What’s in the tests
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Since 2016, NAPLAN testing has been aligned with the Australian Curriculum: English and the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. The purpose and principles that guide the development of NAPLAN, and an overview of what NAPLAN assesses and how the tests are designed can be found in the NAPLAN Assessment Framework (PDF 662 KB).
Each state and territory determines when it will implement Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum. It is expected that full national implementation will take a number of years. In the interim, NAPLAN will test skills that are aligned with both versions 8.4 and 9.0.
The best preparation for NAPLAN is to teach the curriculum. Questions in NAPLAN reading, conventions of language and numeracy tests are based mostly on the literacy and numeracy skills students are expected to have been taught in 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.
Read more about each NAPLAN domain below.
For detailed descriptions of the typical skills and understandings demonstrated by students during NAPLAN tests, see the Proficiency level descriptions.
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Writing
The NAPLAN writing tests assess the accurate, fluent and purposeful writing of a text in Standard Australian English. Students are provided with a writing prompt – an idea or topic – and asked to write a response in a particular text type: either narrative or persuasive.
All students are asked to write the same text type regardless of whether they are a Year 3 student doing the test on paper or a student in Year 5, 7 or 9 doing the test online.
Students in Years 3 and 5 receive different prompts from students in Years 7 and 9. Different prompts are also used within year levels depending on the testing day. The prompts used at year group are of similar difficulty and designed to enable writing responses from students of all abilities.
The use of multiple prompts should have no impact on how teachers prepare their students for the NAPLAN writing test. The text type is revealed on the day of assessment. There is no choice of text type. See examples of persuasive and narrative prompts below. An example narrative task and example persuasive task are also shown in the
Public demonstration site writing test for Years 5, 7 and 9. See
NAPLAN – writing test FAQs for more information.
Assessing the writing task
Students’ writing is marked by assessors who have received intensive training in applying the marking rubric (guide), which has 10 criteria. Test administration authorities in each state and territory are responsible for the marking of the writing tests within their jurisdictions. All markers across Australia use the same marking rubric, receive the same training and are subject to the same quality assurance measures.
The writing marking guides for both persuasive and narrative writing are below, with an example prompt. See the ACARA website for a greater selection of past NAPLAN writing prompts.
Persuasive writing
The Persuasive Writing Marking Guide (PDF 5.7 MB) and an example Writing prompt (PDF 406 KB) are available for download. Note: the Persuasive writing marking guide for 2013 remains current.
Narrative writing
The Narrative Writing Marking Guide (PDF 8 MB) and an example Writing prompt (PDF 981 KB) are available for download. Note: the Narrative writing marking guide for 2010 remains current.
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Reading
In the English learning area of the Australian Curriculum, students develop language and literacy skills and then apply these skills across a full range of learning areas. The NAPLAN reading tests measure literacy proficiency across the English learning area in line with the Australian Curriculum: English.
These tests focus on the reading of written English. Knowledge and interpretation of language conventions in context are also an important part of reading and are drawn upon in many reading questions.
In the tests, students are provided with a range of texts that illustrate different writing styles. Students read the texts and answer related questions. The tests contain multiple-choice and technology-enhanced questions such as drag-and-drop and hot-text. The Public demonstration site shows the range of item types, along with accessibility features available to students with disability.
Typically, students are able to engage with more complex texts as their reading comprehension skills improve. As there is a very wide range of reading ability levels at each school year level, the texts range from short and simple to longer and more complex. The complexity of the texts that a student sees is dependent on the pathway they take through the tailored test design. For more information, see Tailored tests.
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Conventions of language
The NAPLAN conventions of language tests assess spelling, grammar and punctuation aligned with the Australian Curriculum: English. Literacy knowledge and skills are essential to effective communication across all learning areas. However, the tools of language, including the conventions of language, are explicitly developed in the English learning area.
The tests focus on the use and knowledge of written Standard Australian English. These skills are essential to the development of reading and writing. The content of the tests complements the writing tests where spelling, grammar and punctuation are explicitly assessed in context. Additionally, students’ understanding of the conventions of language is also necessary for reading.
The conventions of language tests are made up of 2 sections: a spelling section followed by a grammar and punctuation section. The first section is locked once a student moves to the second section.
The tests contain multiple-choice, text entry and technology-enhanced questions such as drag-and-drop and hot-text. The Public demonstration site has a range of item types along with accessibility features for students with disability
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Numeracy
The NAPLAN numeracy tests measure students’ application of mathematics knowledge, skills, procedures and processes as outlined in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. The tests assess understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning across the curriculum content strands: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability.
The numeracy tests contain multiple-choice, text entry and technology-enhanced questions such as drag-and-drop and hot-spot. The Public demonstration site shows the types of items that may appear in the numeracy test as well as the accessibility features regularly accessed by students.
Year 7 and Year 9 tests
Year 7 and 9 numeracy tests have 2 sections. There is a short non-calculator section, in which students are required to demonstrate arithmetical calculation skills. For the remainder of the test, an online calculator is available.
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Past NAPLAN test papers
Find past NAPLAN test papers and answers on the ACARA website.
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More information