In September 2026, we told our VCE English Language students exactly what this year's exam would look like. On exam day, it did.
The proof is a lesson document we prepared for our Sunday 12:30pm class. It was created on 13 September 2026 and hasn't been touched since. In it, we listed the past ten VCE English Language exams, drew out the patterns, and wrote down our prediction for every section.
In this post, our founder and VCE English Language tutor Harley Zhong walks through that prediction: what we called, how we got there, and what it means if you're sitting the VCE English Language exam in 2027.
What we predicted vs what appeared on the 2026 exam
Our first-choice prediction matched the 2026 VCE English Language exam exactly: a formal spoken SAQ and an informal written AC.
We also expected a panel or interview-style text rather than a monologue. That's what students got.
Ten years of VCE English Language exams
The VCE English Language exam only uses a handful of text types and question variants, so past papers tell you a lot. These are the ten exams we analysed in September, plus this year's.
Informal written advertisements have now appeared three times in 11 years: 2016, 2022 and 2026.
The three patterns behind the prediction
Three patterns in that table pointed to a formal spoken SAQ and an informal written AC for 2026.
1. The SAQ and AC are always complementary. If one text is formal, the other is informal. If one is spoken, the other is written. This holds in every year above.
2. Mode has alternated every year since 2020. The SAQ went spoken (2020), written (2021), spoken (2022), written (2023), spoken (2024), written (2025). Next in line: a spoken SAQ, which means a written (or multimodal) AC.
3. Register has switched every two years. Across the past four exams, the SAQ was formal in 2022 and 2023, then informal in 2024 and 2025. Next in line: a formal SAQ, which means an informal AC.
Put together, that gives a formal spoken SAQ and an informal written AC. And because advertisements are the most common informal written text, we told students to prepare for one.
Predicting the difficulty: the spoken SAQ
We also flagged the spoken SAQ as the hardest part of the 2026 paper, and students' feedback after the exam backed that up.
Spoken SAQs are tricky for three reasons. The transcripts are long and dense. Nobody announces who is managing the topic, so you have to read between the lines. And the questions are very specific, often naming exact lines or a single function.
That's why our students practised spoken SAQs under timed conditions in the weeks before the exam, recording the time each attempt took. On exam day, the habits that mattered most were:
• Read the questions before the transcript, so you know what to look for.
• Highlight the line numbers each question names, so you don't pick an example from the wrong part of the text.
• Use the transcription key: in 2026, it listed gestures, eye contact and high pitch, which pointed straight at the non-verbal communication answers.
What this means for 2027 VCE English Language students
The VCE English Language exam is more predictable than most students think, and preparing for the likely text types gives you a real head start.
If the same patterns hold, the 2027 exam would bring a formal written SAQ and an informal spoken AC. No pattern is guaranteed, so our students still prepare for every text type. But knowing where to focus your practice in Term 3 and Term 4 saves time and builds confidence before the exam.
Learn with a VCE English Language tutor who knows the exam
VCE Excel Education is a Melbourne VCE tutoring centre specialising in English Language. Our classes run in Balwyn, Malvern East and the Melbourne CBD, with every session also available on Zoom.
• Harley Zhong, founder and lead VCE English Language tutor: 99.95 ATAR, the highest-ever VCE English Language exam score, and full marks on both exam essays. Ten of his students have scored a Raw 50 in English Language over the past three years.
• Sharissa Pak, Head of English Language Units 1/2: a MacRob graduate who co-presented our 2026 exam review.
• Our 2025 results: 3 Raw 50s and 3 Raw 49s in VCE English Language.
We don't run paid ads. We reinvest that budget into our students, so we only grow when they succeed.
Frequently asked questions
What was on the 2026 VCE English Language exam?
Section A was a formal spoken SAQ based on a breakfast TV panel discussing the word "parasocial". Section B was an informal written AC on a TWOOBS blog advertisement. Section C offered three essay topics: Australian values and identities, formal language and social harmony, and covert versus overt language norms.
Can you predict the VCE English Language exam?
Not with certainty, but the exam follows clear patterns in mode, register and text type. Analysing ten years of past papers let us predict the 2026 SAQ and AC correctly weeks before the exam.
What are the predicted 2026 VCE English Language cut-offs?
We estimate about 62–63 out of 75 for a Raw 50, 55–61 for Raw 45–49, and the low 50s for a Raw 40, assuming solid SAC results. These are our predictions, not official VCAA figures.
What should I look for in a VCE English Language tutor?
Look for a tutor with proven English Language results, exam-specific materials and real feedback on your writing. Ask how they prepare students for each section of the exam, not just the essay.
When should I start VCE English Language tutoring?
The earlier the better. Students who start in Units 1/2 build their metalanguage and example bank well before Units 3/4 begin.
Watch the full 2026 exam walkthrough
We've recorded a free four-part walkthrough of the 2026 VCE English Language exam:
Starting VCE English Language in 2027? Book a trial lesson with our VCE English Language tutors and see how we prepare students for every section of the exam. Book a trial lesson or email support@vceexceleducation.com.
Looking for a VCE English language tutor melbourne students can turn to for exam preparation? Get to know Excel Education through our four-part exam walkthrough.
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