25 QCE English IA1 persuasive practice prompts for 2026 (Unit 3)

How to use these practice prompts

QCE English IA1 is the persuasive extended response in Unit 3. A 900-word piece arguing a position on an issue, calibrated for a specified audience and purpose. The IA is internal so you have weeks to draft and redraft.

Each prompt below pairs an issue with a suggested audience and rhetorical situation. Adapt as needed for your school's actual task.

Three rules for practice:

1. Calibrate for the audience. Diction, register, examples, and tone should all flow from who you are writing for. "General readers" does not exist.
2. Sustain 2-3 rhetorical strategies. Not 6 scattered techniques. Strategies used across paragraphs in coordinated ways.
3. Engage with counter-arguments. Briefly. Strengthens your position; ignoring opposition weakens it.

Prompts about education and youth (1-7)

1. For an audience of school principals. Argue for or against a specific change to assessment in Queensland Year 12.
2. For an audience of Year 11 parents. Argue for the value of a gap year between Year 12 and university.
3. For QCE student readers. Argue for or against the use of AI study tools in school assessment.
4. For state parliamentarians. Argue for a specific change to QCE policy.
5. For an audience of teachers. Argue for or against streaming students by ability in senior schooling.
6. For The Brisbane Times opinion section readers. Argue for or against a recent education funding decision.
7. For an audience of school counsellors. Argue for a specific approach to student mental health support.

Prompts about community and identity (8-13)

8. For ABC News opinion section readers. Argue for or against a specific government policy affecting Queensland communities.
9. For an audience of local council voters. Argue for or against a specific urban or regional planning decision.
10. For The Conversation Australia readers. Argue for or against a recent legal or constitutional change.
11. For a sympathetic regional audience. Argue for the value of regional voices in national policy debates.
12. For an audience of urban readers. Argue for or against a regional vs metropolitan funding split.
13. For an Indigenous-led publication's readers. Argue for a specific shift in Australian public discourse.

Prompts about technology and society (14-19)

14. For The Guardian Australia opinion readers. Argue for or against a specific regulation of social media in Australia.
15. For an audience of QCE students. Argue for or against limiting smartphone use in senior schooling.
16. For Australian Financial Review readers. Argue for or against a specific AI policy in workplace settings.
17. For ABC Online readers. Argue for or against mandatory data privacy reforms.
18. For a youth-focused online publication. Argue for or against a specific use of AI in higher education.
19. For an audience of small business owners. Argue for or against a specific technology adoption policy.

Prompts about culture and values (20-25)

20. For SMH opinion readers. Argue for or against a specific position in a current cultural debate.
21. For The Saturday Paper readers. Argue for the value of slow journalism in a fast-news environment.
22. For an audience of arts patrons. Argue for or against a specific shift in Australian arts funding.
23. For a sports-focused publication's readers. Argue for or against a recent sports administration decision.
24. For The Age readers. Argue for or against a specific approach to housing affordability.
25. For a religious publication's readers. Argue for or against a specific change to social policy, treating the readers' values respectfully while taking a clear position.

A drafting protocol

For each prompt:

• Week 1. Research the issue. Identify your angle. Read 3-5 contemporary pieces on adjacent issues to understand the rhetorical terrain.
• Week 2. First full draft. 900 words. Build in your structure: hook, contention, 3-4 arguments with brief counter-acknowledgement, closing.
• Week 3. Redraft. Sharpen the rhetorical strategies. Cut filler. Verify factual claims.
• Week 4. Polish. Read aloud. Have a teacher mark.

For the structural walkthrough, read our IA1 persuasive guide. For general essay architecture, read how to structure a QCE English essay.

These prompts are written by ExamExplained for practice purposes only. For the official QCAA syllabus and current-year guidance, refer to qcaa.qld.edu.au.