Email Writing for the NSW Selective Test 2026

Email Writing for the NSW Selective Test 2026 — Complete Guide

Email is one of the official text types that can appear in the NSW Selective High School Placement Test. The NSW Department of Education lists email alongside story, diary entry, report, and advice sheet as a possible writing form — and official practice materials include email prompts where students must describe, inform, advise, or persuade through email format.

Most students never practise email writing for the selective test. That is a mistake. This guide covers everything you need to write a high-band email response: the format rules, how tone changes with audience, what markers specifically look for, and the mistakes that cost students marks.

Why email is a unique challenge in the selective test

Every other genre in the selective test has one audience and one purpose. A story entertains. A persuasive piece argues. A diary entry reflects.

Email is different. An email can be written to a teacher, a company, a friend, a council, or a principal. It can inform, persuade, advise, request, complain, describe, or do several of these at once. The official test information explicitly states that tasks may combine more than one purpose — for example, "an email that both informs and advises."

This means that when you see an email prompt, your first job is not to start writing. Your first job is to figure out who you are writing to and what you are trying to achieve. Get these wrong, and even beautifully written sentences will score poorly because the tone and content do not match the task.

The anatomy of a high-scoring email

Every email in the selective test needs five parts. Miss any of them and you lose marks on genre conventions.

1. The greeting

The greeting must match the recipient.

Formal (writing to adults, companies, officials, teachers you do not know):

• Dear Sir/Madam (when you do not know the name)
• Dear Ms Chen (when you know the name)
• Dear Principal Williams
• To the Manager of Riverside Community Centre

Semi-formal (writing to a teacher you know, a coach, an older relative):

• Dear Mr Thompson
• Dear Coach Lee

Informal (writing to a friend, sibling, classmate):

• Hi Ben,
• Hey Sarah,

The test will tell you who to write to. If the prompt says "write an email to your principal," that is formal. If it says "write an email to a friend," that is informal. Read the prompt carefully — students who use "Hi" when writing to a company lose marks immediately because it signals they have not thought about audience.

2. The opening line

Your first sentence must state why you are writing. This is not a story — you do not build suspense or start with description. You get to the point.

Formal examples:

• "I am writing to express my concern about the proposed changes to the school library."
• "I would like to enter the superhero character competition advertised on your website."
• "I am writing to request your support for our school fundraiser."

Informal examples:

• "I just got back from the most incredible trip to the zoo and I had to tell you about it."
• "I wanted to let you know about something exciting happening at school next week."

The opening line does two things: it tells the reader what the email is about, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. A marker reads your opening line and immediately knows whether you understand the genre.

3. The body paragraphs

This is where you develop your content — the information, arguments, descriptions, or advice that the prompt asks for. Organise your body into 2-3 clear paragraphs, each covering a distinct point.

Paragraph structure for email:

• Each paragraph should focus on one idea
• Use topic sentences: the first sentence of each paragraph tells the reader what that paragraph is about
• Use connectives to link ideas between paragraphs: "In addition to this," "Another reason I believe this would work is," "On a different note,"
• Keep paragraphs shorter than you would in an essay — emails are meant to be read quickly

Critical skill: answering all parts of the prompt. Email prompts in the selective test often have multiple requirements. A prompt might say: "Write an email to the council giving your opinion about the new park AND explaining why your suggestion would benefit the community." If you only give your opinion without explaining the community benefit, you have not addressed the full prompt. Markers check this specifically.

4. The closing line

Before your sign-off, include a sentence that wraps up your email with a clear action or sentiment.

Formal:

• "Thank you for taking the time to consider my suggestion."
• "I look forward to hearing your response."
• "Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further information."

Informal:

• "Let me know what you think!"
• "Hope to see you there."
• "Anyway, I just wanted to share — talk soon!"

The closing line signals to the marker that your email has a deliberate ending, not an abrupt stop.

5. The sign-off

Formal:

• Yours sincerely, (when you used "Dear [Name]")
• Yours faithfully, (when you used "Dear Sir/Madam")
• Kind regards,

Semi-formal:

• Best regards,
• With thanks,

Informal:

• From,
• See you soon,
• Cheers,

Always follow the sign-off with your name (you can use your real name or a made-up one — it does not matter, but include one).

How the email is marked

The selective test uses the same criteria for email as for every other genre. Here is how those criteria apply specifically to email writing.

Content (Set A)

Markers look for content that is relevant, detailed, and addresses every part of the prompt. If the prompt asks you to "describe your superhero and explain why they would make a great film character," you need both description AND explanation. Doing only one is an incomplete response.

Strong content in email means:

• Specific details rather than vague generalisations
• Ideas that are developed with reasons, examples, or evidence
• Every part of the prompt addressed — read it twice before you start writing

Form and organisation (Set A)

Email form is non-negotiable. The marker checks: is there a greeting? Is there a sign-off? Is the opening line purposeful? Are paragraphs used to organise ideas?

