**Queensland Students Exempted from Ancient History Exam After Curriculum Mix-Up**
Teachers at nine high schools in northeastern Australia recently discovered, just days before an ancient history exam, that they had mistakenly taught their students about the wrong Roman ruler. Instead of Julius Caesar, the intended focus, students were taught about Augustus Caesar, Julius Caesar’s successor.
The error affected high school students in Queensland, who were subsequently exempted from the statewide ancient history exam held on Wednesday. Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek described the situation as “extremely traumatic” for the students and announced a full investigation into the mix-up.
Since the mistake was identified on Monday, affected schools applied for and were granted exemptions for their students. Meanwhile, many high schoolers were frantically trying to cram information about Julius Caesar’s life and achievements as a Roman general and statesman.
“I’m very unhappy about the situation,” Langbroek said during a press conference, confirming that the 140 seniors impacted by the curriculum error would not be required to sit for the exam. He also assured that these students would be “not disadvantaged in any way” as a result.
The incident triggered criticism from parents, who expressed concerns that the panic surrounding the ancient history exam had disrupted their children’s preparation for other important tests, including an exam also scheduled for Wednesday.
The ancient history exam constitutes 25% of the students’ final marks for the year. Students exempted from sitting the test will receive credit based on their performance in the remaining assessments, which account for 75% of their overall grade.
According to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, schools were informed two years ago that the ancient history exam topic would change to Julius Caesar starting in 2025. Prior to this, the exam topic had focused on Augustus Caesar for four years.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/weird-news/2025/10/29/studying-the-wrong-ancient-roman-ruler-gets-australian-high-school-seniors-out-of-a-history-exam/