Selective entry writing tasks in Victoria: what to expect
Independent. Not affiliated with the Victorian Department of Education or ACER.
Victoria's selective entry exam for Year 9 entry ends with Writing: 21ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published tasks in 401ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes. ACER says it tests conveying ideas in precise language, with the ideas organised coherently1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published, and it doesn't publish the task types.
Sitting the NSW Selective test instead? Its Writing test is 12NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published typed task in 302NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes, and our NSW Selective writing guide covers it.
What does ACER say about the writing test?
ACER says the writing test has 21ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published tasks in 401ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes, and that it tests conveying ideas in precise language, with the ideas organised coherently1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published. That one line is all ACER publishes about how writing is judged.
| Question | What ACER publishes |
|---|---|
| How long | 401ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes for both tasks |
| How many tasks | 21ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| What it tests | conveying ideas in precise language, with the ideas organised coherently1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| What kinds of writing | Not published1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published |
| Marking criteria | Not published1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published |
| A sample writing task | Not published1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published |
Writing is the last sitting of the morning. It comes after Reading and Verbal Reasoning and a 51ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published-minute short break, so your child starts it after two other sittings.
How should my child split the time across two tasks?
Decide the split before starting, and keep to it. Both tasks share the 401ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes, so an even split is a sound default.
Read both tasks first
A quick look at both stops a surprise later and lets ideas for the second start early.
Plan the first task
Jot the main point and three or four steps. A short plan saves time in the writing.
Write, then check
Leave a little time to read it back and fix any sentence that doesn't make sense.
Switch on time
Move to the second task at the halfway mark, even mid-sentence if needed.
Plan, write and check the second
Use the same short plan. A finished second piece matters more than polish on the first.
An unfinished second task usually costs more than a less polished first, in our view. ACER publishes no weighting between the tasks. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published
What do "precise language" and "organised coherently" look like?
They mean the reader always knows your child's point and how each sentence gets there. Here is ACER's line broken into parts, with what each part looks like on the page.
| ACER's words | On the page | Quick self-check |
|---|---|---|
| Convey ideas | One clear main point the reader could say back | Can I say my point in one sentence? |
| Precise language | Exact nouns and verbs in place of vague ones | Did I swap "good" or "things" for something exact? |
| Ideas organised | One idea per paragraph, in a sensible order | Does each paragraph do one job? |
| Coherently | Linking words that show how ideas connect | Do "because", "however" and "so" join my ideas? |
The parts come from ACER's description. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published The examples and self-checks are ours.
Which kinds of writing should my child practise?
ACER doesn't say what kinds of writing the tasks ask for. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published So the sensible plan is a range, not a guess about one type.
Explain an idea
Make a point clear to someone who hasn't thought about it before.
Argue a view
Persuasive writing: take a side, give reasons, and answer the other side.
Tell a story
A short narrative with one clear moment of change. Keep the cast small.
Describe and reflect
Bring a place or moment to life, then say what it meant to you.
These cards are our suggestion for broad practice. They are not a forecast of the tasks.
How is the writing marked?
ACER doesn't publish the marking criteria, the markers or a score scale. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published Families also get no access to the tests or individual scores3ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published, so you won't see a writing mark.
What we can say is what ACER's description rewards: a clear point, exact words and a sensible order. The self-check below turns that into questions your child can ask after any practice piece.
My main point is clear in the first few lines
Each paragraph does one job
I used exact words, not vague ones
Linking words show how my ideas connect
The ending finishes the point, not just the time
Both tasks are finished
This self-check is ours, built from ACER's one-line description. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published It is not ACER's rubric.
Does handwriting matter?
Your child writes by hand in the answer booklet, so a marker has to read it. Children must bring two blue or black pens4ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Neat, readable writing is enough. Practise writing by hand at full length, so your child's hand is used to it on the day.
How should my child practise at home?
ACER says there is no need to practise or revise1ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published. Writing still grows with use, and ACER says the exam's skills grow over time, through a culture of learning, varied engaging material and talking freely about ideas1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Write two short pieces under one timer, to make switching feel normal
Write by hand, with a pen, at full length
Read the piece aloud and mark any sentence that trips
Find the one paragraph that says the most in the fewest words
Read widely, so your child has more ideas and words to draw on
How is it different from NSW Selective writing?
Victoria asks for more writing, by hand. NSW sets one task on a computer, which our NSW writing guide covers.
| Victoria | NSW Selective | |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks and time | 21ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published tasks in 401ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes | 12NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published task in 302NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| How it's written | By hand, with two blue or black pens4ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published | plan on paper or on screen, then type2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Criteria published | Not published1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published | Ideas, purpose and audience, language for effect2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Weighting | Not published1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published | 25%2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published of the test |
| Off-topic writing | Not published1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published | Off-topic writing is marked lower2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
Questions parents ask about selective entry writing
What are the writing prompts?
ACER doesn't publish them, or the kinds of writing they ask for. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published Practise a range of kinds.
Is there an official sample writing task?
No. ACER publishes no sample writing task. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published Use the self-check above with any practice prompt instead.
Can my child use a dictionary?
No. Dictionaries are on ACER's list of items not allowed in the exam room. 4ACER · 13 October 2026 · Published
Does writing count as much as the other tests?
ACER doesn't publish how the tests are weighted. 1ACER · 13 October 2026 · Not published
Can we see the marked writing afterwards?
No. Families get no access to the tests or individual scores3ACER · 12 October 2026 · Published.