All Posts

Is VCE English Language hard?

(10 mins) Is VCE English Language hard? Is VCE English Language the right subject for you? Have a read at Nicole's journey through VCE English Language, as she shares her insights into the challenges she faced, as well as many ways to overcome these challenges, ultimately taking home a Raw 45 study score.

Hi readers! I‘m Nicole, a past student of VCE Excel Education, and a high scorer (Raw 45) in VCE English Language.

As a student who’s been through the subject, I can honestly say that whether VCE English Language is hard really depends on your strengths and interests. For me, and for many of my peers, it definitely posed some unique challenges.

Back in Year 10, I asked myself the same question while choosing VCE subjects. After some research, I realised VCE English Language was a better fit for me. I didn’t enjoy analysing novels and author intentions (the focus of mainstream English), but I loved dissecting conversations — a key aspect of English Language. Choosing this subject turned out to be one of the best academic decisions I made. It was fun, rewarding, and challenging all at once.

👉 Looking back, I believe that working with an experienced VCE English Language tutor can make the subject much more manageable — especially if your goal is to achieve a Raw 40+.

What Students Find Hard in VCE English Language (and Tips to Overcome Them)

1. Motivation and Interest

Many students struggle to stay motivated, especially if they don’t initially enjoy the subject. Without genuine interest, engaging with complex material becomes a chore.

Tip: Try to be curious and make it fun. Treat language analysis like detective work. Every spoken or written sentence has a purpose — deliberate or subconscious. By asking “why does that matter?”, you’ll naturally build curiosity and motivation.

2. Knowing What to Improve On

A lot of students aren’t sure what exactly needs improvement, and often get limited perspectives by only reading their own work.

Tip: Join a small study group. Sharing and peer-reviewing essays provides new insights and accountability. Personally, I shared a Google Drive folder with a friend and we exchanged work for feedback.

3. Staying Informed for Real-World Examples

Current examples are crucial in VCE English Language essays and Analytical Commentaries (ACs). Many students find it hard to integrate them, leading to weak arguments.

Tip: Read widely. Follow news outlets like ABC or The Conversation. Also, read sample essays, ACs, and your peers’ work. Exposure builds a bank of examples and writing styles you can draw on in the exam.

4. Adapting to Different Exam Sections

The exam has three sections:

  • A. Short Answer
  • B. Analytical Commentary
  • C. Essay

Each section requires different skills, and many students struggle to switch between them.

Tip: Understand the exam structure thoroughly. Time management starts in reading time:

  • 2 min → Skim essay prompts, choose one, outline paragraphs.
  • 5 min → Scan Analytical Commentary for social purpose, context, salient features.
  • 8 min → Mentally answer Short Answer Questions.

This way, when writing starts, you’re ready to go.

Section-Specific Tips for VCE English Language

Short Answer Questions

These are fast-paced and demand precise use of metalanguage.

  • Low-mark questions: Grab the easy marks. Any relevant example works — speed matters more than depth.
  • High-mark questions (5–6 marks): Be more creative and analytical.

Main takeaway: “Lego blocks.”
Prepare chunks of analysis for key metalanguage features. Each “block” should include:

  • What the feature does
  • Why the author used it
  • What effect it has on the reader

Examples:

  • Passivisation → Emphasises the patient, or removes the agent to evade responsibility.
  • Nominalisation → Objectivises assertions, making them seem factual and authoritative.

Having these ready saves time and ensures depth in your answers.

Analytical Commentaries

Analytical Commentaries require you to examine a text and analyse language features and stylistic effects.

  • Don’t just tell, ANALYSE. Avoid surface-level descriptions. Instead, explore intentions, context, and perspective.
  • Always weave in social purpose, context, and register — even if subtly. This pushes your analysis from a 35 to a 40+.

Tip: Think from the speaker’s perspective. Why did they choose this phrase? What effect were they aiming for? This mindset transforms your analysis.

‍ Essay Section

  • The essay section requires writing a coherent and structured essay that explores and analyses linguistic concepts, issues, or phenomena using evidence and examples to support the discussion. You would have 3 essay topics, as well as a couple of stimuli example for each topic. The essay is essentially an expanded short answer question evaluated with holistic marking, aiming to assess how effectively you can address the prompt.

Main takeaway: Don't be an NPC

  1. One common stumbling block is the tendency to rely on mundane or cliched examples, which can dull the impact of an otherwise well-constructed arguments. Picture this: you're pouring your heart and soul into dissecting the metalinguistic features, only to find yourself resorting to tired examples that fail to excite or engage your reader.

Imagine being an examiner and reading thousands of essay pieces. And seeing the same examples over and over again. And the same boring analysis. I'dbe put to sleep. Don’t be boring and generic like all the average students.Find good examples, find high-quality examples.

For example, when writing about Teenspeak, don't use basic, banal examples such as"bruh", "gyat", "rizzler". Instead, find more exciting ones where you can analyse, such as this advertisement that I saw in 2023:

‍

… 😅😂🤣

Where I structured my analysis around why Edrolo tried to use Teenspeak to appeal to teenagers

  1. Many students struggle to pick which of the 3 essay topics to choose. They'd be deciding and weighing the pros and cons and then suddenly boom 10 minutes gone, they're still stuck on which one to choose and what paragraphs to write. They start panicking. GG.

Tip: Train yourself to pick your essay topic quickly (my system: Unit 3 > Unit 4, Formal Language > Informal Language). Have flexible, memorised paragraphs that you can adapt to the prompt.

Final Thoughts

Mastering VCE English Language is a journey, not a one-time achievement. Every essay you write, every piece you analyse, and even every mistake brings you closer to improvement.

👉 If you’re serious about achieving Raw 40+, our VCE English Language tutor program in Melbourne provides personalised 1-on-1 support, practice exams, and assessor-level feedback — everything you need to excel.

‍