Information for parents and carers

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is delivered to students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in an online environment, except for a very small number who attend schools delivering an Authority-approved alternative curriculum, who will sit paper-based tests.

Information for parents and carers of students at schools sitting the test in either mode is below.

All students who participate in NAPLAN receive an individual report of their results. The NAPLAN information for parents and carers brochure provides information on how to interpret your child’s results and will be distributed with the hard copy report.

A digital copy of the NAPLAN information for parents and carers brochure is also available at www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers. Translations of the brochure are available in 19 languages on the same page. Contact your child’s school for further advice.

All students who are in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN.

Disability adjustments are available for students in line with the support that is normally offered to them by their school. Should you have any concerns about your child’s participation, please contact their school.

Students in the following categories may be considered for formal exemption from the testing program:

  • Students with a language background other than English, who arrived from overseas and have been attending school in Australia for less than a year before the test, should be given the opportunity to participate in testing, but may be exempted.
  • Students with significant intellectual disability and/or those with significant co-existing conditions that severely limit their capacity to participate in the tests may be exempted from taking NAPLAN. This is decided after the principal, student and parent/carer have consulted with each other and agreed that the student is not able to access the tests even with adjustments.

Students may be withdrawn from the testing program by their parent/carer in cases such as religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing. This is a matter for consideration by individual parents/carers in consultation with their child’s school.

NAPLAN individual student reports are prepared for every student, including those who were absent, withdrawn or exempt from testing. Reports are sent to schools, who distribute them to parents and carers. If you don't receive a report, contact your child's school immediately.

Since 2023, NAPLAN results have been reported using proficiency standards. There are four proficiency levels for each assessment area of numeracy, reading, writing, spelling and grammar and punctuation:

  • Exceeding
  • Strong
  • Developing
  • Needs additional support.

Your child's report shows their result against the proficiency standards, the national average, the range of achievement for the middle 60% of Australian students, and the skills assessed at their year level.

For more information about student reports and proficiency standards, please refer to the Reading a NAPLAN individual student report section at nap.edu.au/naplan/results-and-reports or contact your child's school.