Selective Writing Test: Examples, Criteria & Practice

There is one writing prompt and 30 minutes to respond to it, typed on the computer. Your child reads the prompt, plans quickly on the paper provided, then writes their response on screen. Unlike the multiple-choice sections, there is no single correct answer — the quality of the writing is what counts.

Markers assess writing across a few broad areas: the ideas and content (is the response thoughtful, relevant and developed?), the structure (is it organised, with a clear beginning, middle and end, and sensible paragraphs?), and control of language (vocabulary, sentence variety, spelling, punctuation and grammar). The Department does not publish an official rubric with named criteria or percentage weightings, so treat any breakdown claiming to be the exact marking scheme with caution. What is safe to say is that clear, well-organised writing with strong ideas and accurate language does well.

A narrative tells a story. It needs a character the reader cares about, a setting drawn quickly but vividly, and something that happens — a problem, a change, a turning point. Strong narratives show rather than tell, use specific detail, and end with purpose rather than trailing off. To plan one in the time, spend the first few minutes deciding: who is the main character, what is the single moment or problem, and how does it resolve? A tight story about one small moment beats a rushed epic that runs out of time.

A persuasive piece argues a position. It needs a clear point of view stated early, two or three reasons backed by examples, and a confident conclusion that restates the stance. Persuasive writing rewards deliberate techniques — rhetorical questions, strong verbs, addressing the reader — used sparingly rather than piled on. To plan one, decide your position first, then jot the two or three strongest reasons in the order you will make them, with a quick example for each. Because the genre is not announced in advance, practise planning both so the first read of the prompt tells your child which shape to reach for.

These are original FunThinkers samples written at a strong Year 6 level — one narrative opening and one persuasive opening — each followed by notes on why it works.

Narrative opening. The bell for the last bus rang twice before Priya noticed her hands were shaking. She had rehearsed the speech forty times in the mirror, but the mirror never stared back the way three hundred faces would. She tightened her grip on the cue cards, felt the corner of one bend, and made herself breathe. Somewhere behind the curtain, her name was already being read out.

• It opens in the middle of a moment — the shaking hands, the second bell — rather than explaining who Priya is, so the reader is pulled straight in.
• Concrete detail does the work: the bent corner of the cue card shows nerves without ever using the word “nervous”.
• The last line raises a clear question — what happens when she walks out? — giving the story somewhere to go inside the time limit.

Persuasive opening. Every student in this school should learn to cook at least one proper meal before they leave — and the sooner we start, the better. It sounds small, but a person who can feed themselves well is a person who is healthier, spends less, and depends on no one. We teach algebra that many of us will never use again; surely we can spare an hour a week for a skill we will use every single day.

• The position is stated in the very first sentence, so the reader knows exactly what is being argued.
• It gives layered reasons — health, cost, independence — rather than repeating one point, which shows developed thinking.
• The comparison to algebra is a deliberate persuasive move: it anticipates the reader’s doubt and answers it in the same breath.

Thirty minutes is tight, so a simple routine keeps your child from freezing or overrunning.

• Plan for 3–4 minutes first. On the paper provided, decide the genre, the main idea or character, and three points or beats. A quick plan is faster than rewriting a response that has wandered off track.
• Write in clear paragraphs. Start a new paragraph for each new idea, beat or argument. Well-spaced paragraphs are easier for a marker to follow than one long block.
• Watch spelling and punctuation as you go. There is no spellcheck to rely on, so slow down slightly on tricky words and end sentences with proper full stops rather than long run-ons joined by commas.
• Leave 3–4 minutes to re-read. Read the response back from the top and fix typos, missing words and any sentence that no longer makes sense. A calm final pass catches the errors that cost easy marks.
• Practise typing on a real keyboard. Because the response is typed, comfort with the keyboard directly affects how much a child can write in the time — so rehearse on a computer, not by hand.