Writing World Cup

Introduction

The Writing World Cup competition, organised by ELPC, began as a national contest in 2018. It has now grown into a global initiative, open to students in grades 2 to 11 from public, private, and international schools across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The competition offers students the chance to develop their essay writing skills, gain a sense of accomplishment, and be motivated to improve further. Constructive feedback and recognition from examiners encourage continued growth and enthusiasm for writing.

The topics are engaging, age-appropriate, and designed to inspire creativity and character development.

Competition Dates and Venues

Registration for the National Round of the competition opens on 20 August 2025 at 10:00 AM local GMT. The closing date for registration will be determined by the national coordinators of each participating country, based on their respective school academic calendars.

However, the registration deadline must be set at least two weeks prior to the exam date.
The national round will be scheduled on different dates in certain participating countries, depending on their school academic calendars. However, all national rounds must be completed within the specified period: 20 Sept – 10 Oct.

The competition will be run in two rounds: national round and final round.

Round	Date	Country	Tasks	Results
National	From the 20th of September to the 10th of October, 2025. – Paper-based to the ELPC team. – Online exam will be available only under strict supervision.	Respective Country	Task 1: Writing Task 2: Grammar & Vocabulary	Within 3 weeks after the exam papers are submitted to the ELPC Team
Final	13 – 14 December Paper-based only	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	As Above	The day after the exam

Eligibility Criteria

Only students in Grades 2 to 11 who study in public, private, or international schools and learn English as a foreign or second language are eligible to participate in this competition.

An exception applies to students in Grade 1 and Grade 12:
– Grade 1 students may participate at the same level as Grade 2.
– Grade 12 students may participate at the same level as Grade 11.

Native English speakers – defined as individuals who have acquired English as their first language from early childhood – are not eligible to participate.

National Round Guidelines

The national round of the WWC competition will be conducted at various venues, as determined by each country’s national coordinator. Country coordinators are responsible for deciding both the mode of the exam (paper-based or digital) and the venue.

If the exam is to be conducted in a paper-based format, the national coordinator will select appropriate venues within their country to host the competition.

Final Round Selection and Participation

The top 15% of participants from each participating country will be invited to the Final Round. This percentage may vary slightly depending on the total number of participants or in cases of tied scores. Finalists will be selected based on their national round results.

Please note that registration for the Final Round is free of charge. However, participants are required to cover the cost of the examination kits.

Further details regarding the Final Round, including venue, schedule, and ticketing, will be announced closer to the event date.

WWC Competition Format and Online Exam Option

WWC is an authentic writing competition designed to help the younger generation improve their English writing skills. Therefore, it is important that participants attend the competition in person under strict supervision during the exam.

However, considering special circumstances, organizers will provide an option for some participants to take the exam online via Zoom.

How will the online exam be conducted?
Participants will complete their writing task on paper while being observed by invigilators through Zoom. A responsible person (such as a parent or guardian) must scan and send the completed exam paper as a single PDF file to the organizers immediately after the participant finishes.

Participants are not allowed to leave the camera view until the organizers confirm receipt of the exam paper.

Registration

Registration for this competition is free of charge. However, participants are required to cover the cost of the examination kits. Participants can register individually or as part of a group through their country’s national coordinator. Please ensure that all candidate details are entered accurately using Latin letters only. Candidates are requested to contact their respective national coordinators for further information regarding registration.

Competition Categories / Tasks and Total Time Allowed

The WWC competition has two categories: Young Learners (YL) and Teenagers (TA). Each category consists of five levels:
– YL Category: YL1, YL2, YL3, YL4, YL5
– TA Category: TA1, TA2, TA3, TA4, TA5

YL Category	School Level	TA Category	School Level
YL1	Grade 1 – 2	TA1	Grade 7
YL2	Grade 3	TA2	Grade 8
YL3	Grade 4	TA3	Grade 9
YL4	Grade 5	TA4	Grade 10
YL5	Grade 6	TA5	Grade 11 – 12

The exam questions in this competition are designed in accordance with current international standards, taking into account the participants’ level. This approach ensures that the assessment is fair, relevant, and effectively measures their understanding.

– YL Category: Participants in the YL1 and YL2 levels will be given a writing task consisting of five subtasks. Subtasks 1, 2, and 3 each contain six questions and focus on “Wh- questions” (also known as information questions) based on a specific topic. Subtasks 4 and 5 each contain five questions and assess participants’ grammar and vocabulary skills.

