Education Minister James Merlino announced the changes, saying students could now find comfort as they near the end of their final year.
“For our Year 12 students, this is it. We know that there are many students, many parents, who are worried about how COVID-19 will impact on their VCE scores and impact on their ATAR ranking,” he said.
“This year we're going to do things very, very differently. Every single VCE student will now be individually assessed and any adverse impacts from COVID-19 will be reflected in their ATAR ranking.”
In a normal year, individual students are assessed for special consideration on a case by case basis, however schools will now provide the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) with information on every single one of their students.
Schools will be asked to rank their students on both where they are at now and where they would have been had it not been for COVID-19 and why.
Data will then be collected from every school across the state including on previous assessments and used alongside the GAT and exams to adjust VCE scores accordingly.
“We'll look at things such as school closures, long absences, significant increase in family responsibilities as a result of COVID-19 and we'll of course consider the mental health and wellbeing of students during this period,” Mr Merlino said.
“This is a way we can give every student and every parent of a VCE student the comfort and the confidence that their student will receive their final scores that take into account their individual circumstances.
“It puts them on a level playing field with every student across the state.”