English (General): should I choose it?

What will I learn?

How will I be assessed?

Progression and companion subjects

No complete companion or exclusion review is attached to this profile. Check the official course-entry conditions, language eligibility and your school’s sequence before enrolling. Links between resource hubs show related learning; they do not establish a compulsory prerequisite.

Will I find it hard?

Difficulty depends on your experience, interests, teaching and assessment. These are our reflection prompts, not an official difficulty rating.

• Do you enjoy close reading, developing an interpretation and supporting it with evidence?
• Would you rather revise a piece of writing over time or respond to a text under timed conditions? Check the actual assessment mix.

Does it scale up or down?

General is not an ATAR course. ATAR scaling is not applicable to this profile.

Scaling is not a measure of difficulty or a guaranteed bonus. Prioritise content you can engage with and required subjects for courses you are considering.

Try a little of the subject

Comprehension strategies

Prediction is an informed expectation about what a text will communicate. It prepares you to read, view or listen actively. Before reading every sentence, inspect the title, headings, arrangement and opening. A heading such as Changed opening hours suggests an update to practical information. A numbered list suggests steps in an order. A question followed by several paragraphs may introduce an explanation. These structural clues help you anticipate both the content and the way you should approach it. A prediction remains provisional until the complete text supports it. Written language supplies clues through particular words. Temporary suggests that a change will end; compulsory indicates a requirement. Visual language also contributes meaning. A diagram with arrows may show a route, while a crossed-out doorway can indicate an entrance that is unavailable. Describe the actual feature before interpreting it. Red might signal urgency in one notice, but it might simply be a club colour elsewhere. Do not give every colour a fixed meaning regardless of context. Audio language includes words as well as pace, volume, emphasis and pauses. A speaker who slows down before giving a meeting location may be highlighting information listeners must remember. A repeated instruction may signal importance. Background music can establish a welcoming or serious mood, but it cannot supply facts that the words do not state. When only a transcript and performance directions are supplied, use those directions as the available evidence. Annotated model. Preview: a notice has the heading Library entrance this week, a crossed-out front-door picture and an arrow towards a side gate. Prediction: the usual entrance is unavailable and the notice will explain another way inside. The heading establishe

Original practice question: A leaflet is headed Three steps to register and uses a numbered list. What is the best initial prediction?

This is ATARMAxxing’s original sample learning material. It is not an official assessment task or a prediction of your school’s workload.

Explore the resources

Open the English (General) subject hub and free preview (opens in a new tab)

Core subject information and planning are free. Full study resources are optional.