Students get 30 minutes for the selective school writing section and this is assessed on 2 sets of marking criteria:
Criteria A - Content, form, including structure, organisation, vocabulary and style.
Marks will be awarded for the student's ability to write effectively, showing awareness of purpose and audience, by:
• selecting interesting content and relevant details
• using an appropriate form
• organising ideas coherently, using paragraphs and a range of cohesive devices
• using a deliberately chosen style, range of vocabulary and level of formality.
Criteria B - Sentences, punctuation and spelling.
• using a range of sentence lengths, types and structures and correct punctuation
• spelling correctly
Writing tasks may require candidates to write for a range of purposes including to narrate, explain, describe, inform, advise or persuade, and some may combine 1+ purposes.
The writing section accounts for 15% of the entire exam mark.
For detailed advice on how the new Selective School Entrance Exam is assessed, visit here.
25/25 Sample student response
Writing Question) Write an information sheet advising primary school students on the intellectual benefits of reading books.
Books
Books are becoming more and more redundant as people start to prefer their devices over reading during. However, books hold many benefits and offer a world of entertainment beyond anything technology can do.
Books are written primarily to entertain readers. You are supposed to find them as a source of joy and many still do. But with rapid technological development and adoption of technology in our daily lives, the concept of reading physical books is becoming lost in the plethora of entertainment options in the digital world. Indeed, Netflix, Youtube and video games may be an attractive option, but the entertainment derived from the online realm is only temporary. In contrast, the entertainment, meaningful stories and lessons learnt from reading books stay forever, forming a core memory in the reader.
The benefit of reading books extends beyond entertainment. Reading actually enhances and expands your vocabulary and overall understanding of the language by exposing you to descriptive language, literary techniques and devices. The written literary form is rich with sophisticated expressions, knowledge and wisdom of the author. If a student is exposed to books from a young age, it will have direct impact on the student's academic performance at school.
There are many different types of books out there, ranging from non-fiction to fiction. Non-fiction books include biographies, autobiographies, historical or scientific books that teach us stories grounded in reality. By contrast, fiction books include fantasy, sci-fi stories and other made up stories that reflect the creative imaginations of the author. The many different genres and types of books each teach us something new, expanding our knowledge and understanding of the language.
Ultimately, books are majorly underrated and under-appreciated in this modern world. Although the day might come when technology wholly replaces physical books, the act of reading and the timeless knowledge contained in these works will not cease to provide enjoyment and intellectual benefit to the readers.
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