Bavaria cancels maths test after leak at Dachau school

Bavaria called off a statewide maths test for about 37,000 tenth-graders after some of its questions circulated online before the exam, BR reported Friday. The Josef-Effner-Gymnasium, a secondary school in Dachau, confirmed the incident but denied claims that the test had been left openly in its office.

School principal Peter Mareis said part of the centrally set test had become known at the school before exam day. He described the incident as a mishap, but said he could not provide further details because of internal school processes. The school and Bavaria’s education ministry confirmed that the incident took place there.

Mareis said he learned of the leak too late for the ministry to arrange for the test to go ahead under regular conditions. The ministry therefore decided that the test, scheduled for Thursday, would not be graded.

The tenth-graders had already taken a graded English test on Tuesday. Michael Schwägerl, head of the Bavarian Philologists’ Association, said the consequences of the maths test leak for students and teachers were limited, and that students could complete a short assessment in another form. He said it was important to ensure a fair process for everyone.

Schwägerl said the statewide tests remained useful for helping students and teachers assess learning, including when a test was not graded. He said the tasks are sent digitally before schools print and store them, and noted that digital copiers can retain document copies that must be deleted manually.

This is the second year in a row that Bavaria has called off a statewide test for tenth-graders after questions became known in advance. Last year, the state cancelled the English test after tasks were inadvertently disclosed at a school.