The Australian school system is home to about 4 million students. All of those students, at some point or another, have to undergo academic evaluations to show how well they’re performing.
One major way that the Australian educational system checks on the knowledge level of students is through NAPLAN tests. These tests are conducted in grades 3, 5, 7, and 9.
If you’ve got a student who’s trying to prepare for the test, we can help. Check out this guide to the four NAPLAN tests and what you need to know.
What Do You Need to Know About NAPLAN Testing?
Whether you’re getting ready for NAPLAN testing or you’re just trying to learn a bit more about them, there are a few things to know.
We’ve already discussed the fact that there are four major tests. But, what’s their objective? And, how do they work?
Let’s take a look at a few things to know about these tests.
The Objective
Most students know that schools and educational institutions are constantly evaluating their knowledge levels. This is usually in the form of exams in particular classes or subjects.
The NAPLAN evaluation program, on the other hand, makes the progress and the weak points of the students more clear. That way, teachers and parents can help the children succeed.
The NAPLAN exams are taken individually, but their results are compared with national standards. That way, teachers can track the progress of their students over the years in terms of literacy and numeracy.
One thing that is important to note about this exam is that it doesn’t replace other classroom assessments. Instead, it’s used to help supplement school programs.
How the Exams Are Administered
As time goes on, teaching methods change. And, as teaching methods change, so do the ways that teachers evaluate their students.
Just like how classroom strategies and assessments change over time, so has NAPLAN.
Originally, NAPLAN exams were written assessments. They were delivered in classroom settings where students had to record their answers on paper.
Today, however, the system is transitioning into a fully online one. Since the beginning of the transition, many students have been able to try this new system, while others have continued taking the test on paper.
This year is expected to be the end of the written tests. That will require all students to take the test virtually.
The good news is that students who have been able to try the test online have left good comments about the format and its ease of understanding. Your child should have no problem taking the exam online.
Benefits of NAPLAN Tests
NAPLAN offers a healthy comparison of your child’s results with national benchmarks. That makes it possible for you to get an objective look at your child’s performance.
This can help educational institutions to seek ways of improving their teaching. And, it helps ensure that Australia’s youth are meeting knowledge milestones that will set them up for success in the future.
The NAPLAN Test Order
NAPLAN tests assess students reading, writing, and math skills. These tests follow a very specific order to ensure students are meeting knowledge milestones.
Additionally, earlier tests require students to meet different benchmarks each year. The tests are administered in years 3, 5, 7, and 9.
The four subjects covered include:
- Writing
- Reading
- Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation).
- Arithmetic
As the child's age and year in school progress, the difficulty of the test does too.
Test Results
Getting a good or bad result on the NAPLAN test doesn't result in any disciplinary action or special approval. Instead, the results are used to gauge where your child stands in his or her studies and where they could improve.
Individual results are provided by state administration authorities. However, the summary of national results is published in August every year, and a much more complete national summary is published in December each year.
What to Do if the Results Are Not as Expected?
If your child got his or her results back and they’re not what you’d hoped, don’t panic. A negative result doesn’t mean that they’ve failed the school year.
Instead, the results (along with normal school evaluations) help you generate learning strategies together with the educator to help your child overcome areas where they struggle.
In addition, educational institutions also have the responsibility and opportunity to improve and strengthen their educational procedures internally.
Test results can always be improved, but they require practice and commitment. If your child struggled on their NAPLAN exam, consider helping them with strategies to better prepare for the test.
Test Prep Tips
You know what they say: practice makes perfect! There are a few different strategies that you can use to help your child prepare for the test, including:
- Going through practice tests
- Getting a feel for the types of questions and the format of the test
- Helping your child work on techniques to reduce test anxiety
- Practising flashcards
- Helping your child focus on problem areas on the exam
By putting these tips into practice, you should be able to help your student improve their score.
Prepare for the Test and Get a Perfect Score
With this overview of the NAPLAN test, you and your child should feel better prepared to take on the exam. Now all that’s left is to prepare for the test!
The good news is that when it comes to test prep, you’re not alone. NotesEdu is here to back you up and help your child get a great score! Explore online practice tests and create an account to help your child study!
Disclaimer: Our NAPLAN product is not officially endorsed by the NAPLAN program and is crafted by NotesEdu Team, independently of ACARA. The information provided here in is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice, endorsement, or guarantee. NotesEdu is not responsible for any inaccuracies, effectiveness of the strategies mentioned, or any consequences resulting from the use of this information. Your reliance on the information and the results obtained are solely at your own risk.
