Year 12 English exam – Be Prepared!

Author: Maria D'Amato

The English exam is always the first of the VCE exams and it is often the one you are most nervous about. This blog will discuss how to tackle the exam and more importantly what to focus on. Master these points to be sure you will get the very most out of yourself and achieve a result that you can be proud of.

General Exam Tips

• Remember to take a dictionary.

• Use black or blue pen.

• Answer every question.

• Devote equal time to each of the three sections – they are equally weighted.

• Spend 2-3 minutes planning, and write short plans only. Plans will not be assessed.

• Spend no more than 50 minutes on each of the sections, as you don't want to run out of time.

• You must bring each of your essays to a conclusion.

• Allow 3–5 minutes to proofread and edit your work. Check spelling and grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing and clarity of expression. Ensure you have included all the components of your plan.

• Please learn the correct spellings of authors’ names, characters’ names, and text titles. The assessors will view this favourably.

• Put the pen down momentarily and take a deep breath before commencing the next essay.

Section A: Text Response

• Select one of the two questions. Select the topic you know you can answer best.

• Look carefully at the key terms used in the prompt and unpack their meaning.
  Essay questions are set up very carefully and each key term needs to be addressed.

• The introduction needs to directly answer the prompt.

• Don't memorise essays and reproduce them in exams.
  Remember to respond to the prompt and focus on what’s relevant to that prompt.

• Be consistent with the development of the contention across the essay. Each paragraph in the body of the essay needs to develop your contention.

• Examples and evidence are drawn only from the text. You cannot bring anything external to it.

• Learn a comprehensive series of quotations from the beginning, middle and end of the text.

• Don’t forget to mention the ways in which the author expresses or implies a point of view and/or values.

• The conclusion includes the fulfilment of your line of contention.

Section B: Writing in Context

• You will be given a prompt to which you must respond, which is almost like a universal statement.

• In Section B you are able to express your thoughts and ideas relating to the overall theme in whatever form you choose, be it imaginative, persuasive or expository; however, you must work with the prompt regardless of what format you choose.

• The studied text is there for inspiration, not to write a text essay on.

• You need to show knowledge of the text but can also go beyond it and draw on related ideas (such as current affairs, your own experiences) to develop your argument.

• Don't just retell the story; you need to explore the quality of ideas and link back to the text.

Section C: Analysis of Language

• You should devote at least 10 minutes of reading time to read the written material in this section. This will enable you to gain an impression of the overall issue.

• Remember the what, how and why language is being used in an attempt to influence readers/audience.

• Identify the Context, Contention, Tone, Audience and Purpose.

• You need to focus on specific phrases and analyse how the language used by the writer shapes the beliefs/feelings of the reader.

• Paragraphs for language analysis are essentially “point, evidence, analyse”.

• You also need to analyse how the visual material shapes the beliefs of the reader.

• Keep your language simple and straightforward.

• Don’t forget to use language of comparison to show the differences/contrasts of opinions.

And finally,

GOOD LUCK 😃 

The Essay-A-Week Challenge

Author: Chris Ebbs

Writing one essay per week sounds scary. But it doesn’t have to be. The whole point of this challenge is to take the scary factor out of essay-writing.

In year 12, everyone is doing at least one subject that involves writing an essay in the exam. This is tricky – how do you remember everything you wanted to remember, think of a really great argument and write coherently under a time limit? The best way to get better at something is to practice, and this is no exception.

By the time you’ve reached year 12, you’ve probably learnt all the ‘rules’ about essay-writing. But knowing these rules doesn’t automatically equate with producing good essays.

Find out the expected style of the exam essay for each subject. Write an essay on whatever you’re studying in class that week. You’ll practice your essay style, but you’ll also be developing and revising the ideas you learnt at school.

It’s never too early to start. Try not to be embarrassed or disheartened if it feels like you produced some ‘bad’ work – this is all part of the learning process. Set aside an hour or two every week for the essay challenge. Try to make it a regular part of your schedule. Make sure you set yourself time limits – you won’t have four hours and a laptop for research in the exam.

Your teacher or tutor will be happy to mark your essays and discuss them with you. They want you to improve, and this is a great way to do it. You could also check out the exam reports on the VCAA website for advice.

Let us know how the challenge goes for you!