NAPLAN numeracy explained: what it tests and how to help at home

What is NAPLAN numeracy?

NAPLAN, the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy, is a set of national tests run each year for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Numeracy is one of them, alongside reading, writing, and conventions of language. It’s developed by ACARA, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, and sat at school, online, early in the school year. Check nap.edu.au for this year’s dates.

What does the numeracy test cover?

It draws on the mathematics in the Australian Curriculum for the years leading up to the test: number, algebra and patterns, measurement, space and shape, statistics and probability. It isn’t only about calculating. Many questions ask children to interpret a situation, read a graph or table, or choose the right approach.

The test is adaptive: as a student works through it, the questions adjust to how they are going, so most children meet questions near their own level. In Years 7 and 9 part of the test allows a calculator and part doesn’t.

How are results reported?

Each child receives an individual report showing their result against four proficiency levels: Exceeding, Strong, Developing, and Needs additional support. NAPLAN results are separate from your child’s school report, which is written by their teachers and covers far more than one test.

How much should I worry about it?

Not much. NAPLAN is a snapshot of one morning. It helps schools and governments see patterns across many students, and it can flag something worth a conversation with your child’s teacher. But your child’s teacher knows far more about how they’re going than any single test.

Worry can also cost marks. For children who are anxious about maths, the worry itself takes up the working memory the maths needs (Ashcraft, 2002). Keeping the test low-key at home is a real advantage, not just a kindness.

How can I help at home?

• Skip the cramming. Practice spread over months does far more than a burst in the weeks before (Cepeda and colleagues, 2006). Steady, ordinary maths practice is the preparation.
• Look at the format once. ACARA runs a public demonstration site with example questions, so the online format isn’t new on the day. Once or twice is enough. The goal is familiarity, not drilling.
• Watch the reading. Numeracy questions involve a fair amount of text. If your child’s maths is stronger than their reading, see Is it a maths problem or a reading problem?
• Talk about the result calmly. If it surprises you, ask your child’s teacher what they see in class. That conversation is where the result becomes useful.

How Workings fits in

Workings isn’t a test-prep product, and it doesn’t drill test questions. It practises the numeracy underneath, from Kindergarten to Year 10, at each child’s own level and strand by strand, with reading and maths measured apart. Your parent view shows growth by strand against state and national benchmarks. See what families get.