Every year as the Selective Test draws ever closer, many students find themselves in the same difficult position. While the skills essential to the Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills portions of the exam are generally developed naturally through the repeated practice of past papers and isolated questions for different concepts, the Writing test continues to be a thorn in the side of the vast majority of students preparing for their exams due to the sheer uncertainty inherent to the topic.

With the radical changes made to the Selective Exam in the last couple years, the Writing exam has become all the more complicated. Previously, the exam was guaranteed to fall under one of two categories (persuasive or creative writing), however the introduction of variable text types has added a level of complexity unheard of in earlier years.

Here are a few tips to help you navigate the exam and streamline the writing process.

Revise your Structures

Before you sit the exam, make sure to revise your basic structures. While the sheer variety of potential topics and text types might seem daunting, many of them share similar structures and language features. 

For the majority of non-fiction responses, you can use a variant of PEEL as the basic structure for body paragraphs:

• Point – State the main purpose of your paragraph clearly and directly. In persuasive writing, this would be your main argument, in something like a review or explanation, this would be the main concept.

• Explain – Provide some context for your main point. Here, you should explain why your point is important/relevant for the target audience.

• Evidence – Give some supporting evidence. This refers to information that further demonstrates the relevance of your point/explanation by providing tangible examples (e.g., if your paragraph was discussing how seatbelts are important for road safety, you might include an anecdote describing how you experienced this first-hand).

• Link – Wrap up your paragraph by linking it back to the main idea. Use a connective word (i.e., therefore, thus, etc.) and restate your main argument whilst emphasising its connection to the overall writing topic.

For more fictional or creative responses (i.e., recounts, diary entries, narratives, etc.) you may wish to follow a variant of OCR:

• Orientation – This is where you provide the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, why). Paint a picture of the setting for the audience in a way that helps them imagine it for themselves.

• Complication/Series of Events – This is where you would include the main events of your story (in a narrative this would be the complication, in a recount/diary entry it would refer to the events of the day).

• Resolution/Conclusion – This is where you explain how the events were ultimately resolved or wrapped up.

In creative responses, tense and writing perspective must also be considered. Tense, whether past or present, should remain consistent through the duration of your story. You should also select the most appropriate perspective, first or third, to orient your story. 

A clear idea of the correct writing structure can take the stress off an unexpected topic, and ensure that you write enough in an efficient manner.

Come up with a Plan

One overlooked aspect of writing is the importance of planning. When sitting the exam, students have the tendency to feel pressured by the time restrictions, and rush to get something written on the page. While this isn’t always a bad thing, it can leave you vulnerable to inconsistencies and generalisations in your writing.

Having a clear plan at the beginning , even before you begin writing an introduction, provides you with a clear starting point – a place to jump off of – and can help keep your paragraphs focused on the main point.
In the first 2-3 minutes of your allocated time (after you’ve read through the topic/question thoroughly) make a list of dot points. Each dot point should briefly describe the main focus of a body paragraph, then either explain why the point is relevant to the topic (for non-fiction responses), or flesh out the events that would occur (for fictional responses).

When you know exactly what to write in each paragraph, it lessens the likelihood of going on irrelevant tangents and ensures that your paragraphs remain focused and specific. 

Whilst the Writing section is largely regarded as the most daunting task, clear preparation can ensure that you feel confident and ready to take on any topic or text type. Remember, take a moment after reading the question to consider the text type, appropriate structure and all viable ideas. The Writing section doesn’t have to be a chore, and with these tips you will be well equipped to tackle any question!

Published 4 December 2021