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ICAS Writing 2026 Dates, Format and Preparation Guide
ICAS Writing asks students to respond to a single prompt with an extended, original piece of writing. It rewards clear planning, structure and language control — exactly the skills that also drive selective, scholarship and school writing results.
What is this exam?
ICAS Writing
ICAS Writing is a standalone assessment in the ICAS suite. Students are given one prompt and write an extended response, which is marked against criteria such as ideas, structure, vocabulary, sentence control and accuracy.
Because it is a single timed piece, it tests something school work often does not: the ability to plan quickly, commit to a structure, and write clearly under pressure. That makes it strong preparation for selective and scholarship writing as well.
Sitting window
31 July to 7 August 2026 (school selects the date)
Delivery
Online, sat at school under supervision.
Task
One prompt, one extended written response.
Year levels
Years 3 to 12, with a prompt for each level.
Assessment
Marked on ideas, structure, language and accuracy, with a detailed report.
When is ICAS Writing in 2026?
Term 2-3
School registration opens
ICAS is registered through your child's school. Confirm your school's internal deadline early.
31 Jul-7 Aug
ICAS Writing sitting window
Schools choose a sitting day within this window — the earliest of the ICAS subjects.
Term 4
Results and writing report
Students receive a detailed assessment report and certificate.
Content map
What ICAS Writing assesses
Ideas and content
Relevance to promptOriginal ideasDevelopmentDetail
Structure
PlanningClear beginning and endParagraphingCohesion
Language
VocabularySentence varietyToneWord choice
Accuracy
SpellingPunctuationGrammarEditing
Ace Achievers preparation pathway
Where to go next
Students who write well under time usually thrive in competition subjects too.
Foundation
AMC Y7-8 Foundation
Lessons
10 lessons + mock
Learning time
15–25 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y7–8
Best for
- Sitting AMC for the first time
- Aiming to lift Credit into Distinction
By the end: Confident across Questions 15–25 — the band that decides Credit vs Distinction.
A$149 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →Foundation
JSO Foundation
Lessons
30 lessons
Learning time
35–45 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y7–8
Best for
- New to science olympiad
- Strong ICAS or Big Science result
By the end: Solid across biology, chemistry, physics and earth science fundamentals.
A$299 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →Acceleration
Y7-8 Chemistry Acceleration
Lessons
20 lessons
Learning time
25–35 hrs
Difficulty
Year group
Y7–8
Best for
- Talented students ready to work above year level
- Building toward science competitions
By the end: Covers 100% of NSW Stage 4 chemistry — matter, atoms, reactions.
A$269 one-time
Try 3 lessons freeFull curriculum & details →How should students prepare for ICAS Writing?
Preparation runs in three stages: master fast planning, then build language range, then timed writing with marked feedback.
Master fast planning
The biggest gain is a quick, reliable plan. Train a simple structure the child can produce in under two minutes.
Build language range
Grow vocabulary and sentence variety so writing reads as deliberate, not flat.
Timed writing with marked feedback
Write to a prompt under time, then mark it against the same criteria the assessment uses.
Who should enter?
ICAS Writing suits students who want a structured, externally marked benchmark of their writing. The detailed report is useful feedback in its own right, even for strong writers.
It is especially valuable for families on a selective, scholarship or OC pathway, where a timed writing task carries real weight and is hard to practise without honest feedback.
What mistakes cost students marks in ICAS Writing?
The most common mistake is writing more without a plan. Length is not the goal — a planned, well-structured piece beats a long, rambling one almost every time.
A second mistake is practising without marking. Writing improves fastest when each piece is assessed against clear criteria and the child knows the one or two things to fix next time.
Internal resources
- Ace Achievers Writing Course for planning, structure and language under time.
- Scholarship & Selective Writing for exam-style prompts and marked feedback.
- ICAS English Guide for the companion comprehension assessment.
- Selective High School Test Guide where timed writing is one of four sections.
Questions parents ask
FAQ
When is ICAS Writing in 2026?
The Australian sitting window is 31 July to 7 August 2026. Your school selects a date within that window.
What does ICAS Writing test?
One extended written response to a prompt, marked on ideas, structure, vocabulary, sentence control and accuracy.
What year levels can sit it?
Years 3 to 12, with a prompt matched to each year level.
Is ICAS Writing the same as ICAS English?
No. English is multiple-choice comprehension and language; Writing is a separate extended-response task.
How do we register?
ICAS is registered through your child's school. Confirm the school's internal deadline early in the year.