Year 3 NAPLAN writing prompts and practice
Two NAPLAN-style writing prompts for Year 3, one narrative (The Door in the Tree) and one persuasive (Every Class Needs a Pet), with a 40 minute timer and the ten marking criteria. Year 3 writes on paper in the real test, so print the prompt.
Want more? Australian teachers sell full NAPLAN practice packs, reading magazines and writing units for Year 3.
NAPLAN resources for Year 3
The Year 3 writing prompts
- The Door in the Tree (narrative). You are walking through the park when you notice a tiny door at the bottom of a big old tree. It is open just a crack. Write a story about what happens when you open the door.
- Every Class Needs a Pet (persuasive). Some people think every classroom should have a class pet, like a fish or a guinea pig. Others think pets do not belong at school. What do you think? Write to convince your teacher.
Open a prompt for the 40 minute timer, a word count and the marking criteria, or print it. Year 3 writes on paper on day 1 of the real test, so paper is the better practice. Writing is not marked here: the criteria table is for the student to check their own work, and for you.
How NAPLAN 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, so practise both.
Year 3 NAPLAN past papers
The real Year 3 papers that ACARA has released are the paper tests from 2012 to 2016 and 2008 to 2011, free with answers on its website. Nothing has been released since 2016, so there is no Year 3 past paper from the online test. What is in those papers, how today’s test differs and how I would use them is on the NAPLAN past papers page.
More Year 3 NAPLAN practice
- Year 3 NAPLAN reading
- Year 3 NAPLAN language conventions
- Year 3 NAPLAN numeracy
- All Year 3 NAPLAN practice tests
Getting ready for NAPLAN 2027
NAPLAN 2027 runs from Wednesday 10 March to Monday 22 March 2027. The dates and what is new are in my NAPLAN 2027 guide, ideas for the weeks before are in NAPLAN practice resources, and what the report means is in understanding NAPLAN results.
Questions about Year 3 NAPLAN
How long is the Year 3 NAPLAN writing test?
40 minutes, on the first day of the test window. Year 3 students write on paper.
Will the Year 3 NAPLAN writing task be narrative or persuasive?
Nobody knows until the day. Students are given one prompt, narrative or persuasive, so practise both. That is why each year here has one of each.
How is NAPLAN writing marked?
Against ten criteria: audience, text structure, ideas, character and setting (narrative) or persuasive devices (persuasive), vocabulary, cohesion, paragraphing, sentence structure, punctuation and spelling. The full table is under each prompt.