Students who write a perfectly good persuasive essay but format it without a greeting and sign-off will lose marks because it does not look like an email. The form is part of the scoring — not just the content.

Vocabulary and style (Set A)

This is where email is harder than most genres. Your vocabulary and style must match your audience precisely.

Writing to a company: "I would like to respectfully suggest an alternative approach that could benefit both the school and the wider community."

Writing to a friend: "You would honestly love it — the whole place is amazing and the food is actually decent for once."

Both of these are correct. They are just correct for different audiences. Using the friend version when writing to a principal, or the formal version when writing to a classmate, sounds wrong — and markers will penalise it under style and audience awareness.

The key skill: register switching. You need to be able to write formally and informally, and know when each is appropriate. Practise both.

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation (Set B)

Email has a few specific punctuation rules students often get wrong:

• Comma after the greeting: "Dear Ms Chen," — not "Dear Ms Chen."
• Comma after the sign-off: "Kind regards," — not "Kind regards."
• Capital letter after the greeting: The first word of your email body should be capitalised even though it follows a comma
• No text-speak: Even in an informal email, "u" for "you" or "2" for "to" is never acceptable in the selective test

Spelling errors in an email feel worse than in a story because emails are supposed to be considered, purposeful communication. A misspelled word in a narrative might be overlooked in the flow. A misspelled word in a formal email to a principal undermines the entire piece.

Tone and register: the skill that separates bands

This is the most important section of this guide. The single skill that most determines your email score is matching your tone to your audience. This is what markers mean by "audience awareness" and "appropriate style" in the rubric.

Formal email register

Use when writing to: principals, teachers you do not know, companies, government officials, councils, organisations.

Characteristics:

• Full sentences, no contractions ("I would" not "I'd," "do not" not "don't")
• Polite, measured language ("I believe," "I would like to suggest," "It would be greatly appreciated")
• No exclamation marks (or at most one, used sparingly)
• Third person references to groups ("students at this school" rather than "us kids")
• Objective reasoning, not emotional appeals

Example:

Dear Principal Williams,

>

I am writing to share my thoughts on the proposed changes to the school library. While I understand the need for additional computer facilities, I believe there is a solution that would allow us to keep the library while also expanding our technology resources.

>

The library currently serves as more than just a place to borrow books. Many students use it as a quiet study space during lunch and after school, and it is often the only calm area available during busy periods. Removing it entirely would leave students without a dedicated space for independent reading and focused work.

>

I would like to suggest converting the back section of the library into a computer area, while keeping the front section for books and quiet study. This approach would give students access to both resources without sacrificing either one.

>

Thank you for considering this suggestion. I would be happy to discuss it further if that would be helpful.

>

Yours sincerely,

Alex

Informal email register

Use when writing to: friends, siblings, classmates, people your own age.

Characteristics:

• Contractions are fine ("I'm," "it's," "don't")
• Natural, conversational tone — write how you would actually talk to this person
• Exclamation marks are acceptable for enthusiasm
• Personal opinions and reactions ("I honestly couldn't believe it," "you would have loved it")
• Still uses full sentences and correct grammar — informal does not mean sloppy

Example:

Hi Maya,

>

I just got back from the Blue Mountains trip with my family and I have to tell you about it — it was honestly so much better than I expected.

>

We did this bushwalk called the Grand Canyon Track and it took about three hours. I'm not going to lie, the first part was scary because the steps were really steep and slippery, but once you get down into the canyon it's like a completely different world. There are these huge ferns everywhere, it's really quiet, and the light comes through the trees in this way that makes everything look green. I kept thinking you'd be taking photos the whole time.

>

The best part was the lookout at the end. You can see the Three Sisters right in front of you and the valley just drops away. Dad nearly lost his hat over the edge which was pretty funny.

>

You should seriously come with us next time — your mum would love it too. Let me know if you're free in the holidays!

>

From,

Priya

Notice that the informal email still has a greeting, clear paragraphs, a purpose (describing the trip and inviting the friend), and a sign-off. Informal does not mean unstructured.

Step-by-step: writing an email in 30 minutes

Minutes 1-4: Read and plan

1. Read the prompt twice. Identify: Who am I writing to? What am I being asked to do? Are there multiple parts?
2. Decide your register. Formal or informal? This determines everything about your tone, greeting, and sign-off.
3. Plan 2-3 body paragraphs. Write a one-line note for each: what is the main point of that paragraph?
4. Note your greeting and sign-off so you do not forget them.

