This year’s VCE written exams have officially kicked off, with 42,626 students across the state sitting the English exam and another 3,520 sitting English as an Additional Language exam this morning.

Minister for Education James Merlino wished all students sitting exams this year the best of luck and congratulated them on their hard work and resilience through two VCE years spanning a global pandemic.

In recognition of the unique – and in many cases profound – impact coronavirus has had on schools and individual students across Victoria, the Consideration of Educational Disadvantage process will run as it did in 2020, making sure the only thing that counts towards students’ scores is their effort and hard work.

Students will also be able to submit a Student Statement to be taken into account during this process, outlining the individual impact the pandemic has had on their physical or mental health and their VCE studies.

A total of 83,997 students will sit at least one examination – written, performance or oral – by the time exams finish on 17 November.

This year’s key exam numbers include:

Number of mature-age students sitting exams: 374 Number of VCE languages being examined: 47 Number of examination centres: 554 Largest examination centre: Bendigo Senior Secondary College (907 students) Smallest examination centres: Lavers Hill K-12 College (3 students) and Balmoral K-12 Community College (3 students)

The VCE written exams will be conducted in compliance with the public health team’s advice on school settings and gatherings to keep students, staff and exam supervisors safe.

VCE students who are primary close contacts have permission to attend their exams, while otherwise complying with the isolation orders that apply – 14 days for unvaccinated students, or seven days if they are fully vaccinated.

These students will sit exams in dedicated rooms with separate entrances either by themselves or safely distanced from other students who are also primary close contacts, depending on capacity – supervised by staff wearing face shields and enhanced PPE in safely ventilated rooms that are cleaned between each use.

Students will receive their results via email, at resultsandatar.vic.edu.au or via the VCE Results and ATAR app from 7:00am Thursday 16 December.

Statements of Results will begin arriving in the mail from Thursday, 16 December 2021.