University of Otago Cancels Law Exam After Wrong Paper Given to 90 Students

The University of Otago has cancelled a third-year law examination after about 90 students were mistakenly given the wrong paper, creating fresh scrutiny over exam administration at one of New Zealand’s leading universities.

The issue occurred during the Intellectual Property Law examination, LAWS329. Students quickly noticed something was wrong. Within the first five minutes of the exam, concerns were raised with invigilators after students realised the questions did not match the instructions they had received during the course.

Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Emeritus Professor James Maclaurin confirmed that students had been given an incorrect version of the exam. The test was cancelled approximately 15 minutes after it began once university officials determined that continuing would be unfair to students who had prepared based on different guidance.

How the Exam Error Happened

According to the university, the Law Faculty had revised the LAWS329 examination and correctly resubmitted it for printing and use. However, a later administrative error outside the Law Faculty resulted in the original version being distributed instead of the revised paper.

Maclaurin said the decision to stop the exam was made because the paper students received differed from what they had been instructed to prepare for during the semester. The university has since apologised to affected students and is investigating how the mistake occurred despite established checking procedures.

Students impacted by the cancellation have been offered several options. They can sit the correct examination later this week, take a second sitting next semester using a different paper, or apply for special consideration if they are unable to attend either option due to personal circumstances.

Second Law Exam Issue in Less Than a Year

The incident comes only months after another problem involving a third-year Otago law paper. In October, students sitting the Law of Torts examination (LAWS301) were informed that a word had been omitted from a question, making it impossible to answer as written. Invigilators advised students of that mistake about 50 minutes into the three-hour exam.

Maclaurin stressed that the same staff were not involved in both incidents and described the latest case as a materially different issue. He said the Law Faculty’s examination review processes had been strengthened in recent times and that all required checks were completed before the paper was submitted.

The latest mishap is likely to raise questions about broader administrative controls within university assessment systems. Similar discussions around institutional accountability and policy oversight have emerged across New Zealand in recent years, including debates surrounding new citizenship test requirements planned for New Zealand.

For students, the consequences are more immediate. Final examinations often influence degree outcomes, postgraduate opportunities and future employment prospects. Any disruption can add significant stress during an already demanding examination period.

Official information about examination procedures and resources is available through the University of Otago’s exam information portal. Meanwhile, university officials say their priority remains supporting affected students while determining exactly how the wrong paper ended up in the examination room.