WACE English Past Papers (English)
WACE English is examined in a single written ATAR paper worth 50% of your final result, set and marked by SCSA, testing the three course strands: Comprehending, Responding and Composing.
SCSA keeps a rolling window of recent past ATAR exams online - roughly the six most recent years - so there's a compact set to work through, and each one is worth sitting to time.
Check the syllabus year. SCSA is reviewing the English ATAR syllabus, with changes flagged for teaching from 2027 (so the first revised Year 12 exam is 2028 at the earliest). The 2020–2025 papers still match the 2026 and 2027 exams - just check the current syllabus if you sit English in 2028 or later.
Official English ATAR exam papers & marking keys (2020–2025)
SCSA publishes the past ATAR course exams, the marking keys and the summary examination reports for English on its own site. They are the real exam questions - sit them under timed conditions, then mark with the marking key.
What's on the English exam?
The paper works across unseen and studied texts - a comprehending section, an extended response analysing how texts are shaped for audiences and purposes, and a composing task. It rewards a controlled, purposeful argument and precise use of textual evidence.
Because the exam is half your result, timed past-paper practice on the real questions is the most efficient preparation there is.
How to use the past papers
Sit each English paper under exam timing, closed-book, then mark it against SCSA's marking key for that year - the key shows exactly how marks are allocated, which is where the improvement comes from.
Finish with the summary examination report for that year: it's SCSA's examiner feedback on what the state cohort did well and badly. The paper, the marking key and the report all download from the official SCSA page linked above.
Practice English beyond the past papers
Once you've worked through the SCSA papers, generate fresh questions on the exact topics you're weakest on with Polarbear's AI exam-cram - grounded in the WACE English syllabus, free to try.
English past papers FAQ
Source: SCSA's official English past ATAR course exams. SCSA materials are © School Curriculum and Standards Authority - free to copy for non-commercial educational use. Polarbear links to the official papers rather than rehosting them, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SCSA.