Minutes 4-25: Write

• Greeting
• Opening line (state your purpose)
• Body paragraph 1 (main point or most important information)
• Body paragraph 2 (supporting point, additional detail, or second part of the prompt)
• Body paragraph 3 (optional — further detail, counterargument, or personal touch)
• Closing line
• Sign-off and name

Minutes 25-30: Proofread

1. Check greeting and sign-off match your audience
2. Check you addressed every part of the prompt
3. Check spelling — especially the recipient's name if one was given
4. Check comma after greeting and sign-off
5. Read the opening line — does it state your purpose clearly?

Common mistakes that cost marks

No greeting or sign-off. This is the most common mistake. Without them, your piece is not an email — it is just a paragraph. Markers will penalise genre conventions heavily. Even if you are running out of time, writing "Kind regards, [Name]" takes five seconds and saves you marks.

Wrong register for the audience. Writing "Hey Principal Williams" or "Dear Friend" both sound wrong because the greeting does not match the recipient. Read the prompt, identify the audience, and choose your register before you start.

Addressing only half the prompt. Email prompts in the selective test almost always have two or three requirements: describe AND explain, inform AND persuade, suggest AND justify. If you only do one, the marker sees an incomplete response. Underline the key verbs in the prompt during your planning stage.

Writing an essay in email format. Some students write a persuasive essay and just add "Dear Sir" at the top and "Yours sincerely" at the bottom. Markers can tell. A real email has a conversational flow — it addresses the recipient directly, references the shared context ("as you may be aware," "I noticed that"), and reads like communication between two people.

Forgetting to be specific. "I think the park should stay because it is good for the community" is vague. "The park is used by over 200 families every weekend for sport, picnics, and community events — removing it would leave the northern side of our suburb with no public green space within walking distance" is specific. Specificity is the difference between average and high band in every genre, but especially in email where you are trying to inform or persuade a real person.

Text-speak or emoji descriptions. Never write "u," "2," "cos," "lol," or similar abbreviations, even in an informal email. The selective test is assessing your ability to write English correctly. Informal tone is fine. Lazy abbreviation is not.

Mixed-purpose emails: the advanced skill

The official test information says tasks may "combine more than one purpose." This is particularly relevant for email, because email naturally combines purposes in real life.

A prompt might ask: "Write an email to your teacher suggesting a class excursion destination. Describe the place and explain why it would be educational."

This email needs to:

1. Suggest (propose the destination)
2. Describe (paint a picture of the place)
3. Explain (justify why it is educational)

Each paragraph can handle one purpose. Your first paragraph suggests the destination and gives a brief overview. Your second paragraph describes what students would see and do. Your third paragraph explains the educational value and links it to what you are studying in class.

Students who recognise the multiple purposes and organise their email accordingly will score significantly higher than students who only address one.

Practice prompts to try

1. Your school is planning to remove the library and replace it with a computer lab. Write an email to your principal explaining why you think the library should stay and suggesting a compromise.
2. A film company is running a competition for students to suggest a new superhero character. Write an email to the company describing your character and explaining why they would make a great film.
3. Write an email to a friend describing a place you recently visited and encouraging them to go.
4. Your class is organising a charity fundraiser. Write an email to a local business asking them to sponsor the event. Explain what the fundraiser is for and why their support matters.
5. The local council is deciding between building a skate park or a community garden. Write an email to the council giving your opinion and explaining your reasons.

For each prompt, identify the audience and register before you start. Time yourself to 30 minutes. After writing, check: did I include a greeting, opening line, body paragraphs, closing line, and sign-off? Did I address every part of the prompt?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to include a subject line?

The NSW selective test does not require a subject line, but including one will not hurt your score. If you do include one, keep it brief and relevant: "Subject: Suggestion for class excursion" or "Subject: Library proposal." If you are unsure, skip it — the greeting and opening line are more important.

What if the prompt does not say who to write to?

The prompt will always indicate the recipient. If it says "write an email to a company," that is your audience even if no specific name is given. Use "Dear Sir/Madam" when no name is provided and "Dear [Name]" when one is.

Can I use contractions in a formal email?

Avoid contractions in formal emails. "I would like to suggest" sounds more professional than "I'd like to suggest." In informal emails to friends or classmates, contractions are natural and expected.

How long should my email be?

The same length as any other selective writing response: 350-500 words is the target range. Do not write less than 300 words — you will not have enough content to score well. Do not write more than 500 — you will likely be rushing and making errors by that point.

What is the difference between an email and a letter?

In the selective test context, the format is almost identical. Both have a greeting, body, closing, and sign-off. The main differences: emails may include a subject line, emails tend to be slightly more direct and concise, and the sign-off conventions differ slightly (emails use "Kind regards" more commonly than "Yours faithfully"). If the prompt says "email," follow the email conventions in this guide.

Can an email prompt be combined with persuasive writing?

Yes — and this is common. A prompt might ask you to "write an email to your principal persuading them to change the school uniform policy." This is a persuasive email: you need email format (greeting, sign-off, direct address) AND persuasive techniques (arguments, evidence, counterarguments). Treat it as both and you will score well.