How to actually use AI for VCE Crafting Texts (without it ruining your piece)

Let's be honest about something for a second.

A huge number of VCE English students are using AI tools to help with Crafting Texts. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini… they're in your tabs, they're in your study sessions, they're in the conversations you don't have with your teacher. No point pretending it doesn't.

What's more useful is being honest about how to actually use them well, because the gap between AI-assisted writing that scores in the top band and AI-assisted writing that scores in the bottom half is enormous. And it comes down to how you use the tool, not whether you use it.

In our recent VCE Crafting Texts webinar, Safwan, who scored a 50 in VCE English and Sheza, who scored a 48, discussed how they used AI tools throughout the year. Here is exactly how, and just as importantly, where AI tools will absolutely sink your piece if you let them.

Rule one: don't let AI write your piece

Let's get this one out of the way first.

If you copy and paste an AI-generated creative piece into your exam answer, you will not score in the top band. Probably not even close. This isn't because examiners are running detection software, it's because AI-generated creative writing has identifiable patterns that are obvious to anyone who reads a lot of student writing.

The voice is flat. The metaphors are predictable. The sentence rhythm is repetitive. The em dashes are everywhere. The structure follows a "not X, but Y" pattern about fifteen times in 800 words. You've probably noticed this in AI writing without being able to name it.

VCAA examiners read thousands of pieces. They notice it immediately. So the first rule is non-negotiable: AI does not write your piece. You write your piece. AI helps you sharpen it.

Rule two: train the AI before you ask it for anything

Most students open ChatGPT and just say "help me improve this Crafting Texts piece." That's the worst possible way to use it.

The AI has no idea what VCAA Crafting Texts actually is. It will give you generic creative writing advice that has nothing to do with what scores high in VCE English. It might tell you to "show more emotional vulnerability" when what your piece actually needs is a recurring metaphor and a clearer purpose.

The fix is to train the AI before you ask it anything. Here’s how Safwan detailed the setup: 

1. Open a fresh chat
2. Upload the VCAA study design (the Section B sections specifically)
3. Upload the most recent VCAA exam reports for English
4. Tell it: "Read these documents. Your job is to help me write a high-band VCE English Section B creative piece. The criteria you're working from are: quality of framework ideas, distinct authorial voice, and linguistic structures. I want you to assess my work against the standards in these documents, not against generic creative writing standards."
5. Then show it your piece

The AI now has actual context for what good looks like in your subject. Its feedback becomes specific, relevant, and far more useful.

The setup before the feedback. Without context, AI gives generic advice. With context, it gives VCAA-aligned advice.

What AI is genuinely good at

Idea generation. This is probably the highest-value use. You have an idea but you're not sure where to take it next. Drop it into the AI and ask: "What angles am I missing? What's underexplored about this idea? What's a more sophisticated interpretation?" Showing the angle you hadn't thought of. You're not asking it to write; you're asking it to expand your thinking.

Language refinement. Pick a single paragraph. Give it to the AI and ask for sharper word choices, stronger metaphors, or more precise verbs. Then choose what to keep. 

Articulating what you already think. Sometimes you have an idea but can't quite word it. Our speaker Dawood emphasised this recently in our EAL webinar, as this can be particularly helpful if English isn't your first language. Type out the messy version and ask the AI to help you express it more clearly. 

Metaphor brainstorming. For your framework, ask for a list of 20 metaphors that other student pieces probably wouldn't use. Most will be bad. Two or three will be genuinely interesting. Take those, refine them, make them yours.

What AI is genuinely bad at

Writing voice. Sheza emphasised CONSISTENTLY throughout the webinar that authorial voice is one of the most important elements of a high-band piece (especially for protest), and AI cannot give you one. It can only erase the one you have. If you keep running your piece through AI for "polish," every pass strips your voice further until you sound like a generic essay. Don't do this.

Telling you what's wrong with your piece holistically. AI feedback at the whole-piece level is usually vague and unhelpful. It will compliment things that don't deserve compliments. Ask it about specific paragraphs, specific sentences, specific metaphors, and even then, treat the feedback as suggestions, not instructions.

Knowing what VCAA actually rewards. Even when trained, AI doesn't fully understand what scores well in Section B specifically. It will sometimes recommend things that sound sophisticated but aren't what your examiner is looking for. Always compare its suggestions against actual A+ pieces from past exam reports.

The rule of thumb: if a sentence sounds suspiciously polished but slightly hollow, it's probably AI residue. Rewrite it in your own voice.

What to actually do this week

If you're going to use AI for Crafting Texts (and you probably are), set it up properly:

• Create a dedicated chat for VCE English Section B
• Upload the VCAA study design and the most recent exam reports
• Brief the AI on what you're trying to achieve
• Use it for idea generation and language refinement only
• Do a final pass through your piece specifically to remove AI stylistic markers

What's next

This is just part of our series of blogs based on our English Mastery webinar series. Keep an eye on our Instagram (hbe.academy) and our blog page for more!

Instagram: ​​https://www.instagram.com/hbe.academy/

And finally, could you tell that AI summarised our webinar content and wrote the draft of this blog? 👀