NAPLAN marking criteria
Audience
Text structure
Ideas
Persuasive
devices
Vocabulary
Cohesion
Paragraphing
An internally consistent text that
provides enough information for
the reader to follow the text fairly
easily.
Text contains clearly identifiable
but underdeveloped structural
components. Points in paragraph
are not clearly differentiated
(second and third paragraphs
make a similar point).
VELS level
Meets the needs of
audiences by including
appropriate background
information. (3)
Adapts writing to suit the
audience and purpose. (3)
Writes short texts that
include several related
ideas in sequence. (2)
Uses appropriate structures
to achieve some
organisation of the subject
matter. (2)
Ideas are supported with some
elaboration.
Writes short sequenced
texts that convey some
related ideas about familiar
topics. (2)
Expresses a point of view
providing some
information and supporting
detail. (3)
Uses more than three instances of
persuasive devices: a strong
statement of personal belief (I
strongly belive); repetition for
effect (very, very safe); figurative
language (it feels like the wild);
and generalisation (Animals are
always safe in zoos).
Selects content, form and
vocabulary depending on
the purpose for writing. (2)
Begins to use simple
figurative language. (4)
Uses mostly simple content words
with several precise words
(endangered, existict).
Uses suitable vocabulary
for the subject matter,
including nouns, verbs,
adjectives and adverbs. (3)
A short text that includes simple
Experiments with more
connectives (firstly, secondly);
complex grammatical
simple conjunctions (and, so, if)
features, such as ways of
and correct noun/pronoun
linking ideas in sentences
referencing (Animals …they /
using pronouns,
conjunctions and adverbial
Zoos… they).
phrases indicating time and
place. (2)
Writing is organised into
Uses appropriate structures
paragraphs, but they are not used to to achieve some
develop separate ideas.
organisation of the subject
Sentence
structure
Punctuation
Spelling
Correct sentences are mostly
simple and compound sentences.
One correct complex sentence with
two non-finite dependent clauses
(Firstly, zoos breed to keep
animals from becoming existict).
Accurate sentence level
punctuation in more than four
sentences. Correct use of
contraction apostrophe and one
correct use of possessive
apostrophe.
Correct spelling of simple and
most common words. Difficult
words (endangered, benefit) not
outnumbered by incorrect difficult
words (existict, belive).
matter. (2)
Writes a variety of simple
and compound sentences
and uses verb tenses
correctly. (3)
Uses capital letters, full
stops and question marks
correctly. (2)
Uses punctuation to
support meaning, including
exclamation marks and
quotation marks, and
accurately uses full stops,
commas and question
marks. (3)
Makes plausible attempts
at spelling new and more
difficult words. (3)