What is NAPLAN? A plain guide for parents.

NAPLAN, the National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy, is a standardised test sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across Australia. It was introduced in 2008 to give a national picture of how students are progressing in core literacy and numeracy skills.

What NAPLAN actually tests

NAPLAN is assessed across four domains: reading, writing and conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy. It is run by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the same body responsible for the Australian Curriculum.

The reading, conventions of language and numeracy tests are mostly multiple choice, drag and drop, or short written response. The writing test asks students to plan and produce a full piece within a set time.

When it runs

NAPLAN is sat in March each year, within a test window set by ACARA. Schools schedule the exact days within that window, and the writing test is always the first one sat.

What NAPLAN results are used for

Results give schools, teachers and parents a snapshot of how a student's literacy and numeracy skills compare to national standards at that point in time. Schools and governments also use aggregated results to help identify where teaching support is most needed. NAPLAN is one piece of information about a child's progress, not a full picture of their ability, and it does not affect school reports or grades.

How to help a child prepare

The most useful preparation is familiarity with the format and some practice under timed conditions, rather than new content. Working through practice questions in each domain, then reviewing mistakes together, helps a child feel less thrown by the test format on the day. For students who find the reading or numeracy sections particularly difficult, or who get anxious about sitting a formal test, NAPLAN preparation with a tutor can focus specifically on the domain that needs the most work.