What are 11+ creative writing examiners really looking for?

Creative writing is, by nature, subjective. So how do examiners mark it in an objective way? How can something as personal and imaginative as storytelling be measured with scores and checklists? It’s a challenge that often leaves both parents and children asking: “What exactly are they looking for?” or “What can make my story stand out over someone else’s?”

While creative writing may feel personal and open-ended, examiners use clear criteria to make their marking fair and consistent. In this blog, I’ll explain how creative writing is assessed in the 11+ exam and how you can help your child prepare with confidence using practical strategies and the creative tools we’ve developed.

1.⁠ ⁠Structure Matters

One of the biggest mistakes children make is treating creative writing as an opportunity to let their imaginations lead, with no plan. Examiners reward writing that’s structured, purposeful and has a clear and simple plot.

They want to see:

• A clear structure with a beginning, a middle and an end

• A sense of purpose: why are we reading this story or description? What’s the mood or the key event?

• Paragraphs that make sense. This is basic but crucial – each paragraph should have one clear job (this could be moving the story along or developing the scene)

Creative ideas are great, but if the writing goes off on a tangent or doesn’t have a clear ending, it won’t score well (especially if the ‘dreaded’ ending ‘and then I woke up’ is used). Our creative writing workshops are focused entirely on planning, plot and structure. They give children the practical tools to shape their imagination into writing that works on the page and in the exam hall.

2.⁠ ⁠Vocabulary (but not too much!)

Rich vocabulary helps your writing stand out but examiners aren’t just ticking off how many ‘big’ words your child can cram in. They’re looking for words that work and that are used correctly in context. Children often get told to ‘use ambitious vocabulary’ but it’s more important to choose the right words than the fanciest ones.

They want to see:

• Descriptive language that paints a clear picture

• More than just adjectives – powerful verbs and nouns often carry more meaning and impact.               

• Quality over quantity when it comes to vocabulary

If you’d like to help your child build a better vocabulary at home, have a look at our Vocabulatree resources or try our Vocabulary Club. These are designed to make learning new words fun and practical, helping children naturally build a more exciting range of language for their stories.

3.⁠ ⁠Sentence Variety Is Key

Using a mix of short, medium, long, simple and complex sentences makes writing more engaging and easier to read. If all the sentences sound the same, the writing can feel flat or repetitive. Sentence variety shows control of language, keeps the reader interested and demonstrates a higher level of writing skill. This is rewarded in scoring.

They want to see:

• Use of a mix of short, punchy sentences for drama and medium and longer, more detailed ones for description

• Sentences opening in different ways

• Rhetorical questions or exclamations being used for effect (if it fits the tone)

In our 10-week creative writing courses, we work on exactly this - giving children a toolkit of sentence structures and showing them how to use them purposefully in their writing.

4.⁠ ⁠Does It Feel ‘Finished’?

A well-planned, satisfying ending leaves a better impression and often scores higher. So often, children run out of time or ideas or the story just…stops. This leaves it feels incomplete or rushed. A satisfying ending shows that the writer can plan, structure and finish their ideas thoughtfully. Without that, even a great story can lose impact. An important part of what we teach is planning the ending first, giving the children a clear direction from the beginning of their work.

 Good endings don’t need to tie up everything, but examiners want to see:

• A reflection on what’s happened - even just a thoughtful final sentence can help the piece feel complete.

• Something from earlier in the piece echoed at the end, to give a satisfying sense of closure.

• An ending that makes the reader feel something- whether it’s funny, tense, exciting or emotional, it’s important that the ending makes the story stay with the reader. This shows control over mood and tone.

We explore everything needed in our Mock-Mock Creative Writing Workshops, which give children a chance to practise writing under realistic exam conditions with detailed feedback on how to improve endings (as well as beginnings and middles!).

5.⁠ ⁠SPAG: Getting the Basics Right

It sounds obvious, but Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) are still hugely important. Many schools have specific marks allocated just for technical accuracy.

They want to see:

• Punctuation used correctly: commas, apostrophes, speech marks

• Accurate spelling of common tricky words

• Work that has been checked and edited (reading work back to spot and correct mistakes is a great habit to develop early)

6.⁠ ⁠Originality Isn’t About Crazy Plots

Parents often ask, “Does it have to be an original idea to get top marks?” The truth is, what matters most is how the story is told. Examiners only see one piece of your child’s work, so it’s perfectly okay to use and adapt ideas or phrases that have worked well before. Ideas can be reshaped or combined, especially since many 11+ titles overlap. A clear, well-written story will always score better than a confusing plot with poor punctuation.

Examiners want to see originality coming through:

• The narrator’s unique voice

• A fresh perspective on something everyday

• Vivid, clear descriptions that bring familiar scenes to life

Helping children develop their unique writing voice is a core part of our courses and 1:1 booster blocks, where we work closely with our students to help shape their writing into something that feels true to them, even if the plot is familiar.

Final Thought

You don’t need to be a confident writer yourself to help your child with creative writing. Some of the most effective support you can offer is simply creating the space to think and talk about writing. Reading together, discussing characters, talking about why certain stories ‘work’ and gently encouraging planning and editing are all powerful ways to build your child’s skills over time. If you’re not sure where to start, a great strategy is to share an example of a weaker piece of writing. Invite your child to step into the role of teacher or examiner. What would they improve? Why and how? Ask them what could make it clearer or more engaging? This helps children develop editing skills, as well as being a brilliant confidence boost to see that they can improve a piece of writing with just a few thoughtful changes.

Often, short and focused writing tasks help build your child’s skills more effectively than longer, overwhelming ones. With the right support and scaffolding, their confidence and ability will grow. Our courses, workshops, one-to-one coaching and downloadable resources have been carefully designed specifically to give children the creative tools and confidence they need to succeed.