Over the years, I’ve had countless parents come to me feeling lost. Their child writes stories – sometimes even enjoys writing – but when it comes to the 11 Plus, they’re not producing good pieces of writing. I remember one mum telling me, “He’s imaginative – but we’re just not getting the ideas on paper properly. I don’t know what to do, and my son is getting frustrated as well.” And that’s exactly it – most parents don’t know what examiners are looking for, but can see when their child is struggling – and when they will clearly lose marks because they either don’t have much writing on paper, or the standard of writing just isn’t up to even the basic standards sometimes.

So let’s walk through how to improve this.

Why Understanding Examiner Criteria Matters

The 11 Plus creative writing task isn’t just about being imaginative. It’s about writing with purpose, and that means knowing what examiners are actually looking for. Your child could have the best ideas in the room – but if their writing lacks control, structure or technique, they’ll lose marks.

This is why understanding the criteria isn’t just useful – it’s essential.

What Types of Writing Appear in the 11 Plus?

Your child might be asked to:

• Write a story (narrative)
• Describe a scene or character (descriptive writing)
• Recall a personal experience (recount writing)
• Write a letter or speech (transactional writing – common in independent school exams)

There are actually 14 different types of writing tasks that can come up in the grammar school selection tests (the 11+) and independent school entrance exams, and we go through all of them in our Creative Writing Crash Course.

Different formats, but the same high standards. Regardless of the style, examiners are scoring based on specific qualities – and these rarely change.

What Examiners Are Actually Looking For In 11+ Writing Tasks

1. Clear, Logical Structure

Every piece should feel complete. A clear beginning, middle and end. A central idea or storyline that flows. In a story, there should be a clear conflict or problem, and a resolution. For descriptions or recounts, the ideas must follow a logical order.

2. Genuine Imagination and Voice

Examiners want to see your child’s personality on the page. That doesn’t mean long words or forced metaphors – it means writing that feels real. Moments that make you feel something. A detail or sentence that makes the examiner stop and think, “Ooh, that’s clever.”

3. Strong Vocabulary and Natural Language Devices

Yes, figurative language matters – but only when it’s used well. Similes, metaphors, personification – these can lift writing when they flow naturally. The goal is to show, not tell, and that starts with the right word choices.

4. Varied Sentences and Proper Paragraphs

Monotonous writing loses marks fast. Examiners want to see variety – short, punchy sentences mixed with longer, descriptive ones. Paragraphs should clearly separate ideas and keep the writing easy to follow.

5. Accurate Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG)

It sounds obvious, but I can’t stress this enough. Careless SPaG errors can cost precious marks. I always tell my students: the last five minutes of writing time should be spent checking – always.

From Good to Great: A Real Example

Good: “The wind was blowing really hard. Sarah ran down the road. She was scared.”

Great: “The wind lashed against Sarah’s face as she bolted down the road, her heart pounding like a drum. Fear clung to her like a shadow.”

Same idea. But the second version brings the moment to life using simile (“heart pounding like a drum”), personification (“fear clung to her like a shadow”), and strong verbs like “lashed” and “bolted.” It also demonstrates control through sentence variation and precise word choice. These are the kinds of techniques examiners are trained to reward.

How You Can Help at Home

I know life is busy. And not every parent has time to sit down and teach creative writing. But there are simple things you can do:

• Read a variety of texts with your child and talk about what works.
• Encourage planning before writing – it’s a game-changer.
• Use prompts to practise different types of tasks.
• Don’t focus on length – quality always beats quantity.
• Most importantly: get feedback. That’s where the real growth happens.

If you’re unsure where to start, my Creative Writing Crash Course will walk your child through every skill, step by step – and our Marking Service gives personalised, video-based feedback on real tasks.

Final Thoughts

Writing doesn’t have to be a mystery. When your child understands what the examiner wants, they stop second-guessing themselves. They write with confidence. They write with direction. And that’s when the magic happens. I see this all the time, with the hundreds of children I have supported in the past 10-plus years at Geek School Tutoring – and I see this especially with our Creative Writing Crash Course.

If you’d like expert feedback on your child’s work or a structured path to help them improve, I’ve got you covered.

Check out the Creative Writing Crash Course to get your child on the right track – fast.