[NSW] The ‘Write’ Way to Exam Success

By NSW Principal – MR TONY HANLON

Writing is, for many students, a challenge that takes time to conquer.

It can be a cause of anxiety and frustration. However, it doesn’t have to cause the level of distress that some people experience. The challenge can be overcome.

Achieving success is often slow and unpredictable. The old adage: one step forward …two steps back. Well, everything of value takes time and effort. To help you on the journey to success you must remember that writing skills, like any other skills, can be acquired through tenacity and resilience.

The following advice is written specifically for students who will be undertaking the Selective High School Placement Test in 2025 however, the advice is applicable to all students.

‘Must Dos’ for Writing Exam Success’

1. Grow a ‘Growth Mindset’
Earlier this year I visited the school of my ‘adopted’ grand-daughter (the daughter of a friend who decided I am her grandpa no matter what ancestry might say!) in the Bang Na district of Bangkok. A different country, a different language, a different school system, but similar challenges for the students in terms of writing. How do I get started? Which is the best word to use? How do I persuade the audience? The types of challenges faced by students everywhere.

One of the teachers was outstanding in encouraging her students to believe in their own abilities. Funny enough, the results of her efforts were most apparent.

(Following much translation) I learned that her message was very simple:

To some readers this may appear trite. No doubt some may not even believe in a positive mindset. However, the students stood face-to-face each day to repeat the mantra ten times. From the results I saw, I would not be so quick to dismiss the power of believing in yourself.

2. Know the Basic Exam Requirements
In the 2025 Selective High School Placement Test each candidate’s writing will be marked independently by 2 trained examiners. The two scores will be added together to make the total mark.

It is important to note the following:

• the time allowance for the writing test is 30 minutes.
• there is no additional time for planning or editing. Every aspect of the writing task must be completed in 30 minutes.
• the test will assess the creativity of your ideas and your ability to write effectively for a purpose and audience.
• the test will also assess grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary.
• your writing must address the given topic, otherwise it will be marked lower, regardless of their fluency or creativity.

3. Be Sure to Write in the Form (Text Type) Specified
You will be given a specific text type in which to write. The writing test may even require you to combine forms. For example, you may be required to provide information as well as give an opinion or advice. If you are told which form (text type) to use, you MUST write in that form (text type), or you will lose a significant number of marks.

It is important that you know the requirements of that form (text type). For example, a narrative text must have an orientation, complication (that leads to a series of events), climactic event and a resolution. Once again, marks may be lost if you do not complete the requirements of the specified text type.

4. Enrich your Writing with Similes, Metaphors & Personification
Creative writing forms such as stories, diary entries, poems and literary descriptions can be brought to life through the inclusion of similes, metaphors and personification. They help the reader (audience) to form a better understanding of characters, settings and events. Used in an appropriate, creative and original way, they will help boost your mark.

5. Read the Question Carefully
Tasks may require candidates to write for a range of purposes including to narrate, explain, describe, inform, advise or persuade, and tasks may combine more than one purpose.

The written form (text type) required (e.g. persuasive text, description, information text, diary entry, narrative, newspaper report) is clearly stated in the task instructions.

The topics will be familiar. You will be able to draw on your experiences or familiar content for your writing. Tasks are designed to be interesting and challenging. They are written in a way that will help you to develop an engaging, creative and original piece of writing.
In the less likely event that you are presented with an image, it is important that you notice all elements of the background, mid-ground and foreground. There may be an interesting object ‘hidden away’ or less noticeable. This is often done intentionally so the examiner can sort out the observant from the less-observant students. The less prominent parts of an image may spark an interesting idea for your writing, so it is worth the extra 30 seconds to carefully examine any image.

You will not be required to incorporate every part of the image in your writing. Remember it is a stimulus only. It is intended to get your ideas going – you are not meant to follow is slavishly. However, if the image is a desert setting and you write a story about ‘Spot, the multi-talented purple dog’, you will definitely lose marks for not using the stimulus appropriately!

