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.

Translations of the NAPLAN information brochures are available for parents and carers in 19 languages.

The translated brochures are available from the ACARA NAPLAN website https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers.

If brochures in languages other than those available on the ACARA website are required, an interpreter can be arranged through the school to assist with understanding the NAPLAN process.

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Students may be withdrawn from the testing program by their parent/carer in cases such as religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing.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NAPLAN individual student reports are prepared for all students, including students who were absent, withdrawn or exempted. NAPLAN reports are sent to schools, who forward them to parents/carers. If you do not receive a report, please contact your child's school immediately.

In 2023, NAPLAN test results began to be reported using proficiency standards. The proficiency standards replaced the previous numerical bands.

There is a proficiency standard for each of the five assessed areas of Numeracy, Reading, Writing, Spelling, and Grammar and punctuation. Each of the NAPLAN proficiency standards includes four proficiency levels: Needs additional support, Developing, Strong, and Exceeding.

The individual student reports show student performance in each of the five assessed areas in relation to:

  • the proficiency standards
  • the national mean
  • the range of performance of the middle 60% of Australian students
  • the skills assessed at each year level.

For more information about student reports and proficiency standards, go to www.nap.edu.au/naplan/results-and-reports.

For more information about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s school.