NAPLAN Reading study guide
NAPLAN Reading · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
NAPLAN - the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy - is an annual national assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It is a nationwide measure through which parents and carers, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can judge whether young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that underpin later learning and community participation. The assessment covers four domains: writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy. From 2008 to 2022 NAPLAN was held in May; from 2023, education ministers agreed it would be held in March. Topics on this exam: writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy. The NAPLAN Reading study guide has 4 sections and about 1,445 words.
01Writing: Planning, Structuring and Crafting a Response
NAPLAN writing tasks usually ask you to produce a short persuasive or narrative text in a set time. Markers reward a clear central idea, logical structure, varied and precise sentences, and accurate spelling and punctuation. Know the difference between the two text types: a narrative needs characters, a setting, a complication and a resolution; a persuasive piece needs a stated position, reasons with evidence, and a conclusion that restates the position. Audience and purpose: decide who you are writing for and what you want them to think or feel.
414 words, about 2 min02Reading: Comprehension Strategies and Question Types
NAPLAN reading passages include narratives, information reports, persuasive articles and procedural texts. Questions test literal comprehension, inference, vocabulary in context and understanding of the writer's purpose. You must read closely and return to the text to check answers rather than relying on memory. Main idea and purpose: ask why the writer wrote the text and what the overall message is.
363 words, about 2 min03Conventions of Language: Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation
The conventions of language test checks spelling, grammar and punctuation through short passages and multiple-choice items. You need to spot errors, choose the correct word form and apply punctuation rules accurately. Spelling: common patterns such as -tion , -sion , -able , -ible , and doubling rules before suffixes ( stopped , running ). Learn frequently confused pairs: their/there/they're , your/you're , its/it's , practice/practise .
331 words, about 2 min04Numeracy: Number, Measurement, Geometry and Data
NAPLAN numeracy questions span number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability. Questions may be set in real-life contexts such as shopping, timetables, maps and sport. The skills tested include fluency, problem solving and reasoning. Number: place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages and order of operations.
337 words, about 2 min