The writing performance of 19,593 year six students was analysed in PILNA 2021. The average writing performance for these students was 506.95 (SD = 47.26).

Figure RWF6.1 shows the average writing scores for this group and for year six students in previous PILNA cycles. The average writing score in 2021 (506.95, SD = 47.26) was higher than in 2015 (471.02, SD = 89.07) but similar to the score in 2018 (507.92, SD = 87.80). The score appears not to have increased between PILNA 2018 and PILNA 2021.

The standard deviation for the average year six reading scores in 2021 (47.26) was lower than in 2015 (89.07) and 2018 (87.80). This shows that the spread of writing scores in 2021 was much narrower than in previous PILNA cycles.