for the GAT, Music Composition Externally-assessed Task, Music Inquiry Externally-assessed Task or Extended Investigation Externally-assessed Task.

Between 2024 and 2025, the number of students applying for a Derived Examination Score grew by 12.6%. Most applications are accounted for by Acute illness/circumstances.