To enrol in a Level 3 English course in Year 11, we recommend you are consistently achieving A or B ratings in Year 10. You need to have strong literacy skills and be a competent essay writer. A strong work ethic is essential to ensure you can manage the demanding workload. If this doesn’t sound like you just yet, consider English Foundations 2.

The four options are all the same level of complexity and difficulty but do have some significant differences. Level 3 English is recommended for all students who plan to go to university and is a requirement for mainland universities.

English 3 – focuses on contemporary texts published after 1950. You will study novels, plays, films and media texts, and you will write analytical essays (lots!), complete oral presentations and write creative responses. There is a three-hour external exam.

English Literature – is quite similar in style but includes classic as well as contemporary texts. The course has a strong focus on how these works reflect their context, so this is a great choice for history lovers. English Literature features similar types of assessment tasks as English 3, but also includes an externally assessed Independent Study, and a two-hour external exam.

English Studio 3 – is for students who love creative writing. It’s essential that students enrolling in this course have very strong written skills, and have a passion not just for writing, but also for reading widely. Having good time management skills and an ability to work to deadlines is crucial to success in this course. Instead of an external exam, students produce works in a range of text types during the year, culminating in an externally assessed folio of 5000 – 8000 words.

English Inquiry 3 – looks at different perspectives on social, national and global issues through the study of contemporary Australian texts. You will complete an independent inquiry and submit a folio of work. There is no written exam.

Which one you choose really depends on whether you intend to go on to study English 3 in Year 12.

English Foundations 2 is for students who intend to study English 3 but are not yet ready. It is designed to replicate the structure and style of English 3 to develop your written and analytical skills. You will complete a variety of assessment tasks, including essays and creative responses.

English Applied 2 is a practical and engaging course designed for students who do not intend to study English 3 in Year 12 and are not on a university pathway. As well as doing similar things to what you’ve done in English in Year 10 like persuasive texts and a novel study, you’ll also develop essential workplace literacy and communication skills.

You’ll complete analytical responses such as essays, oral presentations and creative responses in all the English courses. For English Literature 3 and English 3, you will complete a two or three hour external exam respectively, as well as mid-year exams.

English Literature 3 also includes an Independent Study, which is an externally assessed comparative study of student-chosen texts. English Writing 3 is quite different, and students experiment with different styles, genres and forms to complete several folios during the year, culminating in the final folio of 5000-8000 words.