11+ creative writing rubric

For 11+ and 13+ practice stories and descriptions, written by hand against the clock. Five criteria, each marked from 1 to 5, for 25 in all.

This rubric is written for practice in tuition and at home. 11+ writing tasks, and the way they are marked, differ from school to school, so treat the score as a guide rather than a prediction of an exam result.

Criterion	Band 5Marks: ⁦5⁩	Band 4Marks: ⁦4⁩	Band 3Marks: ⁦3⁩	Band 2Marks: ⁦2⁩	Band 1Marks: ⁦1⁩
Ideas and imagination	An original idea that holds the reader. Characters, setting and events are developed with purposeful detail, and the piece answers the title or picture fully.	A clear, interesting idea with relevant detail. It answers the prompt well, though some parts are more developed than others.	A sensible idea that answers the prompt, but the detail is general or predictable in places.	A simple idea, thinly developed. The link to the prompt is weak in places.	Very little content, or the piece does not answer the prompt.
Structure	A deliberate opening and a satisfying ending. Paragraphs move the piece on, and the pace is controlled.	A clear beginning, middle and end, with paragraphs used well. The ending works, though it may feel rushed.	Paragraphs are used, but the order is uneven in places or the ending is abrupt.	Little paragraphing. Events are listed rather than shaped, or the ending is missing.	No clear structure.
Vocabulary and description	Precise, ambitious words chosen for effect. Imagery and the senses are used with control, without overwriting.	Varied, mostly precise vocabulary with some effective description.	Adequate vocabulary with some attempts at ambitious words or imagery, not always successful.	Plain, repetitive vocabulary and little description.	Very limited vocabulary.
Sentences and punctuation	Sentence lengths and openings vary for effect. A wide range of punctuation, including speech marks, is used correctly.	Sentences vary, and punctuation is mostly correct, including the punctuation of speech.	Some variety. Full stops and capital letters are secure, with errors in commas or speech marks.	Sentences start the same way or run on, and basic punctuation is often missing.	Sentence boundaries are rarely marked.
Spelling and grammar	Spelling, including ambitious words, and grammar are almost always correct. Tense is consistent.	Mostly accurate, with occasional errors in harder words.	Common words are spelled correctly. Errors in less common words, and occasional slips in tense.	Frequent errors in spelling or grammar that sometimes blur the meaning.	Errors are so frequent that the meaning is often lost.

Ideas and imagination

Band 5 (5): An original idea that holds the reader. Characters, setting and events are developed with purposeful detail, and the piece answers the title or picture fully.
Band 4 (4): A clear, interesting idea with relevant detail. It answers the prompt well, though some parts are more developed than others.
Band 3 (3): A sensible idea that answers the prompt, but the detail is general or predictable in places.
Band 2 (2): A simple idea, thinly developed. The link to the prompt is weak in places.
Band 1 (1): Very little content, or the piece does not answer the prompt.

Structure

Band 5 (5): A deliberate opening and a satisfying ending. Paragraphs move the piece on, and the pace is controlled.
Band 4 (4): A clear beginning, middle and end, with paragraphs used well. The ending works, though it may feel rushed.
Band 3 (3): Paragraphs are used, but the order is uneven in places or the ending is abrupt.
Band 2 (2): Little paragraphing. Events are listed rather than shaped, or the ending is missing.
Band 1 (1): No clear structure.

Vocabulary and description

Band 5 (5): Precise, ambitious words chosen for effect. Imagery and the senses are used with control, without overwriting.
Band 4 (4): Varied, mostly precise vocabulary with some effective description.
Band 3 (3): Adequate vocabulary with some attempts at ambitious words or imagery, not always successful.
Band 2 (2): Plain, repetitive vocabulary and little description.
Band 1 (1): Very limited vocabulary.

Sentences and punctuation

Band 5 (5): Sentence lengths and openings vary for effect. A wide range of punctuation, including speech marks, is used correctly.
Band 4 (4): Sentences vary, and punctuation is mostly correct, including the punctuation of speech.
Band 3 (3): Some variety. Full stops and capital letters are secure, with errors in commas or speech marks.
Band 2 (2): Sentences start the same way or run on, and basic punctuation is often missing.
Band 1 (1): Sentence boundaries are rarely marked.

Spelling and grammar

Band 5 (5): Spelling, including ambitious words, and grammar are almost always correct. Tense is consistent.
Band 4 (4): Mostly accurate, with occasional errors in harder words.
Band 3 (3): Common words are spelled correctly. Errors in less common words, and occasional slips in tense.
Band 2 (2): Frequent errors in spelling or grammar that sometimes blur the meaning.
Band 1 (1): Errors are so frequent that the meaning is often lost.

A criterion with nothing to mark scores 0.Out of 25

How to use it

Give students the rubric before they write, so they know what each criterion asks for. It also works for self-assessment: ask them to mark their own draft before they hand it in.

When you mark, read the whole piece once before scoring, then score each criterion on its own, so strong ideas do not lift a weak accuracy score. Write one comment on the student's strongest criterion and one on their weakest. It does more for them than correcting every error on the page.

In timed practice, mark what is on the page. A story that runs out of time loses marks under Structure, not under every criterion.

Handwriting is not scored here. If a school the child is applying to asks for neat handwriting, comment on it separately.

You may print this rubric, copy it and change it for your own classes. qalamiapp.com/rubrics/eleven-plus-writing

Mark one paper against this rubric

The free try marks one handwritten essay against a fixed four-criterion rubric, so you can see how the marking reads before you sign up. With an account you enter this rubric as your own and mark a class set against it.

Try one paper free