What it tests
Writing one piece, in 30 minutes, for the purpose and audience the task sets. Marked on creativity, purpose and audience, and on text structure, grammar, punctuation, style and vocabulary. Writing that doesn’t address the topic gets lower marks, even if it is well written.
What markers look for
Ideas
Creative, relevant ideas that answer the task.
Purpose and audience
Writing that suits who it is for and why.
Structure
A clear beginning, middle and end, in paragraphs.
Language
Grammar, punctuation, style and vocabulary.
A sample task
Read the task below and write your answer on the separate answer sheet.
Write a newspaper article about a new recycling program introduced at a school. Explain what the program is, what led to it being launched, and how students and teachers have responded. Include at least two attributed comments and make your article sound like a real news story.
How it is marked
Marked on creativity, purpose and audience, and on text structure, grammar, punctuation, style and vocabulary. Writing that doesn’t address the topic gets lower marks, even if it is well written.
Pacing
Thirty minutes covers planning, writing and checking. Practising under the timer shows how long each part takes.