Hundreds of pupils were given an apology after Britain's largest exam board set a GCSE with questions they could not answer.

The English literature paper, which was sat on Monday, asked pupils to answer questions about poems which were not on the syllabus.

George Turnbull: "It should not have happened"

The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), said it was "hugely embarrassed" by the mistake which affected students who had opted to study poets Robert Frost and RS Thomas.

The paper asked students to discuss Robert Frost's poem, Unharvested, but the verse was not on the syllabus and was not in the anthologies candidates had taken into the exam.

AQA spokesman George Turnbull explained how a new version of the anthology had omitted certain poems contained in an earlier version.

The error comes after revelations that a government and politics AS-level, set by the board Edexcel, contained wrong information which confused students.

Special consideration

Mr Turnbull said 25 centres - out of a total of 600 - had phoned the board in connection with the English literature GCSE.

We do accept responsibility

George Turnbull, AQA

"We've written to all the schools that have been affected and all those cases will be looked at by a senior examiner.

"Students won't be disadvantaged," Mr Turnbull stressed.

"As with any organisation, things do happen, even when a structure is in place to stop them happening - fail-safe systems do fail in every industry.

"But that is not an excuse, we do accept responsibility," he said.