NAPLAN Year 3 explained: format, scoring, and practical tips to help your child feel confident and prepared.
Author
Robyn Oliver
Published
September 2025
Key Takeaways
Table of contents
NAPLAN, which stands for National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy, is a series of assessments that students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 in both public and private schools across Australia participate in. The Literacy and Numeracy assessments are created to measure the learning of the Australian National Curriculum, which means everything in the assessments will be things your child is already learning in school!
All children in Australia have the opportunity to participate in NAPLAN Year 3 assessments, including those from families who choose to homeschool or enroll in distance learning. While it is highly recommended that children participate, the assessments are not mandatory, and a child can be withdrawn from the assessments. If you’re feeling worried or concerned, speak to your child’s teacher. Teachers often deal with parent and family anxiety regarding assessments. They can help you understand what to expect, provide strategies to ease your worries, and help put plans into place to offer your child the best possible opportunity to excel in their learning.
Be assured that NAPLAN provides valuable information and insights to schools and families; the assessments are not a pass or fail exam, and they do not define their abilities. What NAPLAN does do is highlight the areas where children need additional support, which is beneficial for both individual students and whole cohorts.
The NAPLAN maths Year 3 Data is used in three main ways:
Once the NAPLAN data is released, school leaders, such as principals and curriculum coordinators, assess the overall NAPLAN data to identify the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They can then use this information to plan and implement curriculum changes, determine additional staff training, and allocate necessary resources.
Government bodies can use the data to track trends across the country, which can be used to inform curriculum reviews, set national priorities, and evaluate the effectiveness of current education programs and policies.
The results provide a personalised insight into your child’s numeracy and literacy skills. They can act as an individual progress check to identify your child’s strengths and areas where they may need additional support. Identifying strengths will provide opportunities for extension, which reduces a child’s sense of boredom and a sense of being unchallenged! Identifying any weaknesses can be crucial in ensuring your child is offered the correct level of support to succeed in future schooling.
Results are usually sent to schools in term 3, with each school being responsible for releasing its own NAPLAN reports to families. As each school releases its results, the dates you receive your child’s report could vary from school to school, but generally speaking, results are available by term three of the school year.
How will these tests be delivered? Testing has changed since our days of schooling, and now most tests are delivered online, primarily through the use of computer tablets. Three out of the four Year 3 NAPLAN tests will be online. The Year 3 writing test remains a paper-based assessment.
The reading, conventions of language, and numeracy tests are usually multiple-choice or drag-and-drop style questions. These questions can change depending on the students’ responses when answering the initial set of questions; this method is what NAPLAN calls tailored testing. All students will start with the same questions, “testlet A”; their answers to testlet A will determine which testlet is next delivered. This method of testing encourages higher levels of student engagement and less discouragement for students who may be feeling anxious about sitting the assessments.
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As each NAPLAN assessment measures a different skill, the amount of time given to complete a Year 3 test is dependent on the subject. Here is a breakdown of the standardised times for each assessment:
Students are expected to complete the task in the time given; this is to ensure a standardised assessment across all students in Australia. It is important to note that for students who need additional support, additional time and resources can be requested by a parent or caregiver. Adjustments are on a case-by-case basis and can be discussed with your child’s school and teacher.
If you’re worried about your child’s level of concentration during the NAPLAN tests, be assured that all students must be given a minimum break of 20 minutes if they are required to sit more than one test on the same day.
As the writing test is a written paper-based assessment, the tailored testing method does not apply; instead, students are given a writing stimulus and required to write a response. This writing stimulus requires a narrative or a persuasive writing response to a writing prompt. The National Assessment Program does not disclose whether the test will focus on narrative writing or persuasive writing before testing takes place, so it’s important to have knowledge of both.
A narrative writing response would require a student to create an engaging story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The assessor would expect the story to include relevant characters and the student to have the ability to set a scene, for example, “The sun beamed down and the sand was hot to touch, I could hear the waves crashing in the distance, as i turned around I saw a large rock, on top of the rock sat a mermaid, her long hair glistening in the sun”.
A persuasive writing response requires a student to create a piece of writing in response to a question that would make the reader agree with their point of view, for example, “Should Year 3 students be allowed a day trip to the zoo to celebrate the end of their NAPLAN tests?”
The NAPLAN reading test is an online test, with students typically completing it on an iPad or other device. As the reading test is online, the tailored testing format applies.
During the reading test, students will work their way through a range of texts that they will be required to read. These texts could include stories, informative articles, instructions, or posters, etc. After reading the test, the student will be required to read and answer the questions; there will usually be multiple questions per text. The questions will be a mix of multiple-choice, true or false, and drag-and-drop style questions. During the reading test, students will be assessed on their ability to find information within the text, understand the text’s concept, and interpret the meaning of words in context.
Common errors that are made during the language conventions test include:
The Maths assessment is the final test completed online. The assessment covers three main areas based on the strands from the National Curriculum: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability. Each strand is further broken down into substrands.
The questions during the assessment will be a mix of multiple-choice, word problems, and drag-and-drop style questions. Calculators are not to be used during the Year 3 NAPLAN assessment; all questions have been designed to be solved using mental mathematics or by writing formulas. If this concerns you, remember that for the online assessments, the tailored testing format applies, meaning the questions will change to suit the student’s ability.
NAPLAN assesses four main areas: reading, writing, language conventions, and numeracy; the criteria for assessing the focus areas change depending on the year level, but the proficiency standards remain the same. There are four proficiency standards that all year groups and all subjects are marked against.
As NAPLAN assesses using proficiency standards rather than a number score, there isn’t a “proficient” score; however, the goal for most students is to meet the “strong” proficiency standard. Families will receive an individual report containing their child’s results, which will be based on the proficiency standards, alongside a comparison of where they sit compared to the national average.
To prepare your child for NAPLAN, ACARA, which stands for the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority, does not recommend intensive studying in the lead up to NAPLAN and recommends focusing on a healthy routine, which supports children to digest and practice using the information they are learning. The best way to prepare for NAPLAN is by encouraging your child’s familiarity with official practice tests and maths apps such as Doodle Maths. You can build your child’s confidence and consolidate learning more effectively, rather than trying to intensively study in the week before the assessment itself. Remember, your child is working hard towards the NAPLAN assessments every day at school, so be mindful when choosing the right time to practice extra revision.
NAPLAN, which stands for National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy, is a series of assessments that students in Year 3 in both public and private schools across Australia participate in.
NAPLAN assesses four main areas: reading, writing, language conventions, and numeracy against the four proficiency standards: needing additional support, developing, strong, and exceeding. The goal for most students is to meet the “strong” proficiency standard.
NAPLAN stands for National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy.
Students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 in both public and private schools across Australia.
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Robyn Oliver
Robyn is a teacher, educational content creator, and mum to three. After completing a Bachelor of Childhood Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education, she moved to Perth, WA, and has spent her career working in a range of early childhood services and schools. These days, she mixes relief teaching in local schools with creating practical, engaging resources and mentoring early childhood services. Her work is driven by a genuine passion for supporting children to grow and learn, and helping educators feel confident and inspired in what they do.
Robyn Oliver
Robyn is a teacher, educational content creator, and mum to three. After completing a Bachelor of Childhood Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education, she moved to Perth, WA, and has spent her career working in a range of early childhood services and schools. These days, she mixes relief teaching in local schools with creating practical, engaging resources and mentoring early childhood services. Her work is driven by a genuine passion for supporting children to grow and learn, and helping educators feel confident and inspired in what they do.
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