NAPLAN information for parents and carers

The purpose of NAPLAN is to assess the literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school.

NAPLAN is about assessing learning progress and is not about passing or failing.

Encouraging your child to do the best they can on the day is the best approach for preparing your child.

Excessive preparation or the use of NAPLAN coaching is not necessary or recommended.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s school as a first step.

Format of the tests

For all eligible year levels (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9), there are 4 test domains: writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy. Below is a summary of the format for each test.

Writing

Students are given a stimulus and asked to construct a response to the task. Their response will be based on a particular text type (narrative or persuasive). Students in Years 3 and 5 will receive different writing stimuli to students in Years 7 and 9, both of the same genre. All Year 3 students sit the writing test on paper.

Reading

Students are given a range of texts to read. They respond to the test items using a range of response types such as multiple choice, hotspot and drag and drop items.

Conventions of language

Students respond to spelling as well as grammar and punctuation items. The response formats are multiple choice, short response and other interactive response types such as hotspot and drag and drop items.

Numeracy

Students respond to numeracy items. The response formats are multiple choice, short response and other interactive response types such as hotspot and drag and drop items.

Students also have access to online numeracy tools (ruler, protractor or calculator), depending on their year level. For Years 7 and 9, the numeracy test includes a non-calculator section and a calculator-allowed section.

Participation

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to sit the NAPLAN tests unless they are withdrawn by their parents/carers or exempt.

Withdrawals

Parents can withdraw their child from the tests by notifying the school in writing before testing. Withdrawal is intended as an option to acknowledge religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing.

Exemptions

Students may be exempt from one or more of the tests if they meet one of the following criteria:

• students with a significant intellectual disability and/or significant co-existing conditions that severely limit their capacity to participate in the test
• students with a language background other than English, who arrived from overseas and have been attending school in Australia for less than a year.

Exemptions for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities are determined through consultation between the principal, student, and parents/carers.

Adjustments for students with disability

Information about available adjustments for students with disabilities can be found on the NAPLAN AARA page.

Further information

Visit ACARA’s For parents and carers webpage for further information, including how student results are reported.