Timed Writing Practice

This is the final lesson in your SET 11+ Extended Writing course, and it is the most practical. You have learned how to understand prompts, plan under pressure, write narratives, descriptions, and persuasive pieces, craft powerful openings and endings, show rather than tell, choose precise vocabulary, vary your sentences, and proofread your work. Now it is time to put it all together in a realistic, timed practice that mirrors the SET Stage 2 exam. This lesson will give you a complete strategy for the one-hour writing task and a set of practice prompts to work through.

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The SET Stage 2: What to Expect

As a reminder, here is what the Stage 2 exam involves:

Feature	Detail
Length	1 hour
Task	One extended writing task
Prompt type	Title, opening line, picture, statement, or choice
Writing type	Usually narrative or descriptive; occasionally persuasive
Assessment	Content, structure, vocabulary, sentence variety, SPaG, and handwriting
Schools	Sutton Grammar, Wilson's, Wallington County Grammar, Nonsuch, Wallington High

Stage 2 is the most important component of the SET. You have already passed the Stage 1 screening — now you need to prove that you can produce a sustained, high-quality piece of writing under timed conditions.

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Your One-Hour Battle Plan

Here is the exact strategy you should follow in the exam:

Minutes 0-3: Read and choose

• Read the prompt twice
• Underline the key words
• If there is a choice, pick the prompt that gives you the strongest ideas within 30 seconds
• Identify the form (story, description, letter, speech)

Minutes 3-10: Plan

• Use the five-box plan (Opening, Build-up, Climax, Resolution, Ending)
• Write brief notes — single words and short phrases
• Plan your ending before anything else
• Note one or two key images or descriptions you want to include
• Note the emotion or mood you want to create

Minutes 10-50: Write

• Follow your plan paragraph by paragraph
• Aim for 5-7 paragraphs
• Use the techniques you have learned:

Technique	Reminder
Powerful opening	Action, dialogue, description, question, flashback, or punchy statement
Show, don't tell	Actions, senses, dialogue, figurative language, pathetic fallacy
Vocabulary	Precise, vivid words — not just "nice," "big," "good," "said"
Sentence variety	Mix short and long sentences; vary your openers
Figurative language	At least two similes, metaphors, or examples of personification
Dialogue	Brief, purposeful, correctly punctuated
Paragraphs	Clear paragraph breaks — new topic, new time, new place, new speaker

• Do not spend more than 8-10 minutes on your opening paragraph. Keep it strong but controlled.
• Check the clock at the halfway mark (minute 30). You should be at or past your climax by now.
• When you have 12 minutes left, start wrapping up. Begin your resolution and ending.

Minutes 50-55: Write your ending

• Your ending should be planned, deliberate, and powerful
• Link it to your opening if possible (circular structure)
• End on emotion, not action
• Make your last sentence the best sentence in the whole piece

Minutes 55-60: Proofread

• Read every sentence slowly
• Check spelling, punctuation, grammar, tense consistency
• Upgrade two or three weak words
• Check for missing words
• Make neat corrections

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Practice Prompts

Below are ten practice prompts in the style of the SET Stage 2. For each one, set a timer for one hour and follow the battle plan above. Try to complete at least one timed practice per week in the run-up to the exam.

Narrative prompts