"My son was showing me all the memes that fellow students all over Perth had put on Facebook and the comments they've made - it just cries out, a feeling of loss of hope. "Some kids have actually written down and said 'I've just withdrawn my uni application'. Mrs Kunjan said her sister-in-law shared her concerns, saying the difficulty with exams was wider than just Perth. "My sister-in-law is the head of the English department at a school in Malaysia and told me the students were in a state of shock when they finished their physics exam," she said. "They had to sit the English exam the same day and the teachers had to give the students counselling and positive encouragement so that they could sit for the afternoon paper – that's how bad it was."

A student from Rossmoyne Senior High School told 7 West Media it was "the most horrible exam ever" and that she was "scared for the rest". But Mrs Kunjan said the teachers should not be blamed. "It's not the teachers fault, I would not blame the teachers," she said. "Some of them have no idea what to expect because there's no consistency. "You've got consistency in A levels, you've got consistency in other exams, but you don't have consistency in these Australian examinations – not just Perth, but everywhere."

According to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), ATAR course examinations are developed by teams of experienced teachers and are checked several times to ensure the questions examine the syllabus content. The SCSA states the questions are designed so that candidates can demonstrate their understanding of the syllabus after a year's study. Mrs Kunjan expressed concerns the outcome would have an impact on future exams the students must now sit. "The damage has been done, the students confidence has been set back," she said. "We as parents have just got to keep encouraging them.

"They already struggle day and night, burning the midnight oil studying – they're hard working kids who really want to do something good in life, why do they have to make their lives miserable? "I hope they do something about it for the future generation because this is ridiculous - it's sheer torment." Science Teacher's Association of Western Australia president Stacey Fairhead said the concerns of parents had not been raised with her organisation. "Some teachers have expressed that they thought the paper was more challenging than previous years," she said. "There are standardisation procedures in place which means that students will be treated equitably.

"The organisation's advice is that students should not dwell on the difficulty of one paper and remember that it is only one of many exams. Loading "Other students who sat the paper are probably feeling the same way. Their raw score may not be as high as they were expecting, but their position amongst their peers is unlikely to change. It is our hope the students can go on to achieve their personal best." Additional information regarding WACE examinations can be found on the SCSA at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/