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NAPLAN

NAPLAN information for parents and carers

What is NAPLAN?

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests the literacy and numeracy skills your child learns at school. The test measures learning progress and is not about passing or failing.

The best way to prepare your child is to encourage them to do their best on the day. Excessive preparation or coaching is not necessary or recommended.

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

Who sits NAPLAN?

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to sit NAPLAN tests unless they are withdrawn or exempt.

Test format

There are 4 test areas (or domains): writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy. Below is a summary of the format for each test.

Writing

Students receive a stimulus and write a response. The stimulus states whether the response should be narrative or persuasive writing.

Students in Years 3 and 5 receive different writing stimuli to students in Years 7 and 9. All Year 3 students sit the writing test on paper.

Reading

Students read a range of texts and respond to test items. Response types include multiple choice, hotspot and drag and drop items.

Conventions of language

Students respond to spelling, grammar and punctuation questions. Response types include multiple choice, short response, hotspot and drag and drop items.

Numeracy

Students respond to numeracy questions. Response types include using multiple choice, short response, hotspot and drag and drop items.

Students can access 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.

Withdrawals

You can withdraw your child from the tests by notifying your child’s school in writing before testing. Withdrawal is for religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing.

Exemptions

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

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

The principal, student and parent or carer determines exemptions for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities through consultation.

Adjustments for students with disability

If your child has a disability, they may be eligible for adjustments. See the NAPLAN access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA) page for more information.

More information

Last updated:
3 September 2026

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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