– YL Category: Participants in the YL3, YL4 and YL5 levels will be given a writing task consisting of five subtasks. Subtasks 1 and 2 each contain six questions that focus on “Wh- questions” (also known as information questions) based on a specific topic. Subtask 3 is a free writing task, which may include descriptive writing, where participants are required to describe a given picture. Subtasks 4 and 5 each contain five questions and assess participants’ grammar and vocabulary skills.

– TA Category: Participants in all levels of the TA (Teenagers) Category will be given a writing task consisting of three main components: Task 1 is a free essay writing task based on a specific topic. Tasks 4 and 5 each contain five questions and assess the participant’s grammar and vocabulary skills.

Total Time Allowed: Participants will have a maximum of 90 (ninety) minutes to complete all tasks, excluding briefing and instruction time.

Word Limit and Paper Usage

There will be a required word count for the essay task. Participants must neither exceed nor fall short of the specified word limit. The minimum word count for the writing task will be indicated on the exam paper. Participants are advised to write carefully and stay focused on the content.

Using unnecessary or repetitive words, sentences, or ideas may result in the need for additional paper. Therefore, participants are kindly asked to use the provided exam papers responsibly and make the best use of the space available.

Writing Instruments

Participants must use only a blue pen or an HB black pencil for the writing task.

Using a pencil is beneficial because it allows participants to erase mistakes and make corrections. However, if participants choose to write with a pen, they will not be allowed to correct or update their work once it is written.

Corrections made with a pen will result in loss of points, as examiners will not consider any crossed-out or altered answers as valid.

Writing Assessment Criteria

The writing task will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

– Coherence and Cohesion
– Lexical Resource
– Grammatical Range and Accuracy

These criteria are used to assess how effectively each participant fulfills the requirements of the writing task, including the clarity of ideas, use of vocabulary, and command of grammar.

The additional grammar and vocabulary tasks will be assessed based on correctness—each response will be marked as correct or incorrect.

YL 1, 2	Points	YL 3, 4, 5	Points
Subtask 1	Each fully correct answer is awarded 5 (five) points, making a total of 30 points. If a student has a deficiency in one of the assessment criteria, the points will be reduced accordingly.	Subtask 1	Assessment of this task will follow the Writing Assessment Criteria are outlined in Rule 9. The maximum achievable score for this task is 30 points.
Subtask 2	As outlined above	Subtask 2	As outlined above
Subtask 3	As outlined above	Subtask 3	Assessment of this task will follow the Writing Assessment Criteria outlined in Rule 9. The maximum achievable score for this task is 30 points.
Grammar	Each correct answer is awarded 1 (one) point, making a total of 5 points.	Grammar	As outlined in YL 1 and 2.
Vocabulary	Each correct answer is awarded 1 (one) point, making a total of 5 points.	Vocabulary	As outlined in YL 1 and 2.

TA all levels	TA all levels
Task 1	A free essay writing task. Assessment of this task will follow the Writing Assessment Criteria outlined above. The maximum achievable score for this task is 90 (ninety) points.
Grammar	Each correct answer is awarded 1 (one) point, making a total of 5 points.
Vocabulary	Each correct answer is awarded 1 (one) point, making a total of 5 points.

National Round Results

Results of participants who achieve the highest scores in each category at the national round will be highlighted as follows:

– Gold Medalist
– Silver Medalist
– Bronze Medalist
– Qualifier

Certificates:

– Certificate of Participation: Participants may request a Certificate of Participation after completing their exam at the national round.
– Certificate of Achievement and Medal: Participants will receive a link to order hard copy certificates and medals if they wish.
– Feedback Certificate: In addition to the Certificate of Achievement, participants may also request a Feedback Certificate. This serves as an appendix to the Certificate of Achievement and highlights the participant’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Final Round Results

All participants will receive a certificate of participation and memorable gifts in the final round.

The Finalists who achieve the highest scores in each category will be awarded as follows:

– World Champion
– Gold Award Winner
– Silver Award Winner
– Bronze Award Winner

The WWC World Champions Trophy will be awarded to the students who hit the highest record.

The remaining participants who do not win the top awards will also be recognized with medals and certificates. Additional folders containing memorable gifts and Certificates of Appreciation will be presented to all teachers and coordinators upon their arrival at the exam venue.

In case of any further details regarding the Final Round, they will be announced closer to the event date. Additional information or amendments to these regulations may also be provided as an appendix.

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