You only need one English subject to get a WACE. You can take both, and many high-achieving students do. The honest question is not which is "better" but which fits the kind of reader and writer you already are.
Here is what each one actually involves, what the scaling does, and how to think about the choice without falling for the two myths that derail Year 10 students every year.
The two myths to discard before reading further
Myth one: "Literature scales better, so take Literature." Literature does scale slightly higher than English most years (because the cohort is on average stronger, not because the subject is "harder for marks"). But your scaled mark depends on your raw mark, and a 70 raw in English typically beats a 60 raw in Literature for almost any university threshold. Take the one you can score in.
Myth two: "English is the easier option." English ATAR is not easy. It demands range, including persuasive writing, multimodal text analysis, comparative response, and conceptual essay writing. Literature is narrower in text type but deeper in close reading and theory.
What each subject actually covers
| Element | English ATAR | Literature ATAR |
|---|---|---|
| Text types | Novels, short stories, film, persuasive articles, multimodal, drama, poetry | Poetry, prose, drama, almost exclusively literary |
| Skills weight | Argument, language analysis, persuasive writing, voice | Close reading, intertextuality, theory, interpretation |
| Section One (exam) | Three short responses on three unseen texts | Two close readings on poetry and prose |
| Section Two (exam) | One persuasive or imaginative production | One creative production drawing on studied texts |
| Section Three (exam) | One extended essay on studied texts and concepts | One extended close reading or comparative essay |
| Reading load | Approximately 4 to 6 set texts plus stimulus | Approximately 4 to 6 literary works, often denser |
Scaling: smaller than you think
Across the most recent TISC scaling reports, Literature has typically scaled up by approximately 2 to 4 marks more than English at the median. That sounds significant. It is not. If you would score 65 raw in Literature but 78 raw in English, English is the better choice for your ATAR.
The right way to use scaling in your decision is to ask: can I confidently score 75+ in either? If yes, take Literature for the small scaling edge. If you are not sure, take English. Read more about how scaling actually works in our scaling explainer.
University and career signals
Both subjects satisfy the English competency requirement at all five WA universities (UWA, Curtin, Notre Dame, Murdoch, ECU). Neither is a prerequisite for any specific bachelor degree at the WA universities, with one exception: Literature is sometimes recommended (not required) for English honours pathways at UWA.
For careers in law, journalism, philosophy, public policy, communications and academia, both subjects build the right muscles. Literature builds them slightly deeper in textual interpretation. English builds them slightly broader in genre and rhetorical range.
The four-question fit test
If you can answer "yes" to three or more of these, Literature is probably the better fit:
- Do you read books for pleasure that other people in your year do not?
- Do you enjoy spending 30 minutes on a single page of a poem?
- Are you comfortable with theory-flavoured terms (close reading, intertextuality, voice)?
- Have your English teachers said your writing is unusually layered, even when it is uneven?
If you answered "no" to most, English is the right call. You will write better essays in a subject that lets you draw on film, persuasive writing and multimodal analysis. Pretending to love poetry for two years is a recipe for a mid-band raw mark.
Can you take both?
Yes. Many strong students take both English and Literature. They are recognised as separate subjects by SCSA, and both can sit in your top four. If your strength is text-based and you are aiming for a high ATAR, doubling up is a defensible strategy. The cost is roughly 4 hours of additional weekly load.
What to actually do this week
- Look at the SCSA past papers for both English and Literature. Spend 20 minutes reading the Section One stimulus for each. Which set of stimulus texts do you actually want to write about? That instinct is the answer.
- Ask your current English teacher honestly which subject suits you. Teachers see the gap between your conversation and your writing better than you do.
- Pick the one your study group will not be in. You learn more from the subject you have to figure out yourself.
If you want a 30-minute getting-started call to map your Year 11 and 12 subject choice across English plus four other subjects, book a free consultation at our Bentley or Canning Vale centres. We help families work through subject choice the week before form-filling deadlines.