The VCE English exam is probably one of the toughest exams out of all the VCE subject exams. Split into 3 essays, it is a HUGE 3 hours!
If you have a teen who is doing VCE English 3/4 (aka Year 12 English) in 2022 or 2023, here’s the breakdown of Section C of the dreaded exam.
Or Section A?
What is it?
- An essay analysing the arguments and mechanics of persuasion in an unseen article
What’s so hard about it?
- The article has not been seen before, so it can’t be studied
- The issue is unknown before the exam, so it can be very unfamiliar to some students
- The components of the article are unknown – students don’t know if it will consist of multiple pieces or just one, or how many visual elements there will be
What can we do to help our teens?
- Familiarise them with a range of issues so they feel prepared to read about unfamiliar issues
- Discuss multiple viewpoints on issues so that it’s easier for them to understand there are always various viewpoints at stake
- Dissect with them the feelings and thoughts elicited by each persuasive technique or device – why exactly does it make us feel or think in certain ways? What purpose do these feelings or thoughts achieve?
- Read our other posts on Argument Analysis for further explainers!
Too overwhelmed to help your teen? Contact us today and let’s chat about how we can help!