How NAPLAN past papers can help students prepare for test day

Are you looking for ways to help your child prepare for the national assessment program literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN) test? Look no further! As you are no doubt aware, NAPLAN is a series of tests that the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) administers to students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It covers writing, reading, language conventions, and numeracy skills. For some students, the test can be a source of mild stress and anxiety – a great way to overcome this is to prepare with a few practice tests.

Is NAPLAN important?

NAPLAN is an assessment tool that helps parents and educators track students’ progress in key areas of the curriculum assessment – and also helps schools see where they stand in comparison to other schools and other states and territories.

While it is true that NAPLAN is only one measure of student achievement, it does provide valuable insight into how well students are performing relative to their peers. Often, these scores are also used by selective schools, so it can be beneficial to do as well as possible in the tests, especially in Year 9.

Using past papers to prepare for NAPLAN

To prepare for NAPLAN, students should become familiar with the types of questions and the testing format. This is often an element of NAPLAN that trips up even the most high achieving of students. The NAPLAN site has a good explainer of the types of questions that will be asked and the format of the tests – but the best way to be sure of familiarity is through practice.

Providing plenty of time to practise using past papers and sample tests is a great way to be sure semantics don’t get the better of your children. Teachers often distribute these materials in class, but they can also be accessed on the ACARA website, where you will find NAPLAN past papers up to 2016. Parents may wish to set up exam conditions at home in a quiet space to give the full NAPLAN experience for their children. This may help them to become accustomed with the atmosphere on testing day.

Using EP & past papers to achieve better NAPLAN results

Education Perfect’s NAPLAN practice content and quizzes cover all areas of the assessment, including writing, reading, language conventions, and numeracy. The practice questions are designed to help students become familiar with the types of questions they can expect to see on the test, and to help them develop the skills they need to do well on test day. This will also introduce them to the content of the test, helping teachers and parents identify where gaps in knowledge may lie.

Students can also get more practice on NAPLAN subjects through Education Perfect’s Smart Lessons, which enable parents to monitor and evaluate their children’s work as they progress through the lessons. Like the NAPLAN test itself, the Smart Lessons alter the difficulty of the questions as the learner proceeds. This aids their confidence by allowing them to work at their own pace and level.

Preparation is key to success

Preparing for NAPLAN can seem like a daunting task for both students and parents, but it doesn’t have to be. By practising with past papers and content, and utilising online resources like Education Perfect, students can gain the confidence and skills they need to perform to the best of their ability.