ASET writing: what the prompt asks and how it is marked
Independent. Not affiliated with the WA Department of Education or ACER.
The ASET writing test is sat in Year 6: 251WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes to respond by hand to an image, a piece of text, or both1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Markers reward relevance to the prompt, originality and how well the ideas are communicated1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
What is the ASET writing test?
It is the second of the four tests, straight after Reading Comprehension. Your child has 251WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes to write by hand, and the break comes next. 1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
The handbook says it measures how well a child can come up with interesting ideas from a prompt and turn them into a piece of writing1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Spelling, grammar and punctuation have little impact, as long as the work is readable1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. For Year 7 entry in 2028, Year 6 children sit it on 6 March 20272WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
| The writing test | What to know |
|---|---|
| Time | 251WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| Prompt | an image, a piece of text, or both1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| The handbook's example prompt | Some rules are good. Some aren't.1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Form | Any style, genre or text type 1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Usual length | between one and two pages1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Markers | At least 21WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, specially trained |
| Writing tools | pen or pencil, in print or joined handwriting1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Weight in the total | The same as each other test 3WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
What does the prompt look like?
The prompt is an image, a piece of text, or both1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Prompts are chosen so they can be read in many ways, but the response must be clearly based on the prompt given1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
The handbook's example is one line of text: Some rules are good. Some aren't.1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published Your child sees the real prompt only when the test time starts1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, so there is no way to prepare a piece for it.
How can one prompt lead to different pieces?
The handbook suggests a fresh reading of the prompt, built through setting and character, a concept, or a viewpoint1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Here is how its example line could go four ways. These are our ideas, not model answers.
| Way in | Form | One idea from the example prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Setting and character | Story | A child at a new school learns which rules matter and which are just habit |
| A concept | Discussion | What makes a rule fair, and who should get to decide |
| A viewpoint | Letter | A letter to the principal: keep one rule, drop another, and why |
| A viewpoint | Diary | A week as the family's rule-maker, told day by day |
Whichever way your child goes, the link must be clear and necessary to the piece. The handbook says that in a successful response, the prompt is central1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
How is the writing marked?
Each piece is scored by at least 21WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published trained markers. The handbook lists seven things they look at, and each makes a good self-check after a practice piece.
| What markers look at | A question your child can ask |
|---|---|
| Relevance to the prompt | Could a reader see the prompt in every part? |
| Complex, fresh and interesting ideas | Is this an idea other children are unlikely to have? |
| Style and form that lift the ideas | Does the form suit the idea? |
| A strong plot, message, issue or information | Is something at stake, or is there a clear point? |
| Organisation and coherence | Does it hold together from start to end? |
| A distinctive voice and tone | Does it sound like one real writer? |
| Apt, expressive and fluent language | Do the words fit, and do they flow? |
The criteria open with ideas 1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Later criteria are about how the piece is put together 1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
What scores very low or zero?
Three things sink a piece, and all of them are about the prompt or originality. The handbook is direct about each.
Off-topic
Writing judged entirely unrelated to the prompt gets a zero score if a panel of senior markers agrees it is off-topic1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Not your child's own
Copying gets the same result: a zero score for work based on existing ideas or works that aren't the child's own1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
A forced link
The handbook gives very low scores when the link to the prompt is vague, forced or added after the fact1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Why can't my child use a memorised piece?
Because the response must be original and impromptu, never memorised1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. A rehearsed piece doesn't show the markers your child's own ideas about the prompt1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
A link bolted onto a rehearsed piece still reads as forced, and forced links score very low. Practise ways of thinking, not finished pieces.
How long should the piece be?
There is no set length: students usually write between one and two pages1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Length is not a criterion, though a very short piece may not give markers enough to judge1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
An unfinished piece is fine, as long as the idea is clear and centred on the prompt, and a title is optional1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Do handwriting, spelling and planning matter?
Much less than the ideas. The handbook is clear on all four points below.
Pen or pencil
Your child can use pen or pencil, in print or joined handwriting1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Neatness
Neatness doesn't affect the score if the writing is clear and readable1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Spelling and grammar
They have little impact, as long as the work is readable1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
A plan
Write a plan only if it helps, because markers never see the planning space1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
How should my child use the minutes?
A simple split keeps the prompt central: think first, write for most of the time, then reread. This split is our suggestion, not the handbook's.
Think
Look closely at the prompt and jot a few ideas. Choose the freshest, which may not be the first. 1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Write
Keep the prompt in view. Let it shape the start, the middle and the end.
Reread
In the final minutes, read for sense, not neatness. 1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
How can my child practise at home?
The handbook suggests a three-round routine. Each round builds the habit of finding a fresh idea fast.
Round one, ideas only
Your child should spend two minutes jotting down ideas from a picture or an interesting line1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Round two, a new prompt
Then do it again with a different prompt and compare the ideas1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Round three, the full piece
Finally, write the full piece with the timer set to the real time and no extra time1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published: 251WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes. The handbook also says to consider not going with the first idea that comes to mind1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Afterwards, read the piece together against the questions above. Talk about what a more original response could have been.
What if my child freezes on the day?
It happens, and the handbook has advice for it. If your child can't think what to write, they should write something, even a description of what they see1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
If worry builds, your child can stop, close their eyes for 60 seconds and calm down before going on1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. The handbook also says ASET results won't make or break a child's future1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Where are the official writing samples?
The WA Department of Education publishes them free. We link to them rather than copy them.
| Sample | From | Format | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice ASET: Communicating ideas in writing | WA Department of Education | PDF to print | A practice writing task 4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Practice ASET: answer booklet | WA Department of Education | PDF to print | the same answer booklet your child will use on the day4WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| ASET Handbook | WA Department of Education | The example prompt, the criteria and writing tips 4WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | |
| ASET testing page | WA Department of Education | Video | a video guide for students taking the ASET4WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
The year or edition of the practice test: Not published4WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published.
Questions parents ask about ASET writing
Does it have to be a story?
No. Your child can use any style, genre or text type that shows off the idea. 1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Does my child need a title?
No. A title is optional, and an unfinished piece is fine if the idea is clear. 1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Is the writing typed?
No. It is handwritten in the answer booklet, with pen or pencil, in print or joined handwriting1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.