NAPLAN 2026 Dates, Schedule and What to Expect

The 2026 testing window

NAPLAN 2026 was held from Wednesday 11 March to Friday 23 March 2026. This is a nine-school-day window during which all Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 sat the tests. Schools choose the exact days within this window to schedule each test, so your child may have sat their tests on different days to students at other schools.

Catch-up sessions are available within the testing window for students who are absent on the originally scheduled day. If a student misses the entire window due to illness, the school may arrange a make-up session, though this is at the school's discretion and subject to ACARA guidelines.

The online format

Since 2022, NAPLAN has been fully online across all states and territories. Students complete the tests on school-provided devices — typically laptops, Chromebooks, or tablets. A secure lockdown browser prevents students from accessing other applications or websites during the test.

The online format enables tailored (adaptive) testing for Reading, Language Conventions, and Numeracy. This means the test adjusts its difficulty based on how the student answers the initial set of questions. Students who answer correctly are given harder follow-up questions. Students who answer incorrectly are given questions closer to their level. The Writing test is not adaptive — all students receive the same prompt.

The four test domains

Every student sits four separate tests over multiple days:

• Writing: One extended writing task. Students respond to a prompt (persuasive or narrative) in a text editor. Year 3 students have 40 minutes. Years 5, 7, and 9 have 42 minutes.
• Reading: Multiple-choice and short-answer questions based on a range of texts. 45 minutes for Year 3. 50 minutes for Years 5, 7, and 9.
• Conventions of Language: Questions on spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 45 minutes for all year levels.
• Numeracy: Multiple-choice and short-answer maths questions. 45 minutes for Year 3. 50 minutes for Years 5, 7, and 9. A calculator is available for certain questions in Years 7 and 9.

What happens on test day

Students sit the tests during normal school hours in their usual classroom or a designated testing space. The school's IT team sets up devices and loads the secure browser beforehand. Students log in with credentials provided by their school.

Before the test begins, students complete a short practice session to familiarise themselves with the interface and question types. This practice session does not count towards their score.

Parents do not need to provide any special equipment or preparation on the day. Students should get a good night's sleep, eat breakfast, and arrive at school on time. Schools generally recommend that parents treat test days as normally as possible — excessive anxiety about the test can be counterproductive.

When results are released

NAPLAN results are typically released to schools between June and August of the testing year. Schools then distribute individual student reports to parents. The exact date varies by state and territory — your school will communicate when reports are available.

For 2026, preliminary results were made available to schools from mid-June, with individual student reports distributed to parents from late June through August depending on the school and jurisdiction.

If you have not received your child's report by mid-August, contact your school directly. Reports are distributed through schools, not directly from ACARA to parents.

Preparing before the test window

The most effective preparation happens in the weeks and months leading up to the test, not in the final days. Targeted practice that identifies specific skill gaps gives students the best chance of demonstrating what they know. Cramming the night before is unlikely to change outcomes and may increase anxiety. Regular, short practice sessions across the term are far more effective than a last-minute push.