How to read your child's NAPLAN report and when results arrive
Your child's NAPLAN report comes from the school, from the start of Term 3 in 2026, and shows four proficiency levels and a comparison with the national average. ACARA cannot supply individual reports; ask your school first.
Last checked against the official sources.
Your child's individual report comes through the school, and timing varies by state. It shows a proficiency level for each area and compares your child with the national average. If it does not arrive, ask the school.
Who sends the report
State and territory test administration authorities provide individual student reports (ISRs) to schools, who distribute them to parents and carers. In NSW, schools give families two reports: the individual student report and an Additional student report that shows the skills tested and how your child responded. ACARA says timing may vary between states and territories, and it cannot provide individual reports.
When results arrive
In 2026, ACARA listed preliminary reports to schools in April, final summary reports from mid-June and individual reports from the start of Term 3. National results were released on 5 August 2026.
For 2027 these dates are expected to follow the same pattern but have not been published. National results are expected in August 2027, a month window based on ACARA's last four releases, which were Wednesdays between 30 July and 23 August. See 2027 dates.
What is on the report
The report shows your child's result in each area against four proficiency levels. It also compares your child's result with the national average and the middle 60% of students, so you can see where the result sits.
Reports do not display the specific questions your child answered.
Questions to ask the teacher
- Does this match what you see in class?
- Which area should we pay attention to?
- If the result is the same level as last time, what progress have you seen?
Use the report as one conversation starter. ACARA describes NAPLAN as one part of a school's assessment that does not replace teachers' ongoing judgement.
A note on 2026 writing results
NAP news of 23 July 2026 says some students experienced technical difficulties during the online writing test on the first day of the 2026 window because of connectivity issues. ISRs for Years 5, 7 and 9 carry a notice about this, and the notice says your child's teacher will have the best insight into progress. If you have a 2026 report, read the writing result with that in mind.
Comparing years
Results from 2023 onwards can be compared with each other, but not directly with results from 2008 to 2022.
Checked against the NAP and ACARA sites on 7 October 2026.
Attribution: © Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2011 to present, unless otherwise indicated. This material was downloaded from the National Assessment Program website (www.nap.edu.au) (accessed 7 October 2026) and was modified. The material is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ACARA does not endorse any product that uses ACARA material or make any representations as to the quality of such products. Any product that uses ACARA's material should not be taken to be affiliated with ACARA or have the sponsorship or approval of ACARA. It is up to each person to make their own assessment of the product.
Frequently asked questions
My child's NAPLAN report has not arrived. What should I do?
When do NAPLAN results come out?
Sources
- www.nap.edu.au/naplan/faqs/naplan--results-reports-performance (opens in a new tab)
- www.nap.edu.au/news-details?section=202607230300 (opens in a new tab)
- www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers (opens in a new tab)
- www.acara.edu.au/reporting/key-dates (opens in a new tab)
- www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/naplan/results-and-reports (opens in a new tab)