NAPLAN Year 3: what to expect, including writing on paper

Year 3 timetable, 2027

The tests are sat in that order. ACARA recommends all Year 3 classes do the writing test at the same time in the morning. If a Year 3 child misses the writing test, the school may arrange an individual catch-up from day 2 until the end of day 4, Monday 15 March 2027. The school chooses the day.

Writing on paper

Your child receives a prompt and writes a narrative or persuasive response. The prompt type is not chosen by the student. The NAP site says Years 3 and 5 are given different prompts from Years 7 and 9.

Because it is on paper, your child writes by hand rather than typing. You do not need to buy special equipment. Ask the school what your child should bring.

The online tests

Your child uses a device at school. The tests are tailored, so questions adapt to answers. The demonstration site shows the Year 3 tools and question types, though the numeracy visual alternative is identical to the standard version.

Preparing

ACARA says students are not expected to study. The best support is to let your child know NAPLAN is part of the school program and to simply do their best. ACARA does not recommend excessive preparation. Attendance on test days matters, because a child who is sick cannot sit the tests at home.

If you want optional practice, see NAPLAN practice. ExamExplained is run alongside a tutoring business. Our practice items are original, not official, and not endorsed by ACARA.

Results

Your child's individual student report comes through the school later in the year. See how to read the report. The standard rises between Year 3 and Year 5, so the same level can still mean progress.

Checked against the NAP site and ACARA's 2027 brochure 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.