NSW Selective Writing: what it tests and how to prepare

Writing is the final section of the Selective test: a single task, typed on the computer, in 30 minutes. Students are given a stimulus — a statement, a scenario, a picture prompt or an opening line — and a form to write in, which may be imaginative, persuasive or another familiar text type. Two trained markers assess each piece against criteria covering ideas, structure, audience awareness, vocabulary, sentence control and accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Thirty minutes is short, and that is the point: the section measures what a student can plan and execute under pressure, not what they can polish over a week. Strong responses are rarely the longest ones. Markers consistently reward a piece with a clear controlling idea, a shape (an opening that establishes, a middle that develops, an ending that lands), and precise word choices over a longer piece that sprawls. A memorised essay bent to fit the prompt is easy for experienced markers to spot and scores poorly against the audience-and-purpose criteria.

Because the 2026 test is computer-based, the piece is typed. Comfortable typing fluency — around 20 words per minute without hunting for keys — quietly buys several extra minutes of thinking time, and is one of the most overlooked pieces of preparation.

A practical routine: write one timed piece a week across the common forms, spend five of the thirty minutes planning (idea, three beats, ending), and finish two minutes early to proofread — most accuracy marks are lost to errors a quick re-read would catch. Then act on one piece of feedback per week rather than everything at once; targeted revision is what moves a band.