Selective School Writing Test: Prompts and Preparation
The NSW Selective Writing test gives students one task to complete in 30 minutes. Students type a response that addresses the supplied topic and instructions.
This guide includes original prompts and planning notes for independent practice. The notes show possible decisions a writer could make; they are not a model to memorise or a score for your child's work.
Start with the task, purpose and audience
Before writing, identify what the instructions ask you to produce, who will read it and what the piece should achieve. A story needs a different shape from a letter asking someone to make a decision.
The department describes assessment of ideas and effective writing for purpose and audience, alongside organisation and control of language. A polished piece that drifts away from the task can lose marks. These broad areas do not provide a formula for a guaranteed score.
Plan a piece you can finish
Choose one manageable central idea. For a story, decide what the character wants, what gets in the way and which choice changes the situation. For an argument, choose a clear position and reasons that actually support it.
Use a short plan with an opening, a development and an ending. The purpose of planning is to make the next paragraph easier to write. Avoid turning the plan into a second piece that consumes the writing time.
- Make details work. A description can establish a setting, reveal a feeling or prepare the reader for a later choice.
- Develop each reason. Explain how an example supports the point rather than listing several claims.
- Choose a useful ending. Resolve the central problem or leave the reader with the action your argument asks for.
Leave room to reread
Try a practice routine of a few minutes planning, most of the session drafting, and a short final check. Adjust the split based on whether you tend to run out of ideas or run out of time. This is a practice suggestion, not an official allocation.
Read once for meaning: does the piece answer the task, and can a reader follow the ideas? Then check sentence endings, missing words, tense changes and spellings you are unsure of. Precise familiar vocabulary is often more useful than an ambitious word used incorrectly.
Practise writing without memorising a response
- Vary the audience. Explain the same idea to a younger child and to a school principal, then compare your choices.
- Practise endings. Finish a short piece before adding extra scenes or reasons.
- Revisit one paragraph. Improve its clarity and flow, then explain what changed.
- Include typing practice. Rehearse composing on screen and use the department's practice materials to become familiar with the test interface.
Example questions (written by iClass)
Write a story for readers your age that begins with this sentence:
The key was still warm when I found it.
Develop a decision your main character must make. For a timed practice attempt, allow 30 minutes.
Planning notes
One possible approach is a character finding a key dropped by someone who has just left. Decide why the warmth matters and what the character risks by returning or keeping it. Keep the action within a small number of places so the decision has room to develop.
An ending could show the consequence of the character's choice through an action or a changed relationship. Other interpretations are possible if they use the opening and develop a decision.
Review your draft
Can a reader understand what the character wants? Does the choice change what happens? Check that details about the key serve the story, and reread for clear sentence boundaries.
Write a letter to your school principal.
Your school has a small unused room. Propose one way to use it that would benefit students. Explain your reasons and address one practical concern. For a timed practice attempt, allow 30 minutes.
Planning notes
Choose one use and identify who would benefit. A quiet reading room, for example, needs an explanation of when students would use it and what it would offer beyond existing spaces. Develop reasons with specific situations.
Address a concern such as supervision, noise or fair access. A workable suggestion makes the proposal more convincing than simply insisting the idea is good. Close with a clear request to consider or trial it.
Review your draft
Does the letter address the principal respectfully? Do its reasons support the proposed use? Check that the practical concern has a response and that the final request follows from the argument.
Common questions
Yes. Students type their response on a computer. The department's student guide says planning may be done on paper or on screen.
Follow the task supplied on the day. Prepare to respond to a stated purpose and audience instead of assuming that a memorised story will fit.
No. They provide a task and planning notes for independent practice. They do not assess a draft or predict a placement result.
Use the instructions supplied with the actual task. In practice, focus on a complete, relevant piece with time to check it rather than adding words to reach an arbitrary target.
Other NSW Selective School Test sections
Next steps
- NSW Selective School Test guide: format, dates and how placement works.
- Selective test practice books: full practice papers with worked solutions.
Sources
- NSW Department of Education: Selective Writing format and assessment overview
- NSW Department of Education: Selective practice tests
Last reviewed 16 October 2026