NAPLAN – Writing Test
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What do students do in the NAPLAN Writing test?
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What is a genre or text type?
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What is the genre for the 2013 NAPLAN Writing tests?
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What is persuasive writing?
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What text type should a student use to respond to the test topic?
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What is a continuous text?
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What will the prompt look like?
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How is the persuasive text marked? Is it marked differently to a narrative text?
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Why are there two different scales for narrative and persuasive Writing tests?
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Are all students expected to do the same Writing task?
Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are provided with a ‘prompt’ – an idea or topic – and asked to write a response of a particular text type (genre).
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Students are taught to write a variety of different text types. There are three main groups of text types, sometimes called genres. These are imaginative, information and argument (also known as persuasive).
Imaginative texts are texts that involve the use of language to represent, recreate, shape and explore human experiences in real and imagined worlds. They are also referred to as sub-genres and include, for example, fairy tales, anecdotes, novels, plays, poetry, personal letters and illustrated books.
Information texts are texts that involve the use of language to represent ideas and information related to people, places, events, things, concepts and issues. They include, for example, recounts, reports, descriptions, biographies, explanations, transactional texts, news articles and features.
Argument texts are texts that systematically present a point of view or seek to persuade an audience. They include, for example, arguments, expositions, discussions, and letters to the editor, debates, reviews and advertisements.
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In the 2013 Writing tests students will be required to complete a persuasive writing task.
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A persuasive text is any text where the main purpose is to present a point of view and seeks to persuade a reader.Persuasive text types include, for example, arguments, expositions, discussions, and letters to the editor, debates, reviews and advertisements.
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What text type should a student use to respond to the test topic?
The Persuasive Writing Marking Guide assesses any persuasive text type that is a continuous text. Students can respond to the task using their preferred choice of any continuous persuasive text.No one text type is privileged over others and top marks can be achieved using any text type.
Please note: Advertisements, while persuasive texts, generally contain visual elements and are not usually continuous texts, and therefore are not recommended as a response type. However, students may choose to write an advertisement in response to the task as long as it fits the required continuous text structure.
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The NAPLAN Writing test requires students to write a continuous persuasive text. A continuous text has the structural components of an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Each structural component serves a function.
The purpose of the introduction is to introduce the reader to the main idea of the text. It should provide some context associated with the topic and present the writer's opinion on the topic. It should capture the interest of the reader and say why the topic is important. The style of the introduction may change according to the style of the writing and the opinion being presented and might include, for example, a definition of the topic, generalisations about the topic, a list of the main points of argument or a short anecdote.
The body of the persuasive text should develop the intentions stated in the introduction and may make use of the structures typical of non-fictional essays. For example, listing and describing parts, comparing and contrasting, and showing cause and effect are some ways students can present their opinions.
The conclusion should bring closure to the text and the writer's point of view in a way that reinforces the writer's position on the topic. A conclusion should do more than simply repeat what has already been said. Conclusions may summarise the writer's position, reflect on the topic and draw conclusions by synthesising ideas presented in the body. The conclusion should not present new information.
Please note: Anecdote can be a very powerful way of presenting an opinion, and may be used to develop an argument. However, for the purpose of the Writing test, it is not appropriate to write a story or narrative in response to the test topic.
For further information about text structure, please refer to pages 84-85 in the Persuasive Writing Marking Guide.
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The test prompt will provide students with a topic about which they must write. It may provide some images to assist students to develop ideas. Alternatively the prompt may provide only textual support. During the administration of the test, all students have the prompt read to them by the teacher, and can have any part of it re-read on request.
To give you an idea of the formats that prompts may take, you can download two example test prompts:
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Persuasive writing is marked in a way that closely parallels the marking of narrative writing. Assessment rubrics for both narrative and persuasive writing include common criteria. Nine of the 10 criteria assessed in both the persuasive and narrative marking guides are common. However, each rubric presents those criteria differently, according to how that feature is used in the text type being assessed.
Persuasive writing and narrative writing also have one criterion that is unique to each form. Persuasive writing assesses persuasive devices whilst narrative writing assesses the development of character and setting. The key focus skills for both rubrics are available for comparison in the Writing section.
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There is a separate scale for the narrative Writing test (2008 - 2010) and the persuasive Writing test (from 2011). The results for narrative Writing tests should not be compared with the results for persuasive Writing tests. This is because the equating process used to compare results from test to test has indicated that students perform differently on the two different types of writing.
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Yes. The Writing task and topic will be the same for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
The Writing rubrics assess writing at the levels of development demonstrated by students from Years 3 to Year 9. Although the task is the same for all students, students are expected to perform at the appropriate level of their development.
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