The NEA original writing (H474/04 Task 2): an original non-fiction piece of 1000 to 1200 words preceded by a short introduction, assessed with AO5 dominant (creative, crafted, purposeful writing) alongside AO2, with the introduction outlining the key choices.

What this dot point is asking

The second NEA task is original non-fiction writing: a piece of 1000 to 1200 words, preceded by a short introduction outlining the key choices, assessed with AO5 dominant (expertise and creativity in producing your own text) alongside AO2. Unlike the recreative task, which transforms a set text, this is your own original piece for a defined audience and purpose. This dot point covers what AO5 rewards, how to craft purposeful non-fiction, and the role of the introduction.

The answer

Task 2 is a test of your own writing craft in the non-fiction mode, and AO5 dominance means the piece must be genuinely well written for a clear purpose, not merely competent. Three things deliver the marks: a defined audience and purpose, crafted writing for AO5, and a focused introduction.

Define your audience and purpose sharply

Non-fiction writing is purposeful, addressed to someone for a reason, and the sharper your sense of audience and purpose, the stronger the piece. Decide the form (a piece of journalism, a speech, a memoir extract, a travel piece, a review), the audience (who, with what expectations and knowledge), and the purpose (to inform, persuade, reflect, entertain, often a combination). Every choice then has a criterion: this register because the audience is this, this structure because the purpose is that. A vague address to "a general reader" with no clear purpose produces generic writing; a sharply defined brief produces focused, judgeable craft.

Craft the writing for AO5

AO5 rewards expertise and creativity, so the non-fiction must show command of craft. This means a distinctive voice suited to the form and purpose, a form handled with command (the conventions of the chosen genre used deliberately), a deliberate structure that guides the reader, and stylistic choices (imagery, sentence variety, pacing, rhetorical effects) that serve the purpose and hold attention. Write as a non-fiction writer making decisions: take stylistic risks that fit the brief, and craft the piece so its quality, not just its correctness, is evident. Ambition and control together are what AO5 rewards.

Write a focused introduction

The piece is preceded by a short introduction (around 150 words) that outlines your key choices. This is not a full commentary but a concise statement of intent: the form, the audience, the purpose, and the main craft decisions you have made to serve them. It lets the marker read the piece knowing what you set out to do, so your choices are read as deliberate. Keep it focused and specific, the form and audience, the purpose, the key stylistic and structural decisions, rather than a vague preamble. A sharp introduction frames the piece and shows the thought behind it.

Examples in context

The NEA is self-directed within OCR's rules, so the moves below are illustrative.

A sharply briefed piece. "Choosing the form of a personal-reflective travel piece for a broadsheet weekend supplement, addressed to educated general readers, with the purpose to evoke a place and reflect on belonging, gives every choice a criterion: a literary but accessible register, a structure that moves from arrival to reflection, and imagery that evokes without overloading. The defined brief makes the piece focused and the craft judgeable." A brief that drives craft.

A focused introduction. "The introduction states in around 150 words that the piece is a campaigning opinion column for a youth-readership website, with the purpose to persuade through a blend of personal anecdote and argument, and names the key choices, a direct second-person address, a structure building from story to call to action, and a colloquial but controlled register. The marker reads the column knowing exactly what it set out to do." A concise statement of intent.

Try this

Q1. What is NEA Task 2, and how is it assessed? [2 marks]

• Cue. An original non-fiction piece (1000 to 1200 words) with a short introduction, assessed with AO5 dominant (crafted, purposeful writing) and AO2.

Q2. Why must the audience and purpose be defined sharply? [2 marks]

• Cue. Non-fiction is purposeful; a sharp brief gives every craft choice a criterion, where a vague address produces generic writing that scores modestly.

Q3. Produce an original non-fiction piece for a defined audience and purpose, with a short introduction outlining your key choices. [marked out of 40 for the NEA]

• What the marker wants. Crafted, ambitious, purposeful non-fiction (AO5) in a deliberately handled form for a clear audience and purpose, with choices that shape meaning (AO2) and a focused introduction.

A note on the NEA

This guide is AI-written and not individually human-reviewed. The NEA rules (word counts, the introduction, the requirements) are set by OCR and may be revised; confirm them against the current OCR H474 NEA guidance, and note the NEA's 40-mark total. The craft of purposeful, audience-defined original non-fiction transfers across whatever brief you set.