The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
It is a nationwide measure through which parents/carers, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine whether or not young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.
NAPLAN results allow parents/carers and educators to see how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time – individually, as part of their school community, and against national standards.
The tests support monitoring and evaluating of the performance of schools and school systems in these fundamental capabilities. They also provide schools, states and territories with information about how education approaches are working, areas to be prioritised for improvement, and those schools requiring support in the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy.
The results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress.
NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. Each teacher will have the best insight into their students’ educational progress. Parents/carers can use NAPLAN reports, along with other school assessment reports, to discuss their child’s strengths and areas for improvement with their teacher.
NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality.
The assessments are undertaken nationwide, every year. From 2023, the test window is moving from May to March.
NAPLAN is made up of tests in the 4 areas (or ‘domains’) of:
- reading
- writing
- conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
- numeracy.
See the NAPLAN infographic (PDF 810 KB) for useful information on NAPLAN tests and benefits.
To see the look and feel of the tests and types of questions, visit the online assessment Public demonstration site. Find past NAPLAN paper tests and answers on the ACARA website.
Key dates
| Assessment type | Year | Period |
| NAPLAN practice tests | 2023 | Schools can complete practice tests in the assessment platform from the beginning of Term 1. For more information, contact your school or your Test administration authority. The Public demonstration site provides sample tests for student familiarisation year-round. |
| NAPLANFrom 2023, NAPLAN is moving to March. See What’s changed (PDF 116 KB) or read more about NAP improvements. | 2022 | 10–20 May |
| 2023 | 15–27 MarchSee NAPLAN test window infographic (PDF 645 KB)See Test windowSee Ramadan and NAPLAN | |
| 2024 | 13–25 March | |
| 2025 | 12–24 March | |
| 2026 | 11–23 March | |
| 2027 | 10–22 March | |
| NAP sample assessmentsFrom 2023, NAP sample assessments main studies are moving from October to May. | 2023 | NAP–SL main study: 1–26 May |
| NAP–CC field trial: October – November | ||
| 2024 | NAP–CC main study: May | |
| NAP–ICTL field trial: October – November | ||
NAP sample opt-in assessmentsFrom 2024, schools will be able to opt in to additional assessments in the NAP sample domains for Years 6 and 10. | 2024 | NAP opt-in assessment in science literacy: May |
From 2023, NAPLAN results are reported against proficiency standards with 4 levels of achievement to give teachers, parents and carers clearer information on how students are performing. To find information about NAPLAN results, including a video on how to read student reports, visit Results and reports.
The following information is available as a downloadable NAPLAN information for parents and carers brochure (PDF 141 KB) and a Simple English NAPLAN information for parents and carers brochure (PDF 125 KB).
Translated PDFs are available at the bottom of this page.
Why do students do NAPLAN?
NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.
As students progress through their school years, it’s important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy.
NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards.
NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It doesn’t replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.
NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.
Your child will do the NAPLAN tests online
Schools have transitioned from paper-based to computer-based assessments. All Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper.
Online NAPLAN tests provide more precise results and are more engaging for students. One of the main benefits is tailored (or adaptive) testing, where the test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses.
Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway.
What does NAPLAN assess?
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum.
Students sit assessments in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The questions assess content linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics.
All government and non-government education authorities contribute to the development of NAPLAN test materials.
Participation in NAPLAN
NAPLAN is for everyone. ACARA supports inclusive testing so all students have the opportunity to participate in the National Assessment Program.
Adjustments are available for students with disability who have diverse functional abilities and needs.
Schools should work with parents/carers and students to identify, on a case-by-case basis, reasonable adjustments required for individual students with disability to access NAPLAN. Adjustments should reflect the support normally provided for classroom assessments.
To help inform these decisions, you may consult the NAPLAN public demonstration site, the Guide for schools to assist students with disability to access NAPLAN (PDF 167 KB), or our series of videos at Accessibility, where parents/carers, teachers and students share their experiences in using NAPLAN adjustments.
In exceptional circumstances, a student with a disability that severely limits their capacity to participate in the assessment, or a student who has recently arrived in Australia and has a non-English speaking background, may be granted a formal exemption.
Your school principal and your local test administration authority can give you more information on adjustments for students with disability or the process required to gain a formal exemption.
What if my child is absent from school on NAPLAN days?
Where possible, schools may arrange for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed tests at another time during the school’s test schedule.
