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Struggling to understand what your markers are really looking for in VCE English? This VCE English guide breaks down everything you need to know about Units 1 and 2 under the 2026 curriculum, from the areas of study to the assessments you’ll face and exactly how to meet the marking criteria.
In this guide, we walk you through:
Get sample questions and answers for Units 1 & 2: Reading Texts, Crafting Texts, and Exploring Argument.
Over Years 11 and 12, you’ll complete four VCE English units, one per semester. Most schools teach Units 1 and 2 in Year 11, and Units 3 and 4 in Year 12.
Each unit contains two areas of study, which you can think of as related topics that build specific skills. Understanding what each area of study demands is essential, as it directly shapes how you present your work and how well you score against the marking criteria.
Please note: This VCE English guide covers Units 1 and 2 under the current VCAA curriculum, as it stands in 2026.
This area of study encourages you to draw on your personal experiences and insights to interpret texts in a meaningful way.
What you’ll do:
This area of study focuses on developing your writing skills across imaginative, persuasive, and informative forms.
What you’ll do:
Building on Unit 1, this area of study pushes you to explore multiple layers of meaning in your texts at a deeper, more critical level.
What you’ll do:
This area of study teaches you to deconstruct how arguments are deliberately constructed to influence an audience, and to apply those same principles in your own persuasive work.
What you’ll do:
Each area of study demands a specific set of skills. Knowing what those skills are, before you sit down to write, makes it far easier to meet the criteria for high marks.
Here’s why it pays to be across your areas of study:
Further reading: The complete VCE Study Designs for all English subjects are available on the VCAA website, including:
For Units 1 and 2, your assessments are set by your school. Your results in these units do not contribute to your final ATAR, but you must receive a satisfactory grade to progress in the course.
VCAA has provided suggested assessment types for Units 1 and 2. Your school is likely to use similar tasks:
| Unit 1 | Unit 2 |
|---|---|
| A personal response to a set text | An analytical response to a set text |
| Two student-created texts (e.g. short stories, speeches with transcripts, essays, podcasts with transcripts, poetry, feature articles, memoirs) | A set of annotated persuasive texts identifying arguments, vocabulary, text structures, and language features |
| A description of writing processes | An analysis of argument and persuasive language and techniques in a text or texts |
| An oral presentation of a point-of-view text |
Source: VCAA
You will be required to respond personally to a set text.
Sample Assessment 1 (Source: VCAA)
Write a personal response to the set text. Use one or both of the following prompts to guide your response:
Sample Assessment 2 (Source: VCAA)
Keep a journal about the set text. As you discuss, explore, and challenge the text in class, record your impressions and connections with contemporary or personal experiences.
At the end of the area of study, write a concluding reflection in your journal, outlining the ways you connected with the text throughout the study.
You will be required to produce two texts and one reflection on your writing process.
Sample Assessment 1 (Source: VCAA)
Develop a text and document your writing process, including:
Sample Assessment 2 (Source: VCAA)
Under timed examination conditions, craft a text in response to the following statement:
“Conflict cannot survive without your participation.” Wayne Dyer
Your text should be shaped around a clear purpose (to express, entertain, argue, or inform) and must consider the concerns and language appropriate for the indicated audience.
Audience: Peers
You will be required to produce an analytical response to a set text.
Sample Assessment 1 (Source: VCAA)
Under timed examination conditions, write an analytical response to ONE of the following statements:
Option 1: ‘The chaos in Frankenstein does not come from acts of creation but from acts of neglect.’ To what extent do you agree?
Option 2: ‘While Victor condemns “the acquirement of knowledge”, the novel ultimately condones the benefits of knowing.’ Discuss.
You will be required to produce an analytical response to a persuasive text and create your own persuasive oral presentation.
Sample Assessment 1 (Source: VCAA)
View the persuasive text provided. Analyse how contention, argument, language, and persuasive techniques work together to create a persuasive effect on the reader or audience.
Sample Assessment 2 (Source: VCAA)
In groups, decide on a social issue you would like to explore. Choose a presentation format (debate, discussion, or dialogue) and develop individual scripts or speeches that explore the issue from different points of view for persuasive effect.
Now that you’ve got a solid handle on Units 1 and 2, take the next step with our VCE English Guide for Units 3 and 4.
At Matrix, our expert teachers help VCE students across Melbourne master every area of study, with structured lessons, proprietary resources, and proven strategies that go beyond the standard curriculum. Whether you’re aiming for a strong study score or working towards a competitive ATAR, we’re here to help you get there.
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