Audience
Engages, orients, and affects the reader.
Scoring Rubrics
What great writing is measured against.
BandUp makes the marking guide visible: criteria, marks, and the specific writing moves that change a result.
NAPLAN
10 criteria, 48 marks.
For Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. The same core criteria apply to narrative and persuasive writing, with one genre-specific craft criterion.
6 marks
Text Structure
Organises the whole piece into an effective narrative or persuasive shape.
Ideas
Selects and develops content that is specific, relevant, and engaging.
Persuasive Devices / Character & Setting
Rewards genre craft: rhetorical control for persuasive, character and place for narrative.
Vocabulary
Uses precise, varied, and purposeful word choices.
Cohesion
Connects ideas smoothly within and across sentences and paragraphs.
Paragraphing
Uses paragraphs to guide the reader through changes in idea, event, or emphasis.
Sentence Structure
Controls sentence grammar, variety, tense, and clause structure.
Punctuation
Uses punctuation accurately, including complex marks at higher levels.
Spelling
Spells common, complex, and ambitious vocabulary accurately.
High-value criteria
Audience and Sentence Structure carry 6 marks each. They are often the biggest difference between competent and high-band writing.
Fastest gains
Paragraphing, punctuation, cohesion, and vocabulary precision often improve quickly with targeted practice.
Band estimate
Raw scores are converted into a practice band estimate using year-level thresholds. Official NAPLAN results remain school-administered.
Scholarship
5 criteria, 25 marks.
Scholarship and selective entry writing places more emphasis on originality, voice, polish, and intellectual control.
Structure & Organisation
Disciplined opening, purposeful paragraphing, and a conclusion that adds force.
Ideas & Content
Original, specific thinking that goes beyond obvious arguments or predictable stories.
Voice & Originality
A distinctive perspective that feels alive rather than formulaic.
Language & Style
Sophisticated vocabulary, controlled rhythm, and effective figurative or rhetorical choices.
Grammar & Mechanics
Accuracy and control across spelling, punctuation, grammar, and expression.