Explained: How VCE exams will work this year during Victoria's Delta outbreak

VCE exams are quickly approaching for Victoria's senior school students, while the state is dealing with more than 20,000 active cases of COVID-19.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education James Merlino has today made major announcements around the "the most significant time in students' schooling life".

He said more than 80 per cent of 17- to 18-year-olds across the state had made the effort to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Here's the rundown on how VCE exams will work this year.

READ MORE: Victoria's COVID-19 cases soar to national record

Will VCE exams go ahead?

Yes, they will go ahead as planned.

The dates will not change. Exam schedules can be found here.

Mr Merlino announced major changes to COVID-19 isolation rules for Year 11 and 12 students in Victoria "to enable VCE exams to go ahead without disruption".

How will be able to take VCE exams?

All VCE students, except those who have tested positive to COVID-19, will be able to take their exams at school - even those who are primary close contacts.

Students who are not close contacts will take their exams as normal with social distancing and COVID-19 practices in place.

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How will primary close contacts be able to attend exams?

Students who are primary close contacts will be exempt to leave isolation to sit their exams at school.

They will need to be tested every 48 hours through the first week after their exposure to reduce the risk of them taking the virus to schools.

If students are fully vaccinated, they will need to isolate for seven days and if they are unvaccinated, they will need to isolate for 14 days.

Students who are primary close contacts of COVID-19 cases will have to take their exams in a separate room at the school, away from the majority of students.

They will use a separate entrance and exit to other students and will sit in a room either by themselves, or in a room with other students who are also primary close contacts depending on the school's capacity.

They will be supervised by staff wearing face shields and healthcare worker level PPE.

Mr Merlino said the rooms would be safely ventilated and cleaned between each use.

What about VCE students with COVID-19 who have exams scheduled?

Students positive for COVID-19 will not be able to attend school or sit their VCE exam.

If a student misses a performance or oral exam, for Mr Merlino said the VCAA would attempt to reschedule it, because they are often single-person events.

However, he said written exams needed to be taken at the same time.

Students who miss the exams for the virus will receive a derived examination score for the exam.

Mr Merlino said the situation was "very, very common" during any set of VCE exams.

"Every single year there are students who are away because they're ill, they're sick, they've been in an accident, they can't attend the exam, then schools use school-based assessments, their GAT results, and come up with a derived figure that is fair for that student," he said.

"It's a very normal process.

"Schools are very familiar with it."

What will happen if a school is exposed to COVID-19 during the exam period?

When there is a confirmed case, the school will generally be closed for an initial 24 hours while cleaning of any affected areas takes place, according to the Department of Health.

Department of Education staff will work with school leaders to identify primary close contacts – who will then be contacted by the Department of Health for the standard contact tracing process.

All other students will be able to return to onsite learning – generally the next day, unless there are further cases immediately associated with a school, in which case further contact tracing may be required.

COVID Commander Jeroen Weimar said 49 schools had dealt with being exposed to the virus over the last ten days, including at the GAT exam.