NAPLAN Writing: How the Task Works and How It’s Marked

In the NAPLAN writing test, students respond to a single prompt that is either a narrative or a persuasive task. The genre is the same nationally each year but is not announced in advance, so students prepare for both.

How it is marked

Writing is assessed against a set of criteria — including audience, text structure, ideas, vocabulary, cohesion, paragraphing, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling. A strong piece is well-planned and clearly structured, not just long.

How to help your child

• Plan first — two minutes of planning saves a muddled middle.
• Strong opening and ending — these frame the whole piece.
• Paragraph deliberately — each new idea gets its own paragraph.
• Leave time to check spelling and punctuation at the end.

Practise both genres: see our guides on persuasive writing and narrative writing.