What if my school is closed on NAPLAN days?
Schools with compelling reasons may be given permission to schedule tests after the 9-day test window.
What can I do to support my child?
Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Some familiarisation and explanation of NAPLAN is useful to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the tests. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance.
ACARA does not recommend excessive preparation for NAPLAN or the use of services by coaching providers.
See the types of questions and tools available in the online NAPLAN assessments at the public demonstration site.
NAPLAN timetable
The NAPLAN test window is 9 days. This is to accommodate schools that may have fewer devices. Schools are advised to schedule the tests as soon as possible within the testing window, prioritising the first week.
See Key dates or NAPLAN test window for more information.
How is my child’s performance reported?
Individual student performance is shown on a national achievement scale for each assessment. This scale indicates whether the student is meeting expectations for the literacy and numeracy skills needed to participate fully in that year level. A NAPLAN individual student report will be provided by your child’s school later in the year. If you do not receive a report, you should contact your child’s school.
How are NAPLAN results used?
- Students and parents/carers may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.
- Teachers use results to help identify students who need greater challenges or extra support.
- Schools use results to identify strengths and areas of need to improve teaching programs, and to set goals in literacy and numeracy.
- School systems use results to review the effectiveness of programs and support offered to schools.
- The community can see information about the performance of schools over time at My School.
NAPLAN aligned with the Australian Curriculum
Since 2016, NAPLAN testing has been aligned to the Australian Curriculum: English and the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. The purpose and principles that guide the development of NAPLAN, an overview of what NAPLAN assesses and how the tests are designed can be found in the NAPLAN Assessment Framework (PDF 708 KB).
Each state and territory determines when it will implement Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum. It is expected the full national implementation will take a number of years. In the interim, NAPLAN will test skills that are aligned in versions 8.4 and 9.0.
The best preparation for NAPLAN is to teach the curriculum.
Across the conventions of language, numeracy and reading tests
Items in the tests are based primarily on knowledge, understanding and skills gained from previous years of schooling. A few questions assess additional content from the year of testing and the following year. These questions have been designed so that they can be answered using strategies students have learnt in previous years. This is to ensure the range of items in the tests allow all students to demonstrate their capability.
Schools receive student results linked to item descriptors that describe the skills and knowledge tested in NAPLAN. These descriptors are directly linked to content descriptions in the Australian Curriculum: English and the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics.
Conventions of language tests
In the NAPLAN conventions of language tests, the way information is presented to students reflects how it is presented in the Australian Curriculum. This means slightly more metalanguage is included in questions than before the alignment to the Australian Curriculum.
For example, in the past, when the NAPLAN test for Years 3 and 5 used words such as ‘noun’, ‘verb’ and ‘adjective’, there was an explanation of the word in brackets; that is, ‘noun’ was followed by ‘naming word’. Now, the words ‘noun’, ‘verb’ and ‘adjective’ appear in the NAPLAN test with no explaining words.
Numeracy tests
In the NAPLAN numeracy tests, the proportion of questions from each strand matches the proportion of the strand content in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. There are slightly fewer ‘space questions’ (for example, features of 2D shapes and 3D objects) and more number, statistics and probability questions than in tests prior to 2016. The space items are now known as ‘geometry items’.
From 2017, the number of numeracy items changed to be consistent with the expectations of the Australian Curriculum and other NAPLAN domains. The number of items in the Year 3 test increased from 35 to 36 questions. The number of items in the Year 5 test increased from 40 to 42 questions.
For Year 7 and Year 9, the number of items in the numeracy test reduced from 64 questions to 48 questions. ACARA studies indicate this change does not unduly affect the reliability and validity of the numeracy test. Year 7 and Year 9 students sit one numeracy test with 2 parts: a calculator-allowed section and a non-calculator section. While the non-calculator section of the test is shorter, the number of questions across the entire test that require mental calculation remains the same.
Reading tests
The NAPLAN reading tests focus on the reading content of the Australian Curriculum: English, with the range of text complexity similar to pre-2016 NAPLAN texts.
Writing tests
There are no substantive changes to the NAPLAN writing tests or the marking guides. As in past years, students are be asked to write a narrative or persuasive response to a writing prompt.
There are multiple writing prompts for all year levels; the text type or genre of the writing test will not be disclosed prior to the test. Students’ responses are marked using the relevant NAPLAN narrative or persuasive marking guides.