Edutest Written Expression is a single 15-minute task with no separate planning time, so the plan has to be quick. These eight sample topics cover all six modes, each with a plan and a model opening.
The one part of the test your child answers in their own words, and the shortest. It's one of the Achievement tests, with Reading Comprehension and Mathematics, which measure actual achievement in Reading Comprehension, Mathematics and Written Expression.
Your child has 15 minutes, with no separate planning or reading time. Reading the topic, planning, writing and checking all happen inside that one window, so a quick plan matters more than a long piece.
Edutest says the task may be creative, descriptive, narrative, persuasive, expository or informative. Any of the six could come up, so have your child write in each mode before test day.
Modes that sound alike
Creative and narrative sound alike. A narrative needs a story shape: a start, a problem and an ending. A creative piece can be a story, a scene, a letter or a conversation, as long as it plays with the idea in a fresh way.
Expository and informative are close too. Expository writing explains causes and reasons. Informative writing tells a particular reader what they need to know, in a sensible order.
Paints one scene through the senses, no plot needed
The Kitchen Before a Big Lunch
Narrative
Tells a story with a problem and an ending
When the Power Went Out
Persuasive
Takes a side and argues it with reasons
A Class Pet; One Change to the Playground
Expository
Explains how or why something happens
Hard to Break
Informative
Gives a reader useful facts in a clear order
A School Day Here
How is Edutest writing marked?
On six criteria that reach well beyond a good story. Edutest assesses punctuation, creativity, construction, grammar, spelling and relevance to the task. A lively piece full of spelling slips, or a tidy piece that drifts off the topic, can lose marks a parent might not expect.
A memorised story squeezed onto a different topic is easy to spot, and relevance to the task is on Edutest's list. A fresh piece that fits the topic is safer than a polished one that doesn't.
You probably won't see the writing mark: results go to schools, not to parents. Practice pieces at home are where you find what to fix.
Full stops, commas, capitals and speech marks in the right places
Read it aloud: does every pause have a mark?
Creativity
A fresh angle or a detail the reader didn't expect
Is there one idea you haven't seen before?
Construction
Paragraphs, a clear order, a real start and end
Can your child say what each paragraph is for?
Grammar
Complete sentences, steady tense, words that agree
Any run-on sentences or tense switches?
Spelling
Everyday and ambitious words spelt correctly
Circle each word your child wasn't sure of
Relevance to the task
Writing that answers this topic, in this mode
Could a stranger guess the topic from the piece?
Eight sample topics with plans
Read each topic with your child, then talk through our plan and model opening. Ask how your child would start, and why ours works.
We wrote these in the style and length of an Edutest task, across all six modes. They are not from an Edutest paper. Each card shows the topic, ways your child could take it, what a strong response shows, a short plan, a model opening and why it works.
Worked explanation 1
Upside Down
Upside Down
One morning you wake up and find that everything in your house is upside down: the furniture, the pictures, even the water in the fish tank. Everything except you.
Write a creative piece about that morning.
Write a creative piece about that morning.
Describe breakfast as the cereal pours up out of the bowl
Show how a family member reacts when they find you
Decide whether the house flips back or you learn to live with it
15
A clear sequence of a few moments, not a long list of objects
Sensory details that make an impossible situation easy to picture
A character who reacts and makes a choice, so something actually happens
Who: me, plus one family member to react
3 moments: bedroom, breakfast, front door
Best detail: cereal falling up, fish swimming on the ceiling
Feeling: puzzled, then curious, then brave
Ending: I flip myself to match, or it flips back
The first thing I noticed was the light. It was coming from the floor, because the window was now near my feet, and my bedside lamp was hanging from the ceiling like a sleepy bat.
The child has to take one strange idea and make it feel real through careful, surprising details. A strong response picks a few vivid moments (breakfast, getting dressed, opening the front door) rather than listing every upside-down object, and finds a satisfying ending.
Worked explanation 2
The Kitchen Before a Big Lunch
The Kitchen Before a Big Lunch
Picture a kitchen in the hour before a large family lunch, with many people cooking at once.
Describe the scene so a reader can see, hear and smell it.
Describe the scene so a reader can see, hear and smell it.
Zoom in on one cook at the stove, then pull back to the whole room
Capture the sounds of chopping, sizzling and people talking over each other
End with the moment the first guests arrive
15
Precise nouns and verbs (simmering, clattering) instead of 'nice' and 'good'
All five senses used, with each paragraph focused on one area or sense
Figurative language used sparingly and well, such as one fresh simile
Sight: steam, crowded benches, flour on hands
Sound: sizzling, chopping, three conversations at once
Smell: garlic, roasting meat or veg, something sweet baking
Touch: heat from the oven, sticky dough
Mood: busy but happy; end with the doorbell
Every surface in the kitchen was busy. Onions hissed in a pan by the window, a pot of rice rattled its lid like it wanted to escape, and somewhere under the noise my aunt was humming.
