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NSW SelectiveYear 7 entry

Reflective writing for the Selective test

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Reflective writing looks back on one moment and explains how it changed you. For the Selective writing test, your child can use a four-step cycle: what happened, how I felt, what I learnt and how it changed me.

Watch the full lessonPlay the preview

The full lesson is in the SelectiveReady app. A free account opens How and Why Authors Write; this lesson needs a paid plan.

Updated 16 October 2026 · Facts checked 12 October 2026

Reflective Writing (lesson preview)

A short preview from the SelectiveReady lesson “Reflective Writing”, on reflective writing for the NSW Selective test.

Published:

Read the video transcript

Let's make this super concrete. A simple narrative would just say, "I missed the game-winning shot." End of story. But a deep reflection asks the real questions. How did missing that shot actually make me feel? What did I learn about performing under pressure? And how has that moment changed the way I practise now? See that shift? It's all about moving from the outside event to the inside meaning. All right, so how do we actually do this? How do we make sure we're reflecting and not just retelling? Well, luckily, there's a really simple four-step cycle we can use as our map. This four-step cycle is basically the engine of your reflection. And notice how it moves inward. You start with, "What happened?" But you get that out of the way fast. Then you pivot to, "How did I feel? What did I learn?" And the big one. How has it changed me? You're basically thinking about your own thinking, which is a powerful way to lock in learning. It's a clear path from the event to its lasting impact.

The preview plays here with English and Chinese captions. The full lesson, Reflective Writing, is in the SelectiveReady app and needs an account. A free account opens one lesson, How and Why Authors Write; the other lessons need a paid plan1SelectiveReady · 13 October 2026 · Published.

2

What will your child learn in this lesson?

Your child learns to hold a moment up to a mirror and look at the face looking back, not just the event. They'll be able to pick one moment, move quickly from what happened to what it meant, and link it to a bigger idea.

The clip shows the shift from outside event to inside meaning, then the four-step cycle. The full lesson adds the mirror idea, four ingredients of a deep reflection and the traps to avoid.

3

Is reflective writing part of the Selective test?

It could be, but no one can promise it. The Department doesn't publish the list of forms the writing task can set. 2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published

What the Department does say about marking suits a reflection well.

What the Department saysIn a reflection
Marked on: Ideas, purpose and audience, language for effect2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · PublishedAn honest insight is a fresh idea, written for a real reader
The task shows how well children select, develop and organise ideas and communicate them effectively3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · PublishedChoose one moment and build the meaning around it
Off-topic writing is marked lower2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · PublishedThe moment must fit the prompt, not a favourite memory forced in
Length, beside its sample question: no more than 2 pages4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · PublishedRoom to go deep on one moment, not wide on many
4

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing is an inside journey. A story says what happened; a reflection asks what it did to your thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

The lesson's example makes the difference clear.

RetellingReflecting
"I missed the game-winning shot.""How did missing it make me feel?"
The end of the story"What did I learn about pressure?"
Nothing has changed"How has it changed the way I practise now?"
5

What is the four-step reflection cycle?

The cycle is the engine of a reflection, and it moves inward. Get the first step out of the way fast.

The reflection cycle moving inward: what happened, how I felt, what I learnt, how it has changed me.

  1. What happened?

    The moment, in a few sentences. Just enough for the reader to picture it.

  2. How did I feel?

    The feeling then, honestly, including the uncomfortable parts.

  3. What did I learn?

    The insight. A bridge like "This experience taught me that…" helps.

  4. How has it changed me?

    What you do or think differently now, and why that matters.

6

What makes a reflection deep instead of shallow?

The lesson names four ingredients. A reflection with all four sounds real.

Personal voice

Your own way of seeing things, not the tone of a textbook.

Depth over breadth

One meaningful moment, explored well, beats a list of many.

A bigger idea

Link your moment to something true for other people too.

Emotional honesty

Say how you really felt. Without it, the lesson says, the insight feels empty.

7

How can my child find a moment to write about?

Keep a short list of real moments at home, so your child isn't hunting for one under time pressure. Small moments work well, because they are easy to tell honestly.

A time I was wrong

About a person, a rule, or something I was sure I couldn't do.

A time I was nervous

A first race, a speech in class, a new team.

A time someone helped me

What they did, and what I'd now do for someone else.

A time I lost

A game, a vote, a chance. What it showed me about myself.

The moment still has to fit the prompt. A list like this gives your child choices, not a ready-made piece. 2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published

8

What does a model reflection look like?

We wrote this for our own prompt: write about a time you changed your mind about someone. Each step of the cycle gets its own lines.

StepModel linesWhy it works
What happened?In Year 4, I decided a new girl called Priya was stuck-up, because she never joined our handball games.One moment, told quickly
How did I feel?When she was put in my project group, I felt annoyed and a bit trapped.Honest, even though it isn't flattering
What did I learn?She told me she had never played handball and was scared of looking silly. I had judged her on something I didn't understand.The insight, in plain words
How has it changed me?Now, when someone seems unfriendly, I ask a question before I decide. This experience taught me that quiet is not the same as unkind.The change, then the bigger idea
9

What is the biggest reflective writing mistake?

