Complete Exam Preparation Plan for VCE English Language

[dmitridr]

Hi all!

It's that time of year. Everyone is pretty much burnt out from their SACs, but don't give up! It's very easy to slip into lazy habits. VCE is a marathon and not a sprint (sorry for the cliche, but it's so true), so keep pushing, keep working hard and stay persistent!

So, with that brief motivational rant out of the way, let's get into the nitty-gritty of English Language revision. This is what I've been advising my current students to do in preparation for their exams.

1. FIRST AND FOREMOST (just used an alliteration to bring your attention to this topic), revise your metalanguage list (3/4). This is so essential for all sections of the exam, particularly section A and B. I would recommend downloading it from the VCAA site and meticulously highlighting all terms you don't know or understand. Even if you understand only part of a metalinguistic term, still highlight it. Don't kid yourself. Then once this is done, learn the definition and give an example for it (identifying it is much harder than giving a definition).

2. Revise ALL content from Units 3 and 4 (both AOSs). This could mean going through the textbook (yes, I mean it) and highlighting all key knowledge and THEN creating a summary notes document for all content highlighted. This is what I did in year 12 and yes it took ages, but it was worth it!

3. Complete 2006 - 2014 VCAA English Language exams under timed conditions. There is not use taking 10 hours to complete an exam when you're only given 2 hours writing time in the actual exam. Also practice writing and not typing!

4. Complete independent company exams. You can choose to do these under timed conditions or not. I always look at independent company exams as a practice piece for the actual exam (like training wheels on a bike). You can find many of these online for free. See an example here: http://wiki.engageeducation.org.au/practice-exams/english-language/

5. Complete practice questions in the Green Book (Kirsten Fox's Exam Guide). Also read through the sample responses at the end of each section to get an idea of what an A+ response looks like! Remember that exposure = success!

6. Create your final quotations list for the essay section (section C). This shouldn't be any longer than 5 pages long as your brain will not be able to process it. In year 12 my quotes page was around 5 - 6 pages long (as far as I can remember). Remember to categorise all quotes according to the main themes and AOSs.

There you have it! I am sure I could add more, but this is what I believe will give you the strength, knowledge and willpower to success!