Updated: 7 August 2024
The marking criteria used for the Selective School Writing Test are similar to those used for other student writing assessments, such as NAPLAN and ICAS. The criteria is broken down into several areas, with each area carrying an allocation of marks. For the Selective Test, the marking criteria is grouped into Set A and Set B criteria. Set A criteria carries 15 marks and Set B criteria carries 10 marks, for a total of 25 marks.
To score highly on the Writing Test, students must ensure that their writing addresses each of the criteria areas. If a student scores poorly in one area, this cannot be compensated for by scoring highly in another area. To prepare for the Writing Test, students need to consistently practice writing while addressing the marking criteria.
Students must ensure that their writing adheres to the conventions of the given genre (e.g. narrative, persuasive, letter, news report). For narrative writing, this means having an orientation, a body containing a conflict and a resolution. For persuasive writing, this means having an introduction, a body containing 2-3 discrete arguments and a conclusion.
Students must write using paragraphs that have appropriate length and are ordered in a logical sequence. A common issue for students is writing with paragraphs that are too long.
Students also need to ensure that their writing uses appropriate linking words and has a consistent tense. Another common issue for students is switching between past and present tense in their writing.
Students need to include a certain number of advanced vocabulary in their writing. Advanced vocabulary essentially refers to words that are more usually seen in higher levels of writing (e.g. high school and above). For the Selective Test, students should generally aim to use 15-20 advanced words in their writing. Students also need to ensure that the formality of their vocabulary is appropriate for the given genre. For example, if they are writing a formal piece, then their language should be formal and vice versa if writing a casual piece.
For the Selective Writing Test, students should aim to use 3-5 instances of figurative language in their writing. Examples of figurative language include:
This criterion requires that the ideas expressed in a student’s writing are creative and original. This is probably the hardest criterion to meet for many students, as it involves an element of natural ability. In addition, different genres favour different personality types. For example, students with logical personality types will find it easier to form persuasive writing ideas, while students that are naturally creative will usually be stronger in generating narrative writing ideas. Accordingly, students area should work on the other marking criteria before working to improve their idea quality.
Students must ensure that their writing uses sentences that are grammatically correct and use punctuation correctly (e.g. full stops, commas, apostrophes, hyphens). Their sentences should also have variety in terms of length, type and structure. For example, students should use a mix of complex and simple sentences.
Finally, students must ensure that the words used in their writing are spelled correctly.
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