NAPLAN Writing Test Guide

How the NAPLAN Writing Test Works

Each year, students are given a single writing prompt and must produce either a narrative (story) or a persuasive (argument) text. The genre is revealed on the day — students do not know in advance which one they will get, so both must be practised. In 2026, the writing test is completed on Day 1 of the test window. Year 3 students write on paper (40 minutes); Years 5, 7 and 9 type their response online (42 minutes) using a simple word processor with no spell-check or grammar tools.

Narrative Writing

In a narrative prompt, students are asked to write a story. Markers assess:

• Audience: Does the writing engage the reader?
• Text structure: Effective orientation, complication and resolution
• Ideas: Creativity, originality and development of plot and characters
• Character and setting: Are characters and the setting well-described?
• Vocabulary: Use of descriptive and precise language
• Cohesion: Smooth flow between sentences and paragraphs
• Paragraphing: Correct use of paragraphs to organise ideas
• Sentence structure: Variety of simple, compound and complex sentences
• Punctuation: Correct use of full stops, commas, quotation marks, etc.
• Spelling: Accurate spelling of words appropriate to the year level

Persuasive Writing

In a persuasive prompt, students argue for or against a position. The same ten marking criteria apply, but with a focus on:

• A clear thesis statement or contention
• Well-structured arguments with supporting evidence or examples
• Use of persuasive devices (rhetorical questions, emotive language, repetition)
• Counter-arguments (acknowledging the opposing view)
• A strong conclusion that reinforces the position

How Writing Is Marked

Each piece is scored against 10 criteria on scales of 0 to 5 or 0 to 6 depending on the criterion and year level. Two markers assess each paper to ensure reliability, and the total raw score is converted to a NAPLAN scale score, then to a proficiency level (Exceeding, Strong, Developing, or Needs Additional Support).

Actionable Steps for Both Genres

1. Spend 5 minutes planning before writing — jot down the orientation/complication/resolution (narrative) or thesis + 3 arguments (persuasive).
2. Write in clear paragraphs — one idea per paragraph, with a topic sentence.
3. Use a range of sentence types to keep the writing interesting.
4. Choose vocabulary carefully — avoid repetition and vague words like "nice" or "good".
5. Leave 3–5 minutes at the end to proofread — fix spelling and punctuation; these are scored criteria.
6. For Year 3: practise handwriting legibility — markers can't award credit for words they can't read.

Common Mistakes

• Ignoring the prompt's genre cues — if the prompt says "Write a story about…", a persuasive essay will score poorly on structure.
• No plan, no paragraphs — a wall of text fails both the paragraphing and cohesion criteria.
• Running out of time for a conclusion — an unfinished text loses marks on structure; time-box the body.
• Relying on spell-check — the NAPLAN word processor has none, so proofreading skills matter.
• Only practising one genre — the genre is a surprise on the day; practise both.

Related Guides

• NAPLAN Reading Guide — comprehension strategies
• NAPLAN Numeracy Guide — maths topics by year
• Year 5 NAPLAN Guide — writing expectations for Year 5

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