Planning Under Pressure

In the SET Stage 2 exam, you have one hour to produce a sustained piece of extended writing. That might sound like a long time, but when the clock starts ticking and you are sitting in a quiet hall with a blank page in front of you, an hour can vanish surprisingly fast. The students who score highest at Sutton Grammar, Wilson's, Wallington County Grammar, Nonsuch, and Wallington High are not necessarily the most talented writers — they are the ones who plan before they write.

---

Why Plan Under Pressure?

Many students feel that planning is wasted time. They want to start writing immediately so they can fill as many pages as possible. But this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in the SET Stage 2 exam.

Without a plan	With a plan
You run out of ideas after the first paragraph	You know exactly what comes next
Your story wanders and loses focus	Every paragraph has a clear purpose
Your ending is rushed or missing	Your ending is planned and powerful
You waste time staring at the page mid-story	Your writing flows because the structure is mapped out
You panic when time is running low	You feel confident because you know where the story is going

A plan turns one hour of anxiety into one hour of focused, purposeful writing.

---

The SET Stage 2 Time Budget

Here is a recommended way to split your one hour:

Phase	Time	What to do
Read the prompt	2-3 minutes	Read twice, underline key words, choose your prompt if there is a choice
Plan	5-7 minutes	Map out your structure using one of the methods below
Write	40-45 minutes	Write your piece, following your plan
Check and edit	5-7 minutes	Proofread for errors, improve word choices, check your ending

Notice that planning and checking together take about 10-14 minutes. That leaves you 40-45 minutes of solid writing time — more than enough to produce a strong, well-structured piece.

---

Three Quick Planning Methods

Method 1: The Five-Box Plan

Draw five boxes down the side of your planning space. Label them:

Box	Purpose	Example notes
Opening	Hook the reader, set the scene	Foggy morning, empty station platform, girl waiting alone
Build-up	Introduce the problem or tension	A stranger appears, offers her an envelope, says "Don't open it until midnight"
Climax	The most dramatic or exciting moment	She opens it early — inside is a photograph of herself as a baby, with a woman she does not recognise
Resolution	The problem begins to be solved	She confronts her mother, who finally tells the truth
Ending	A satisfying, memorable conclusion	She stands at the station again, same fog, but everything has changed

Method 2: The Mind Map

Write the prompt in the centre of your page. Branch out with ideas for characters, settings, events, and feelings. Circle your best ideas and number them in the order they will appear.

Method 3: The Timeline

Draw a horizontal line. Mark five or six key events along it from left to right. This works especially well for journey or adventure stories.

---

What Makes a Good Plan for the SET?

A good SET plan is brief but complete. You should be able to see your entire story at a glance. Here are the rules: