YUSTICE HANDRENI YEWANG Pengarang Gracia M.N Otta, S.Pd., M.Hum Dosen Pembimbing 2 Drs. Soleman Dapa Taka, MA Dosen Pembimbing 1 Gracia M.N. Otta, S.Pd., M.Hum Penguji 2 Drs.Soleman Dapa Taka, MA Penguji 1 Drs. Alexander H. Kabelen, MA Ketua Penguji

The study aims to knowing the ability and problems causes by the second semester students of English studies program of Nusa Cendana University in their writing narrative text. This study used quantitative method and qualitative method. The total population was 140 students of the second semester of English studies program of Nusa Cendana University. The researcher selected class C which had 15 students as the sample. In this study the researcher used two instruments. The first instrument was writing test in the form of narrative text to answer the first research question; To what extent are Second Semester students of English Study Program of Nusa Cendana University in the academic year 2024/2025 able to write a narrative text. The second instrument was interview to answer the second research question What are the problems encountered by Second Semester of English Study Program of Nusa Cendana University in the academic year 2024/2025 in writing narrative text. The researcher analyzed the data by identifying, classifying, and describing the data. The finding showed that Writing ability was assessed based on five aspects: content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. The results showed that the average score of students was 76.13, which fell into the "good" category. Most students (60%) fell into this category, while 26.6% fell into the "very good" and " fair to poor" 13.3% categories. The results of the qualitative study showed that the main obstacles faced by students included difficulty in starting the writing process, limited vocabulary, inappropriate use of grammar—especially with the past tense—and lack of self-confidence due to fear of making mistakes. Based on the results of this study, several pedagogical strategies are recommended: implementing pre-writing activities such as brainstorming, reinforcing grammar instructions, providing clear narrative examples, offering constructive feedback, and creating a supportive and non-judgmental learning environment. This approach is expected to improve the technical and psychological aspects of students' narrative writing skills. Keywords: EFL learners, narrative writing, students' abilities, writing problems, writing strategies.