At Test Champs-WA, we are thrilled to share that our students have once again achieved outstanding results in the WA Gifted and Talented selection process, now known as the ASET (Academic Selective Entrance Test).
Most excitingly, our student, Omar, has achieved the top result in the state for writing this year. Last year, Cici clinched the top prize in 2025! We are so incredibly proud that our students have achieved such great results 😊
This is an achievement we are incredibly proud of, because the writing component of the ASET is not a simple school writing task. It does not reward students who merely memorise a story, follow a basic formula or fill a page with impressive vocabulary. It rewards students who can think, shape ideas, respond creatively to a prompt and communicate those ideas with clarity and control.
For parents preparing their children for GATE, one important question often arises:
What exactly are the markers looking for in the writing test?
The answer is simple, but powerful: they are looking for students who can write well and think creatively.
Our teaching approach helps students become flexible thinkers and competent writers.
Understanding the ASET Writing Paper
The ASET includes four parts: Reading Comprehension, Communicating Ideas in Writing, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning.
The writing section is called Communicating Ideas in Writing. This part of the exam asks students to respond to a prompt. The prompt may be a picture, phrase, statement or a combination of ideas.
Students are not asked to memorise a story and repeat it. They are expected to think on the spot and create a response that is clearly connected to the prompt.
This is where many students struggle. They may know how to write a story, but they may not know how to create an original idea quickly under exam pressure.
Why ASET Markers Look for Creative Thinking
ASET writing markers are not only looking for students who can write correctly. They are looking for students who can think differently. Gifted students are able to think differently and creatively.
A strong writing response should show:
- a clear connection to the prompt
- fresh and original ideas
- strong organisation
- a clear voice
- thoughtful word choice
- expressive language
- an interesting plot, message or idea
- a response that feels lively and purposeful
This means a technically correct piece may still not stand out if the idea is too predictable.
For example, if the prompt shows an open door, many students may write about walking into a mysterious room. That could work, but it is also a very common idea.
A more creative student might write from the point of view of the door itself. Another might write about a child who refuses to open the door because it represents a difficult truth. Another might use the door as a symbol for courage, change or opportunity.
The difference is not just writing skill. It is thinking skill.
Good Writing Needs More Than Structure
Structure is important. Students need to know how to begin, develop and end their writing. They need paragraphs, sentence control and clear organisation.
However, structure alone is not enough.
A student can have a beginning, middle and ending but still produce a plain response. A strong ASET writer needs to make choices that capture the reader’s attention.
This includes choosing:
- an unusual perspective
- a meaningful conflict
- a strong symbol
- a memorable opening
- vivid imagery
- a clear emotional shift
- a final line that leaves impact
At Test Champs WA, we teach students writing structure and writing style, but we also teach them how to think out of the box.
What Does Creative Writing Really Mean?
Creative writing does not mean writing something random, strange or confusing.
Creative writing means making original choices that still make sense.
A creative student can take an ordinary prompt and turn it into something thoughtful. They can see deeper possibilities. They can ask, “What else could this prompt mean?”
If the prompt is a broken clock, it might be about time, regret, memory or a family moment that cannot return.
If the prompt is a bird flying over a city, it might be about freedom, loneliness, courage or seeing the world from a new angle.
If the prompt is a child standing alone, it might be about belonging, resilience or the bravery of speaking up.
This type of thinking helps students move beyond obvious ideas.
How Students Can Write More Creatively
1. Look Beyond the First Idea
The first idea is often the one most students will choose. Strong writers pause and search for a deeper angle.
If the prompt shows a window, the obvious idea might be someone looking outside. A stronger idea might be a character watching a life they cannot join, a memory reflected in the glass or a secret seen through the window.
Students should practise listing three possible ideas, then choosing the one with the most emotional or imaginative potential.
2. Use a Fresh Point of View
Point of view can make ordinary writing feel original.
Instead of writing about a trophy, write from the trophy’s point of view. Instead of writing about a storm, write as the cloud. Instead of writing about a school bag, write as the forgotten note inside it.
This helps students think beyond simple description and move into voice, character and meaning.
3. Create Mood, Not Just Events
Many students focus only on what happens. Strong writers also focus on how it feels.
A story about a child walking home can become suspenseful, peaceful, lonely, hopeful or mysterious depending on the writer’s choices.
Mood is created through:
- setting
- sensory detail
- sentence length
- word choice
- imagery
- rhythm
- what is left unsaid
A high-quality response should make the reader feel something.
4. Show Emotion Through Detail
Instead of writing, “I was nervous,” a student could write:
My fingers tightened around the paper until the corners bent.
Instead of writing, “She was sad,” a student could write:
She smiled at the photograph, but her thumb stayed pressed over the face she missed most.
This is the skill of showing, not simply telling. It is one of the clearest signs of mature writing.
5. Use Imagery with Purpose
Imagery helps the reader see, hear, feel or sense the world of the writing.
However, imagery should not be decorative only. It should support the meaning.
For example:
The hallway stretched ahead, pale and silent, like it had swallowed every voice.
This image does more than describe a hallway. It creates unease.
Students should practise using sensory detail to build atmosphere, not just to add description.
6. Make the Ending Matter
A strong ending does not need to explain everything. It should leave the reader with a clear image, realisation or emotional echo.
Weak ending: And then I went home.
Stronger ending: Behind me, the gate clicked shut, and for the first time, I did not turn back.
The stronger ending suggests change. It gives the writing weight.
Why Writing Creatively Helps Beyond the Exam
Creative writing is not only useful for ASET. It also helps students become stronger readers, thinkers and communicators.
When students learn to write creatively, they learn to notice details. They learn to infer meaning. They learn to understand voice, tone and emotion. They learn to express complex ideas clearly.
These skills help in English, school assessments, public speaking, comprehension and future academic writing.
Most importantly, students begin to understand that writing is not just about filling a page. It is about shaping an idea so another person can feel it, see it and remember it.
Start Early, Think Creatively, Stand Out in ASET Writing
If your child is preparing for the ASET/GATE pathway, writing preparation should not be left until the last minute. Strong writing takes time to develop.
Students need practice with prompts, but they also need guidance on how to think creatively. They need to learn how to move beyond ordinary ideas and create responses that are original, vivid and well controlled.
At Test Champs-WA, we are proud that our students have achieved exceptional results in Communicating Ideas in Writing, including topping the whole state.
This success comes from a teaching approach that values both structure and creativity.
We help students write well.
We help students think deeply.
We help students stand out.
If your child is a bright learner who is ready to be challenged, our program can help build the confidence, creativity and writing skill needed for the ASET journey. More importantly, our programs are run by experienced teachers with classroom experience, not undergraduates.
Join us in the upcoming July Holiday Classes at Rossmoyne SHS, July 6 to 10, for all the 4 papers and see the difference yourself.
