Are there any significant changes in the 2016-2020 study design?

[InNeedForHelp]

I read the study design, but failed to comprehend it all. In the end of year exam will be writing the same type of 'essays'?

Also, I'm starting text analysis/response unit at school and am looking for guides or pieces of advice to make my essays stand out from the other people in my class.

[literally lauren]

Yes, no Context essays anymore 

Aside from some changes in the marking scheme (eg. the oral is worth a lot more) and the EAL course getting quite a makeover, the main difference is that there's a compulsory creative SAC, and you're writing some kind of comparison between two texts instead of a Context piece. VCAA are yet to give details on the latter (at least, none that are comprehensive.) Hopefully they'll be out sometime later this year; I might make a post decyphering it when it comes along

Suffice it to say that Text Response and Language Analysis are essentially unchanged, so keep working on those skills in the meantime.