What each NAPLAN test covers: writing, reading, conventions and numeracy
NAPLAN assesses writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy, aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Here is what each test asks of your child, in plain language.
Last checked against the official sources.
Four areas: writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy. They assess skills taught in the Australian Curriculum, mostly from earlier years, so there is no separate syllabus to learn. Your child sits them in that order.
Writing
Your child is given a writing prompt, an idea or topic, and writes a response in a particular text type, narrative or persuasive. The NAP site says there is no choice of text type and that it is revealed on the day.
Years 3 and 5 receive different prompts from Years 7 and 9. Writing is marked against 10 criteria, according to the NAP site. Online students can draft on a separate piece of paper during the test, according to the NAP writing FAQ.
Year 3 writing is done on paper. See Year 3.
Reading
Students read a range of informative, imaginative and persuasive texts and answer questions about them. Questions include multiple choice and technology-enhanced formats such as drag-and-drop and hot-text. The text complexity adjusts to how a student is going, see online adaptive testing.
Conventions of language
This test covers spelling, then grammar and punctuation. The NAP site says there are two sections and your child cannot go back to spelling after moving on to grammar and punctuation. Question types include multiple choice, text entry and drag-and-drop or hot-text.
Numeracy
Numeracy assesses number, algebra, measurement, space, statistics and probability. It uses multiple choice, text entry and technology-enhanced questions such as drag-and-drop and hot-spot. In Years 7 and 9, the start of the test does not allow a calculator. See Year 7.
ACARA says students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. These tests sample skills students build at school over years, not facts to memorise.
Where to look at real question types
ACARA's public demonstration site shows the question formats and tools. It is for familiarisation only.
Checked against the NAP site 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.