NAPLAN practice tests
Free online NAPLAN practice for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, set out like the real test and marked with an explanation for every question. I wrote all 367, plus a narrative and a persuasive writing prompt for each year.
Want more? Australian teachers sell full NAPLAN practice packs, reading magazines and writing units for Year 3.
NAPLAN resources for Year 3
What NAPLAN 2027 looks like
NAPLAN 2027 runs from Wednesday 10 March to Monday 22 March 2027 for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. There are four tests, always in the same order: writing first, then reading, conventions of language and numeracy. Year 3 writes on paper on day 1. Everything else is done online, on a screen that shows one question at a time with a flag for questions you want to come back to, which is how I built this practice tool.
| Test | Year 3 | Year 5 | Years 7 and 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | 40 | 42 | 42 |
| Reading | 45 | 50 | 65 |
| Conventions of language | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Numeracy | 45 | 50 | 65 |
The online tests are tailored. Everyone starts on the same questions and the next group is chosen by how a student is going, so two students in one class often see different questions. Years 7 and 9 have a short section without a calculator, then an online calculator for the rest. The dates, the changes and the Eid timing for 2027 are in my NAPLAN 2027 guide.
How I would use these practice tests
Each year has two sets per test of about 15 questions, which fits in a lesson, and a full practice test with both. In the weeks before NAPLAN I would do one set per test so the format is not a surprise, then use the results to choose what to teach.
- For a class: pick a set, copy the link and post it. Every student gets the same questions in the same order, and can copy their result to hand in.
- For one gap: practise one area, such as fractions, inferring or apostrophes. Every question in that area for the year comes up together.
- On paper: print the set as a paper test with an answer key on its own page, for a quiet room, a student without a device or homework.
- On the board: press the AA button for larger text and go through a question together before students try it alone.
What practice does and does not do
Practice makes the format familiar: reading a text beside the questions, flagging, moving on and coming back, typing an answer rather than circling it. That takes the surprise out of the day, and it is worth doing once or twice. It does not lift a result much on its own. NAPLAN tests reading, writing, spelling, grammar and maths that students learn all year, so the breakdown by curriculum area is the useful part: it tells you what to teach next.
These questions are mine, not ACARA’s, and the score is not a NAPLAN band. ACARA publishes its own public demonstration site, which has the real test screens and a short test per year, but no answers, and the real papers it has released stop at 2016: see NAPLAN past papers. For what the four proficiency levels on the report mean, see understanding NAPLAN results.
The NAPLAN writing criteria
Writing is marked against ten criteria: audience, text structure, ideas, character and setting (narrative) or persuasive devices (persuasive), vocabulary, cohesion, paragraphing, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling. Narrative is out of 47 and persuasive out of 48. Students do not know which text type they will get until the day, so practise both. Each year here has one narrative and one persuasive prompt, with the full criteria table under it and on the printed version.
More ideas for the weeks before the test, and practice packs from Australian teachers, are in NAPLAN practice resources and the NAPLAN 2026 guide.
Questions teachers and parents ask
Are these NAPLAN practice tests free?
Yes. All 367 questions, the writing prompts and the printable paper tests are free, with no login. Answers stay on the student's own screen and are never sent anywhere.
Are these the real NAPLAN questions?
No. Real NAPLAN questions are kept secure. I wrote these to match the formats of the online test (multiple choice, select all, putting things in order, typed answers and choosing the word for a gap) and pitched them at the Australian Curriculum for each year. For the real test screens, try the public demonstration site at nap.edu.au.
When is NAPLAN 2027?
NAPLAN 2027 runs from Wednesday 10 March to Monday 22 March 2027. Writing is first, on day 1, then reading, conventions of language and numeracy. Each school sets its own timetable inside the window.
How long is each NAPLAN test?
Year 3: writing 40 minutes, reading, conventions and numeracy 45 minutes each. Year 5: writing 42, reading 50, conventions 45, numeracy 50. Years 7 and 9: writing 42, reading 65, conventions 45, numeracy 65.
Does this give my child a NAPLAN band or proficiency level?
No. A short practice set cannot predict a proficiency level, and the real test adapts its questions to each student. Use the score and the curriculum area breakdown to see what to work on, not as a forecast.
Is Year 3 NAPLAN writing done on paper?
Yes. Year 3 students write on paper on day 1 of the test window. Years 5, 7 and 9 type their writing online. Every year does reading, conventions of language and numeracy online.
Can my whole class do the same practice test?
Yes. Choose a year, a test and a set, press Copy link for your class and post the link. Everyone gets the same questions in the same order. The link never holds anyone's answers, and students can copy their result to hand it in.