11+ Writing Mark Scheme Explained
See what examiners actually reward, avoid the common mark‑losers, and align your timing to the scheme.
What Examiners Reward
Content & Organisation
- Clear response to the prompt and audience
- Logical paragraphs and flow
- Engaging openings and purposeful endings
Language & Style
- Varied sentences to control pace
- Precise vocabulary, tone fits the form
- Devices (where appropriate) used purposefully
SPaG Accuracy
- Correct punctuation and capitals
- Homophones and spellings accurate
- Consistent tense and agreement
Common Mark-Losers
- Ignoring the audience or purpose (e.g., a speech that reads like a diary)
- Listing points with no examples or explanation
- Run-on sentences, missing full stops, or random commas
- Misused ambitious vocabulary or mixed formal/informal tone
Quick Marking Rubric (student version)
- Task: audience, purpose, and form are clear throughout
- Structure: strong topic sentences + transitions + ending
- Language: varied sentences + precise words + suitable tone
- SPaG: sentence ends, capitals, punctuation, homophones
Timing Aligned to the Scheme
- Plan: 3–4 minutes to secure structure and audience
- Write: 15–22 minutes focusing on development, not listing
- Edit: 2–4 minutes on SPaG and one stylistic upgrade
Self-Check Before You Finish
- Does the opening make the purpose and audience obvious?
- Does each paragraph develop one clear idea with an example?
- Are sentence ends and capitals correct? Any homophone slips?