QCE English & EAL
The QCE English essay, marked by you first.
Sit a past External Assessment essay task, mark it against the official QCAA marking guide yourself, then see where an AI examiner agrees and where it doesn't. It's a calibration tool, not an auto-marker: your marks stay yours.
Essay marking available now · full course coverage coming
No card required, no auto-charge.
What's in the QCE English external assessment?
- The External Assessment is an analytical essay written in response to a prescribed text, worth 25% of your final subject result.
- You write roughly 800–1000 words under exam conditions, with planning time before the writing time starts.
- It is marked against the QCAA marking guide criterion by criterion, for a total out of 45.
- The same journey is available for EAL (English as an Additional Language).
The authoritative source is always the current QCAA syllabus and assessment specifications — check them for the fine print, including which texts your school has prescribed. Our guide to how the English EA is marked walks through the criteria.
How does the essay journey work?
- Write under exam conditions. A past EA task on your prescribed text, with an 800–1000 word target. Plan in private notes that are never sent to the AI, then write in the app, or photograph your handwritten pages and check the transcript.
- Mark it yourself first. Reveal the official QCAA marking guide and pick a band for every criterion, with a running total out of 45. Nothing is pre-filled, because judging your own work against the guide is where the learning happens.
- Compare with an AI examiner. The comparison unlocks only once you've marked every criterion. The AI suggests a band and a short comment for each, shows exactly where it differs from you, and lists what would lift the essay, sometimes drawing on that year's QCAA subject report.
- Keep the marks that convince you. Adopt the AI's band on a criterion or keep your own. It is never applied for you. Over time, Progress shows your estimated EA mark out of 45, your weakest criterion, and whether you tend to mark yourself above or below the AI.
Why you mark first
A large classroom trial found that unrestricted AI help lifted practice scores but lowered exam scores, and that guardrails removed the harm. Judging your own essay against the marking guide is the part that builds the skill you need on the day, so the AI comparison unlocks only after you've done it. Our guide on AI study tools explains the evidence with citations.
The comparison is a calibration tool, not an auto-marker. It can be wrong, it is not a QCAA examiner, and your marks stay yours. Took the essay to class? Record that a teacher reviewed the mark and it counts for more in your progress estimate.
What you see in Progress
- An estimated External Assessment mark out of 45 across your essays.
- Your weakest criterion, so the next essay has a target.
- Whether you tend to mark yourself above or below the AI examiner.
Pricing
English is $7 a month like every subject, capped at $17.99 for 3–6 subjects, with a 3-day free trial. Each AI comparison spends credits from your plan's monthly allowance, the same pool as other AI features. Stop paying and nothing is deleted; your account goes read-only with your essays and marks saved.
Common questions
Does the AI mark my English essay for me?
No. You mark your essay against the official QCAA marking guide first, criterion by criterion. Only then can you compare with an AI examiner, which suggests its own bands and comments so you can see where you disagree. Nothing is applied automatically — you choose what to adopt.
Which essay tasks can I sit?
Past QCE English and EAL External Assessment essay tasks, published by the QCAA under a CC BY 4.0 licence. You write in the app or photograph handwritten pages and check the transcript before anything is marked. Your plan and private notes are never sent to the AI.
Is the rest of the English course covered?
Not yet. Today the English subject is the essay journey: writing, self-marking and AI comparison for the External Assessment. Question-by-question coverage of the rest of the course is coming. English costs the same per-subject price as any other subject, and each AI comparison uses credits from your plan's monthly allowance.
Is this affiliated with the QCAA or the VCAA?
No. Captivate Exam Hub is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any curriculum authority. Queensland external assessment papers are published by the QCAA under a CC BY 4.0 licence, and every question derived from them carries its attribution.
My state isn't covered yet — can I still sign up?
You can create an account and pick your state, but practice questions are only available for the subjects marked as available on this page. We add subjects as their question banks are mapped.
Other QCE subjects
Ready to write your first EA essay?
Add English at signup and a past EA task is waiting.
- Real QCAA EA essay tasks
- Official marking guide, marked by you
- AI examiner comparison
Essay tasks and marking guides are derived from QCAA external assessment materials, © State of Queensland (QCAA), used under CC BY 4.0. Captivate Exam Hub is not affiliated with or endorsed by the QCAA. AI-generated comments can be wrong; see our AI Use & Accuracy notice.