Key Insights from the 2025 VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies External Assessment Report

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.

A consistent theme throughout the report is that specificity attracts marks. High-scoring responses named specific outdoor environments, used accurate terminology from the Study Design, included relevant information (e.g., data from graphs, see question 6) where required, and directly addressed the stimulus material. Lower-scoring responses tended to remain broad, vague or disconnected from the context of the question. This reinforces a core principle of VCE OES exam preparation: general environmental commentary is rarely rewarded. Precise, context specific responses are.

The Section B extended response remains the major differentiator. With an average of 7.6 out of 15, it continues to separate mid-range from high-achieving students. In this question, stronger responses had the following features:

• referred to two outdoor environments

• used primary and secondary data

• accurately addressed historical time periods (such as Post-Federation and the past decade)

• moved beyond description into analysis.

 Weaker responses often:

• referenced only one environment

• focused solely on contemporary examples

• described environmental impacts without analysing cause and effect

Evaluate and compare questions also challenged students across the VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies paper. In questions requiring students to evaluate campaign effectiveness, assess decision-making processes or compare legislation and individual actions, many responses described features instead of making a clear value adding judgement.

The report also highlights the importance of precise Study Design terminology. High-scoring responses used terms such as water quality, species biodiversity, threatening processes, cultural burning accurately. Lower-scoring responses relied on overly general or incorrect phrasing. This suggests that explicit vocabulary instruction and repeated modelling of exam-ready language remain essential in Units 3 and 4.

Another clear pattern was the importance of context. Students who misread time periods, political levels or the scope of legislation often capped their marks. Those who applied their knowledge directly to the environment, stimulus and command term in the question were rewarded. Careful reading of the question and skilful deconstruction remain critical exam skills.

Finally, the report reinforces the value of meaningful fieldwork and logbook use. Students are not expected to memorise data, but those who could recall specific primary observations, management strategies or environmental health indicators demonstrated greater depth in their responses.

In summary, the 2025 VCE OES External Assessment Report confirms that high performance in the VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies exam depends on:

• Specific named outdoor environments rather than generic examples

• Deep understanding of the Study Design

• Strong cause-and-effect analysis

• Clear evaluative judgements with strengths and limitations

• Integration of primary and secondary data in extended responses

• Careful attention to time periods and question requirements

If you would like support preparing students for the 2026 VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies exam, please explore the ‘Our Offerings’ section of our website.