This asks for description, not a story: the child should paint one busy scene in rich detail. A strong response moves through the senses and builds a sense of warmth and rush, without needing a plot.
Worked explanation 3
When the Power Went Out
When the Power Went Out
Halfway through a school day, the power goes out across the whole school and does not come back for the rest of the afternoon.
Write a story about what happened in your classroom.
Write a story about what happened in your classroom.
Show your class in the first minute after the lights and fans stop
Let an unexpected classmate come up with a plan
Finish with the school day ending without a bell
15
A clear structure: setting, problem, rising action and resolution
One or two characters who are shown through what they say and do
Dialogue that is punctuated correctly and moves the story along
Setting: maths lesson, hot afternoon, lights die
Problem: no screens, no bell, a test was due
Turn: class invents its own way to learn or have fun
Character: one quiet classmate turns out to be the leader
Ending: power returns, nobody wants it back yet
The ceiling fan slowed, wobbled and stopped. For a moment the only sound in 6K was Arjun's pencil, still scratching away, because Arjun never noticed anything until it was too late.
The child needs a real story with a beginning, a problem and an ending, set inside one ordinary classroom. A strong response uses the blackout to create a challenge or surprise, and shows how the characters deal with it.
Worked explanation 4
A Class Pet
A Class Pet
"Every primary school classroom should have a class pet."
Do you agree or disagree? Write a persuasive piece to convince your reader.
Do you agree or disagree? Write a persuasive piece to convince your reader.
Explain what a feeding and cleaning roster would teach a class
Describe how a pet might help a nervous student settle in
Answer worries about holidays, allergies or the animal's care
15
A clear position stated early and held all the way through
Each reason in its own paragraph, backed by a specific example
A fair answer to the opposing view, which makes the argument stronger
Position: agree (or disagree), say it in line one
Reason 1: teaches responsibility (feeding roster)
Reason 2: calms students / helps shy kids
Answer the other side: holidays and allergies
Conclusion: restate and end with a strong line
Imagine walking into class on a Monday morning and being greeted not by a whiteboard, but by a guinea pig squeaking for breakfast. Every primary classroom should have a class pet, because a small animal can teach lessons no textbook can.
The child must choose a side quickly and argue it with clear reasons and examples. A strong response states its position in the first lines, gives two or three well-developed reasons and finishes with a confident conclusion.
Worked explanation 5
Hard to Break
Hard to Break
Many people have a habit they would like to stop, such as pressing the snooze button or leaving things until the last minute.
Explain why habits can be so hard to break, and what might help.
Explain why habits can be so hard to break, and what might help.
Explain why a habit can happen without you even thinking
Use an everyday example, like the snooze button, to show each cause
Suggest two or three practical ways to change a habit
15
A clear explanation of causes, not just a list of habits
Relatable examples that make each point concrete
Linking words that show cause and effect (because, as a result, so)
Intro: everyone has one; give a quick example
Why 1: habits run on autopilot, no thinking needed
Why 2: the reward comes now, the cost comes later
What helps: swap the habit, make it harder, tell a friend
Conclusion: change is slow but possible
Almost everyone has a habit they wish they could switch off. Mine is reaching for one more biscuit, even when I am not hungry, and the reason it is so hard to stop says a lot about how our brains work.
Expository writing explains an idea rather than arguing for one side or telling a story. A strong response gives clear causes with everyday examples, then offers sensible ways to change a habit, in a logical order.
Worked explanation 6
A School Day Here
A School Day Here
A student from another country is coming to stay with your family and will spend a week at your school.
Write a piece that tells them what a normal school day is like, from arriving in the morning to going home.
Write a piece that tells them what a normal school day is like, from arriving in the morning to going home.
Walk your visitor through the day in time order
Explain words they might not know, such as recess or assembly
Tell them what to bring and who to ask for help
15
A clear time order with headings or paragraph topics for each part of the day
Explanations of local words a newcomer would not know
Facts stated precisely (times, places, what to bring)
Reader: overseas visitor, knows nothing about our school
Morning: arrival time, bag racks, roll call
Middle: lessons, recess, lunch rules, hat rule
Afternoon: sport or library, home time
Tips: what to bring, who to ask for help
Welcome to Riverbend Public School! A school day here starts at 8:50 am, but most students arrive about fifteen minutes early to drop their bags on the racks outside their classroom.
