The updated VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies FAQs are worth reading closely. They do not rewrite the VCE OES Study Design, but they do add useful clarification around planning, outdoor experiences, logbooks, Indigenous perspectives, assessment design and key Unit 3 and 4 content areas.

The revised VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies Study Design (2024–2028) has formalised expectations around outdoor experience hours, recommending that students complete between 25 and 50 hours of practical outdoor experiences per unit.

The 2025 VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies External Assessment Report provides insights into how students performed on the VCE OES exam and, more importantly, where marks were gained and lost. For teachers, the report confirms that success in VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies comes down to being specific, responding to stimulus and having a deep understanding of the Study Design.

The VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies examination specifications have recently been amended, with the addition of assessment criteria for the Section B extended-response question.

This update, published by the VCAA, provides greater transparency and clarity about how the extended-response question is developed and assessed in the VCE OES exam.

The key change is the formal inclusion of assessment criteria outlining how the 10–15 mark extended-response question will be constructed and marked.