NAPLAN 2025|Key Dates, Exam Patterns and Details

NAPLAN key dates for 2024

NAPLAN 2024 will be held from Wednesday 13 March to Monday 25 March.

NAPLAN is conducted in this 9-day exam window. The 9-day exam window is available for use by schools to plan test dates.

Year	NAPLAN 2024 Test Dates
NAPLAN Year 3	15 March to 27 March
NAPLAN Year 5	15 March to 27 March
NAPLAN Year 7	15 March to 27 March
NAPLAN Year 9	15 March to 27 March

Need help with preparing for NAPLAN 2024? Register for a free demo with our online NAPLAN Tutor today.

NAPLAN 2024 test schedule

Test schedule for NAPLAN 2024 is given below:

Events	Dates 2024	Action
NAPLAN Practice testing for schools	Begin from Term 4*, 2023 for NAPLAN pattern familiarity.	Schools can complete practice tests in the assessment platform from Term 4.*
National Assessment Program- 2024 Sample assessment	The assessment dates will be 1st May – 26th May.	The National Assessment Program will conduct sample assessments.
School access to student data in the Online National Assessment Platform	Monday 4 March 2024 – Tuesday 12 March 2024	Schools will have 6 days to complete their test preparation activities on the platform
NAPLAN 2024 test window	Wednesday 13 March 2024 – Monday 25 March 2024	NAPLAN begins on 13th March 2024
Catch-up tests	Wednesday 13 – March 2024	Students who are absent when their class participates in the tests can sit catch-up tests later in the test window.
NAP sample opt-in assessments	2024	From 2024, schools will be able to optin to additional assessments in theNAP sample domains for Years 6 and 10.

*What are ‘Terms’?
According to Australia’s Department of Education, each assessment year for the schools of Australia has been divided into 4-terms i.e. one year of schooling will comprise of 4-terms from the month of January to December. The term dates of schools for the years 2024 and 2025 are as follows:

Year	Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4
2024	29 Jan to12 Apr	29 Apr to5 Jul	22 Jul to27 Sep	14 Oct to13 Dec
2025	28 Jan to 11 Apr	28 Apr to 4 Jul	21 Jul to26 Sep	13 Oct to12 Dec

NAPLAN test structure and duration

The NAPLAN 2024 will include testing on 4 domains:

Writing – Students are provided with a ‘writing stimulus’ (sometimes called a ‘prompt’ – an idea or topic) and asked to write a response in a particular genre (narrative or persuasive writing).

Reading – Students read a range of informative, imaginative, and persuasive texts and then answer related questions.

Conventions of language – This test assesses spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Numeracy – This test assesses numeracy skills i.e. numbers and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability.

Schools will schedule tests during the 9-day NAPLAN testing window time frame, taking into account the test order as below:

Test Domain	Scheduling requirements	Year 3	Year 5	Year 7	Year 9
Writing	Year 3 students do a paper-based writing test (on day 1 only). It is recommended that Year 3 writing tests be completed by all classes at the same time in the morning. Years 5, 7, and 9 writing must be scheduled on day 1, with day 2 only used where there are technical or logistical limitations.	40 mins(on paper)	42 mins	42 mins	42 mins
Reading	To be completed before the conventions of language test.	45 mins	50 mins	65 mins	65 mins
Conventions of language	To be completed after the reading test.	45 mins	45 mins	45 mins	45 mins
Numeracy	To be completed after the convention of  language test.	45 mins	50 mins	65 mins	65 mins

Students who are absent during the test period for their class may take ‘catch-up tests‘ at a later time.

• The morning scheduling of tests should take precedence over the afternoon schedule inside the test timeframe.
• A break of at least 20 minutes must be provided for students who take more than one test on a single day.

Ramadan and NAPLAN 2024

The lunar calendar (moon phases) determines the timing of Ramadan and Eid; these holidays’ dates fluctuate from year to year and frequently coincide with NAPLAN exams.

For 2024 Ramadan starts on 11th March and ends with Eid al-Fitr(festival) on 10th April. NAPLAN 2024 is being scheduled from 13^th March–25^th March 2024 i.e. during Ramadan.

What if School is closed for Eid or students are absent from school on test days?
-The local test administration authority must grant clearance for any changes to the NAPLAN exam schedule for schools that will be closed for Eid celebrations on test days (TAA).
-Participation in NAPLAN is encouraged for all pupils. Whenever possible, the school will arrange for a student who is missing on test day to make up the test at a later during the test window.

What if Students are observing Ramadan while undertaking NAPLAN?
Parents and carers may discuss with their child’s school any concerns regarding their child observing Ramadan and participating in NAPLAN.

Schools with Muslim students can schedule NAPLAN tests first thing in the morning to ensure fasting students’ energy levels are at their highest. TAAs are best placed to support schools that require further advice.

How to prepare for NAPLAN 2024?

We have compiled a set of resources to help you ace NAPLAN 2024

Download the NAPLAN Guide

Are you a parent or student preparing for the NAPLAN test? Our comprehensive e-book, “NAPLAN – The Definitive Guide for Parents & Students,” covers everything you need to know to succeed in the exam.

Download NAPLAN past papers

Past papers serve as key resources for students as well as teachers who teach for NAPLAN. Past papers reveal the exam pattern, level of questions, and types of questions asked.

Also, attempting past papers can help students to analyze the preparation level for the NAPLAN exams. Wiingy provides you with a directory of past papers for free.

Use the links below to view the NAPLAN guides for each of the 4 years  and download the NAPLAN Past Papers

NAPLAN Year 3

NAPLAN Year 5

NAPLAN Year 7

NAPLAN Year 9

Download NAPLAN Test Prep App

Unlock your full potential and ace the NAPLAN exam! With our app, you can build Numeracy skills with practice tests for Year 3, Year 5, Year 7, and Year 9 giving yourself a competitive edge.

How are NAPLAN results reported?

Results from the NAPLAN tests are reported on scales that compare student performance to established standards.

The scales are divided into 10 bands and apply to all academic years, from Year 3 to Year 9.

Not all bands are reported for each level of the year. For each year i.e. years 3, 5, 7, and 9, the scales and standards system are reported.

The band scale shown below reflects the standard marking pattern for the respective years i.e. years 3, 5, 7.

According to the NAPLAN assessment scale, the marking process is explained below:

• For each year level of the NAPLAN results, a national minimum standard has been established and is listed on the assessment scale.
  • Band 2 is the required minimum for Year 3
  • Band 4 is the required minimum for Year 5
  • Band 5 is the required minimum for Year 7
  • Band 6 is the required minimum for Year 9
• At each year level, the performance of the students is reported using six bands. The Year 3 report shows bands 1 through 6, the Year 5 report shows bands 3 through 8, the Year 7 report shows bands 4 through 9, and the Year 9 report shows bands 5 through 10.

Who marks NAPLAN?

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) is responsible for the administration and marking of the Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests.

NOTE:

Parents may request that their children be removed from the testing program due to concerns like religious beliefs or philosophical objections to testing. Individual parents and caregivers should think about this in collaboration with their child’s school. Prior to testing, the principal must receive a formal application in the format required by the applicable test administration body.

Read our detailed article – “NAPLAN – The Definitive Guide for Parents & Students” to know more about the NAPLAN exam.

Wiingy provides tutoring support specific to NAPLAN for year 3, year 5, year 7, and year 9 students.

Need help with preparing for NAPLAN 2024? Register for a free demo with our online NAPLAN Tutor today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)