Informative writing gives a reader useful, accurate facts in an organised way. A strong response is ordered by time, explains things a newcomer would not know (such as recess, uniforms or assembly) and keeps a friendly, clear tone.
Worked explanation 7
My Shadow Quits
My Shadow Quits
Your shadow has decided it no longer wants to follow you around.
Write a creative piece about what happens next.
Write a creative piece about what happens next.
Give your shadow a reason for quitting and a voice of its own
Show what goes wrong when people notice you have no shadow
Work out a deal that brings your shadow back
15
An original take on the idea, with a shadow that has a clear personality
Humour or surprise that comes from specific, well-chosen details
Correctly punctuated dialogue if the shadow speaks
Why it quits: tired of being stepped on
Its personality: grumpy, dramatic, funny
Problem: people notice I have no shadow
Turn: I bargain with it, or chase it
Ending: deal struck, it walks in front for once
The letter was waiting on my pillow, written in grey pencil so faint I nearly missed it. It said: Dear You, I have followed you for eleven years. I quit.
This is an invitation to play with an unusual idea, and the child may write a story, a scene or even a conversation with the shadow. A strong response gives the shadow a personality and a reason for leaving, and finds a clever or warm way to end.
Worked explanation 8
One Change to the Playground
One Change to the Playground
Your principal has asked students for ideas to make the school playground better.
Write a letter to your principal persuading them to make one change.
Write a letter to your principal persuading them to make one change.
Choose one change and say exactly what and where it would be
Give reasons a principal cares about, such as safety and cost
Finish with a polite, clear request
15
Correct letter form: greeting, clear paragraphs and a polite sign-off
One well-chosen change, explained precisely rather than several vague wishes
Reasons that suit the reader, such as safety, cost and benefit to all students
Change: e.g. a quiet shaded reading corner
Reason 1: helps students who don't play sport
Reason 2: shade keeps students safer in summer
Answer worry: cost (old benches, parent working bee)
Sign-off: polite request plus thank you
Dear Ms Okafor, thank you for asking students how to improve our playground. I would like to suggest one change that would help almost every student at our school: a shaded quiet corner beside the library.
The child has to pick one specific, realistic change and convince a real reader, the principal, that it is worth doing. A strong response uses letter form, gives reasons that matter to a principal (safety, fairness, cost) and stays polite but firm.
How should your child use the time?
Plan briefly, write in paragraphs and keep a little time to check. With no separate planning time, the plan comes out of the writing time, but a short one still pays: a few words per line, like our sample plans, stops the piece wandering.
Read the topic twice
Underline the instruction word: describe, persuade, explain, tell. That word sets the mode, and the mode sets the shape.
Plan in a few lines
Who or what, the main moments or reasons, and the ending. Decide the ending now, so the piece has somewhere to go.
Write in paragraphs
Start with a line that pulls the reader in, like the model openings. Give each paragraph one job.
Keep time to check
Save the last stretch for spelling, punctuation and the odd missing word. Edutest assesses all of these.
Short is fine: a finished piece with a clear ending reads better than a longer one that stops mid-sentence.
What mistakes cost the most marks?
In a short task, marks slip away through a few habits. Read your child's practice piece against this list.
A story when the task wants something else. The Kitchen Before a Big Lunch needs a scene, not an adventure.
Listing instead of choosing. Upside Down tempts children to list every upside-down object; a few moments, told well, read better.
Sitting on the fence. Pick a side in the first lines and keep it. Answering the other side once makes the case stronger; switching sides weakens it.
"It was all a dream." Endings that cancel the story feel rushed. Planning the ending first avoids this.
No time left to proofread. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are all on Edutest's list, and a quick read-back catches many slips.
How can your child practise at home?
A topic a week, rotating through the modes, builds the habit of planning fast. After each piece, pick one thing to fix next time.
Edutest's own practice sets cover Verbal, Numerical, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics; no writing, so the writing needs practice somewhere else.
Our Practice tests include Written Expression on Edutest's time, with feedback criterion by criterion, in bands. That feedback is practice feedback written by AI, which can be wrong or incomplete and is not a mark from Edutest, ACER or any school, so treat it as a guide for practice.
Practice test 1 is free and includes AI writing feedback on the free practice test's writing task.
Some schools use ACER instead, and its writing is set differently. ACER sets two topics of 25 minutes each, so students can write in different styles. Edutest sets one task of 15 minutes, with no separate planning time.