The biggest mistake, by far, is retelling the story. A piece that spends every line on events never reaches the meaning.

Stays on the surfaceGoes deep
Every detail of the whole school campOne moment from the camp
"It was the worst day of my life and I'll never recover.""I was more embarrassed than I had ever been."
"I learnt a lot.""I learnt that asking for help isn't weak."
Ending when the event endsEnding with how you think now
10

How should my child plan a reflection in the test?

Quickly, with one short note for each step of the cycle. The Department says children can plan on paper or on screen, then type2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, and its papers tell them to think first about what to say, and how organisation and layout help the message3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.

  1. Pick the moment

    One that fits the prompt, written as a few words, not a sentence.

  2. Note the feeling

    One honest word or phrase for how it felt at the time.

  3. Note the lesson and the change

    What you learnt, and what you think or do differently now.

  4. Then write

    Spend most of the time on the inside meaning, not on the event.

11

How can my child try a reflection prompt?

Here is a reflection prompt from our free practice set. Set a timer for 302NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes, work through the cycle, then read the model.

Practice question · SEL-WR-TST-08

Things I Know Now

Your Year 6 class is making a book of reflections to read again on your last day of high school. Each student writes about one moment from primary school that changed the way they think.

Write a reflection about your moment for the class book.

In your reflection, you could:

  • describe the moment so a reader can picture it
  • explain what you thought before and after
  • say how it might help you in the future
Afternoon sun lights a worn desk and pencil in an empty classroom with stacked chairs and raised-hand paper cut-outs on a pinboard.
Read the model response

The Day I Put My Hand Up

For most of primary school, I believed one thing very firmly: clever people do not ask questions. They just know. So whenever I was confused, I nodded, copied the board and hoped nobody would notice. It worked for years. Then came Year 5, and a maths lesson that changed my mind.

I can still picture it. It was a hot Tuesday afternoon, the ceiling fans were whirring and Mrs Lambert had covered the whiteboard in fractions. She was explaining why two quarters and four eighths are the same. Everyone around me seemed to be nodding. I stared at my book and felt my cheeks burning. I had no idea what she meant, and I was sure I was the only one.

Then a boy called Hamish, who sat two rows in front of me, put up his hand and said, "Sorry, I'm totally lost. Can you go back to the start?" I waited for someone to laugh. Nobody did. Instead, three other people said, "Me too." That was when I realised I wasn't alone at all. We had all been pretending, each of us sure we were the only one.

Mrs Lambert smiled and said something I have never forgotten: "A question is not a sign that you're behind. It's a sign that you're thinking." She went back to the beginning, and this time I asked a question too. My voice wobbled, but by the end of the lesson I actually understood. It felt like a door had swung open.

Before that day, I thought asking for help made you look weak. Now I think it is one of the bravest things you can do in a classroom. Hiding confusion does not make it go away. It just lets it grow, quietly, until it becomes a wall.

Since then, I have asked questions in maths, in science and even at swimming lessons when I could not get my breathing right. Each time, it has been a little easier. I have also tried to be like Hamish for other people, putting my hand up first so they don't have to.

When I read this again on my last day of high school, I hope I am still the kind of person who puts my hand up. High school will be bigger, louder and probably a lot more confusing. There will be new subjects, new teachers and a hundred things I don't know yet. That is okay. I know now that not knowing is where learning starts.

  • I chose one moment, not a whole year.

  • What happened takes only a few sentences.

  • I said honestly how I felt at the time.

  • I named what I learnt in plain words.

  • I showed what I think or do differently now.

  • My ending links to a bigger idea.

12

Questions parents ask about reflective writing for Selective

Can a reflection be about something small?

Yes. The lesson says the moment can be big or small, as long as it meant something.

How is reflective writing different from a diary entry?

A diary entry stays close to one day and its feelings. A reflection looks back and traces how a moment changed you.

Should my child write about something sad?

Only if they're comfortable. A small, safe moment told honestly works just as well.

Can my child use "I" in a reflection?

Yes. A reflection is personal, so first person is right.

Is the full lesson free?

It needs an account. A free account opens one lesson, How and Why Authors Write; the other lessons need a paid plan1SelectiveReady · 13 October 2026 · Published.

Next questions

The Selective writing test →Lesson: Writing a Diary Entry →Lesson: Writing to Persuade →Free Selective practice test →The NSW Selective test explained →

Sources and checks

  1. SelectiveReady

    SelectiveReady · Checked 13 October 2026

  2. Selective high school practice tests

    NSW Department of Education · Checked 12 October 2026 · Practice materials: personal or non-commercial use only; CC BY 4.0 does not apply (page notice). Page text: CC BY 4.0.

  3. Selective High School Placement Test, Writing Question Paper, Practice Test 1 (PDF)

    NSW Department of Education · Checked 13 October 2026 · Practice materials: personal or non-commercial use only; CC BY 4.0 does not apply (page notice). Quoted briefly with credit. Saved text: the one-page writing task only.

  4. Get ready for the Selective High School Placement Test (students)

    NSW Department of Education · Checked 13 October 2026 · CC BY 4.0

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