6. Plan Before you Write
As far as we are aware, you will need to undertake planning in your mind, paper will not be provided. If this is the case, you may need to develop the skill. I suggest you spend 15 minutes, three times a week, to think up writing ideas and plan (in your mind) how you would write them as complete pieces of writing.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Persuasive text: Australians should not be spending money on pets while we have homeless people starving.
2. Narrative: You wake up, go downstairs to find that no one in your family recognises you. How can this happen?
3. Descriptive Text: He was the most unusual person I had ever seen.
4. News Article: ‘Girl Disappears at Luna Park’
5. Diary: The best holiday I have ever had!
6. Email: Invite your friend to a New Year’s Eve party – tell them what to bring- remember details of date, time, place. Inform them of the activities you have planned – provide contact details of your parents to allow your friend’s parents to verify the invitation.

7. Don’t Plagiarise!
In important writing exams such as the Selective High Schools Placement Test and private school scholarship exams you will be disqualified if the examiner strongly believes you have plagiarised.

Students often ask me: “What if I have accidentally plagiarised?”

I remind them not to worry as this is highly unlikely.

Remember that the examiner lives in the same world that you occupy. They very likely have children or grandchildren your age. They know about Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, graphic novels, streaming services such as Netflix, blockbuster movies at the cinema, Nintendo and online games.

Don’t think that copying an old story will be safe, either. They know the stories of the classic children’s writers such as Enid Blyton. If you intentionally or blatantly copy the plots or characters from popular culture, the examiner will spot it and your mark will suffer.

8. Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation Always Matter!
Your spelling, grammar and punctuation will contribute to your mark. That is why you must take care in the exam.

It is also why you should be building these skills between now and 2nd May 2025.

A few points to REMEMBER whenever you are writing:

• The pronoun ‘I’ should always be capitalised.
• Paragraphs are vital in every text type. This is true even in poetry, where the ‘paragraphs’ take on the name of ‘stanzas’.
• Sentences always require a capital letter and a full stop.
• Do not use a colon, semi-colon or dash unless you are positive you are using such punctuation correctly.
• Use correct punctuation for direct speech including speech marks.
• When using direct speech always use a new line for the next speaker.
• Vary your sentence structure – ensure some sentences are more complex.
• Follow the ‘sentence rule’ – longer sentences for descriptions and shorter sentences for action.

9. Leave Time for Editing
You will not be given additional or separate time for editing. You alone will be responsible for ensuring
you leave a few minutes towards the end of your 30-minute time allowance for editing. The more
errors you can eliminate through careful editing, the higher your mark can potentially climb! Editing is
time well spent. When planning your time allocation, you may wish to use the following suggestion:

• Planning: 5 minutes
• Writing: 20 minutes
• Proofreading/Editing: 5 minutes

10. Running out of Time!
Why do people panic when they run out of time? Panicking only clouds our thought processes. If you are running out of time, but still have a number of ideas to express, it is best to put them in bullet point form before time is up.

Take charge of the situation and put the following plan into action:

• Think: what do I still have to say in order to complete my writing?
• Act: write out your remaining ideas in POINT FORM. This will allow the examiner to see the remaining great ideas you intended to use in your writing. It is very likely to increase your mark. Without taking this step your mark will definitely NOT increase.

11. Good Writers Love to Read
Remember that for long term improvement of your writing skills you must read for at least 20 minutes every day. This is how we absorb interesting information and ideas that can be used in our own writing. By reading we also consciously and subconsciously learn about grammar, syntax and vocabulary. In other words, we learn how words work!

12. Typing Skills Matter
As previously stated, the 2025 Selective High School Placement Test writing component will require candidates to type – not write by hand.

It is important that you develop the SPEED and ACCURACY of your typing in order to maximise your success. Take 15 minutes, three times a week to type a piece of writing – it can be original, or you may choose to copy a page from a book. The important consideration is that you BUILD speed and accuracy! Ultimately, writing success is up to you! Follow the hints and tips and above all, believe that you have the power to improve your skills and be the best writer you can possibly be.

We have an exciting new course! It has been specifically structured to develop your writing skills in preparation for the demands of the Selective High School Placement Test in 2025. The course, Writing for Selective School Exams, will commence in Term One (at selected campuses in NSW) and have a weekly online writing task component. This will allow students to practise the exact format of the writing test. We hope to see you there!

Wishing all our North Shore families a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for the privilege of allowing us to be your partner on your child’s learning journey.