AEAS Writing: format and how to prepare

AEAS Writing is a single 30-minute task, but the word count floor and the range of genres both shift by year band.

Word count

At least 150 words for Years 4-9, at least 200 words for Years 10-12. These are floors, not targets; writing to the minimum with nothing to spare rarely reads as strong.

The genre changes, not just the topic

Real prompts include personal narratives ("tell us about a mistake you made"), opinion essays (including "discuss both viewpoints, using examples"), informal and formal letters (an apology letter, a letter to a school principal about bullying), magazine articles (from Year 7), and emails, blog posts and speeches. The genre is usually named explicitly in the prompt itself ("Write a letter to...", "Write an article for..."), so the first thing to check isn't the topic, it's what form the answer needs to take.

Bullet-point scaffolding

Real papers give bullet points to guide the response at every year level, not just for younger students. Each bullet is effectively a mini-requirement the marker is checking for; missing one costs more than a slightly shorter answer.

What's actually being marked

The named criteria differ in wording slightly by year-band booklet, but cover the same ground either way: the content and organisation of what you wrote, and the accuracy of your language and vocabulary.

• Before writing a word, check whether the prompt names a genre (letter, article, narrative) and match its tone and format, not just its topic.
• Treat every bullet point as a requirement to address, not a suggestion; go back and check each one is covered before time runs out.
• Practise against the real word-count floor for your year band under a 30-minute clock, since running out of time before hitting it is a common, avoidable loss.
• Use this site's AI feedback on a finished draft to see what a fresh reader notices first, then fix that same pattern in your next practice piece, rather than writing many drafts of the same weaknesses.

A template isn't something to copy word for word; it's a shape to hold in your head so you're never staring at a blank page wondering how to start. Pick the one that matches the prompt's genre, then fill it with your own content.

Opinion essay

Paragraph 1: Introduction
State the topic in your own words, then give your opinion
(or say you'll discuss both sides, if that's what's asked).

Paragraph 2: First point / viewpoint
Make one clear point. Add one specific example or reason.

Paragraph 3: Second point / viewpoint
A second point (or the opposing viewpoint, if discussing both).
Add one specific example or reason.

Paragraph 4: Conclusion
Restate your opinion in different words. Don't introduce a new idea here.

Formal letter

[Greeting]
Dear Sir/Madam, (if no name is given) or Dear Mr/Ms [Surname],

[Opening line]
State clearly why you are writing.

[Body: one paragraph per bullet point]
Address every bullet point from the prompt, one at a time.

[Closing line]
Say what you'd like to happen next, or thank the reader.

[Sign-off]
Yours faithfully, (no name was given) / Yours sincerely, (a name was given)
[Your name]

Informal letter

[Greeting]
Dear [Name],

[Opening line]
A friendly opener: ask how they are, or refer to their last message.

[Body]
Tell your news, in the order it happened. Include your feelings, not just events.

[Closing line]
A friendly sign-off line, then your name.

Personal narrative

Paragraph 1: Set the scene
Who, when, where. What were you doing right before it happened?

Paragraph 2: What happened
Tell events in order. Include what you were thinking and feeling, not just actions.

Paragraph 3: The turning point
The key moment of the story: what changed, or what went wrong/right.

Paragraph 4: Ending / reflection
How it was resolved, and what you learned or felt afterwards.

Magazine article

[Title]
A short, catchy title that names the topic.

[Opening]
Hook the reader: a question, a surprising fact, or a scene.

[Body]
2-3 clear points, each in its own paragraph, with examples.

[Ending]
A takeaway line, or a call back to the opening hook.

Speech

[Greeting]
Greet your audience: "Good morning, everyone." / "Hello, classmates."

[Opening]
Say who you are (if needed) and what you're going to talk about.

[Body: one paragraph per bullet point]
Cover each point in turn. Talk to your audience directly ("you", "we").

[Closing]
Sum up in one or two sentences, then thank your audience.

Email

[Subject line]
A few words that say what the email is about.

[Greeting]
Hi [Name], (a friend) or Dear [Name], (a teacher, or someone you don't know)

[Opening line]
Say why you are writing.

[Body: one paragraph per bullet point]
Answer each point from the prompt, one at a time.

[Closing line and sign-off]
Best wishes, / Kind regards, then your name.

Blog post

[Title]
A short, catchy title that tells readers what the post is about.

[Opening]
Talk to your readers: ask a question, or start with a quick story about you.

[Body]
2-3 short paragraphs, one idea each, with your own examples.

[Ending]
Invite readers to reply: ask what they think or what they would do.

• Writing under the year band's word-count floor: this is checked mechanically before anyone even reads for quality, so it costs marks regardless of how good the writing is.
• Ignoring the genre named in the prompt: writing essay-style prose when the prompt asked for a letter reads as off-task, even with strong vocabulary.
• Skipping one of the bullet points: each one is a mini-requirement, and a marker checks for all of them, not just the ones that were easy to write about.
• No paragraph breaks: one long block of text is harder to mark favourably than the same content split into clear paragraphs, even at the same word count.
• Repeating the same linking word ("and then... and then... and then") instead of varying connectives; it's one of the fastest ways to read as less fluent than the writer actually is.
• Running out of time with no conclusion: an unfinished ending reads worse than a slightly shorter but complete one, so leave time to close the piece properly.