The agency that runs Victoria’s exam system is driven by fear, secrecy and unchecked authority, an independent review has been told. The scathing review into the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) found the agency was in such a poor state that it will take years to fix its bad governance, management failures and a “culture of fear”. A review into the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority was conducted after VCE exam questions were accidentally leaked last year. Credit: Dominic LorrimerGovernance expert Yehudi Blacher said the overwhelming sentiment among staff at the VCAA was “sadness and disappointment” at the state of the agency. Blacher reviewed the agency after last year’s exam debacle, when questions on 65 of the test papers were accidentally made public before the exams.