Human error blamed for exam paper mistakes

Human error has been blamed for mistakes in two separate State exams, it emerged today.

In June, 217 Leaving Certificate candidates in 19 examinations venues received an incomplete accounting paper, while numbers in a cash flow question in Junior Certificate business studies did not add up.

The State Examination Commission (SEC) found both incidents could be attributed to human error in the production or preparation of the papers.

Despite the error, 8.6% of the 4,543 students who sat the higher level accountancy paper secured an A1 – up 0.10% from last year.

The Junior Certificate results will be known next month.

In a report to Education Minister Mary Coughlan, the SEC said such errors are regrettable and emphasised it had ensured candidates would not be disadvantaged by the mistakes.

The SEC said it was satisfied mistakes made in both examinations resulted from human error.

“The SEC is satisfied that, subject to the normal annual review, the existing protocols provide a robust framework for the accurate preparation and production of examination papers,” it added.

“The SEC will review its existing protocols for examination paper production as part of the normal annual review with a view to further strengthening these protocols.”

Last year a blunder with a English Leaving Certificate paper cost the Government more than one million euro but the paper did little to disrupt pupils.

The exam was rescheduled for three days later after a superintendent handed out the wrong paper on the wrong day.