Quick answer: The free official option is the NAPLAN public demonstration site, which shows the question types and on-screen tools for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It doesn't give answers or a score, so it shows your child how the test works but not how they're going. For that, you need a full-length practice test that is marked and broken down by skill. You can try one free on this site for Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9, with no card required.
NAPLAN 2027 runs from 10 to 22 March 2027. Most families start practising in Term 4 or over the summer holidays.
What NAPLAN tests
NAPLAN is sat in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and covers four areas:
| Area | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Reading | Understanding texts: finding information, inference, vocabulary and the writer's purpose |
| Writing | One extended response, either narrative or persuasive. Schools find out which on the day |
| Conventions of language | Spelling, grammar and punctuation |
| Numeracy | Number, algebra, measurement, geometry, statistics and probability |
The test is completed online, except the Year 3 writing test, which is still done on paper. The online tests are tailored: depending on how a student goes in the early sections, the later sections get harder or easier. That's why practice under realistic conditions matters more than memorising question types.
The free official options
1. The NAPLAN public demonstration site
This is the first place to start. It lets your child try sample questions in reading, numeracy, writing and conventions of language, and get used to the on-screen tools (calculator, ruler and protractor appear only when the real test allows them).
What it doesn't do:
- It doesn't give answers or a score.
- Once your child presses "finish", their responses are gone and can't be reviewed.
- Writing responses can't be saved or marked.
- There's no Year 3 writing demonstration, because Year 3 writing is on paper.
Use it once or twice so the screen layout isn't a surprise on test day. Don't use it to measure progress, because it can't.
2. Your school's practice test
Schools run a practice test on the real platform before the March window, mainly to check devices and connections. It's useful familiarisation, but schools don't usually send results home.
3. Older paper tests
Paper tests from before NAPLAN moved online are still shared on various websites. The skills they test haven't changed much, so they're fine for extra reading and numeracy questions. Just remember they don't match the current online format, timing or tailored structure.
Free practice tests on this site
Each NAPLAN year level has a free full-length practice test and a free sample, so you can see the questions and the results before deciding on anything else.
- Free Year 3 NAPLAN practice test
- Free Year 5 NAPLAN practice test
- Free Year 7 NAPLAN practice test
- Free Year 9 NAPLAN practice test
What you get that the official demonstration site doesn't give you:
- A score and a skill breakdown. Results show which skills within reading or numeracy need work, such as inference or fractions, not just a single mark.
- Worked explanations. Every question has an explanation, so a wrong answer becomes something your child can learn from.
- A clear next step. The report suggests what to practise next, based on the skills your child found hardest.
These are independent practice materials. They are not official NAPLAN papers and they don't predict your child's NAPLAN result.
How to use free practice well
Free tests are most useful when they're used to find out what to work on, not to rehearse the same questions.
- Start with the demonstration site. One session, purely to get comfortable with the screen and tools.
- Sit one full practice test under real conditions. Use a timer, sit at a desk, no help. This gives you an honest starting point.
- Look at the skills, not the score. A mark of 70% in reading tells you little. Knowing that vocabulary is strong but inference is weak tells you exactly what to practise.
- Practise the weakest skill for two or three weeks. Short, regular sessions beat one long weekend cram.
- Re-test, then compare skill by skill. This shows whether the practice is working.
- Don't skip writing. Writing is the area students improve most with feedback, and the area least covered by free resources. Have your child plan for five minutes before writing, and practise both narrative and persuasive pieces, since they won't know which one is coming.
How much practice is enough?
NAPLAN is designed to show where a student is, not to be crammed for. For most children, a few full practice tests across Term 4 and Term 1, with focused skill practice in between, is plenty. If your child is anxious, keep it low-key: the point of practice is that the real test feels familiar, not high-stakes.
If your child is in Year 3 or Year 5 and you're also thinking about selective entry (such as the NSW OC test, QASMT or Brisbane State High School), NAPLAN reading and numeracy practice overlaps strongly with those tests. The skill breakdown from a NAPLAN practice test is a useful early indicator of which areas to build.
Frequently asked questions
Are there official NAPLAN past papers?
The official demonstration site shows sample questions but doesn't publish full past tests with answers for the current online format. Older paper tests are available on some websites and are useful for extra questions, but they don't match today's online test.
When is NAPLAN 2027?
The NAPLAN 2027 test window is 10 to 22 March 2027. Your school will confirm the exact days for each test.
Is NAPLAN online for Year 3?
Yes, except the writing test. Year 3 students complete reading, conventions of language and numeracy online, and writing on paper.
How are NAPLAN results reported?
Results are reported against four proficiency levels: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support. Reports usually reach families later in the year through your school.
Will practice tests improve my child's NAPLAN result?
Practice helps most with familiarity and timing, and with finding specific skills to work on. A practice test score is not a prediction of the real result.
Ready to see where your child is? Start a free NAPLAN practice test. No card required, and results come with a skill breakdown and worked explanations.
Practice Tests & Exams is an independent provider and is not affiliated with ACARA or NAPLAN.
Try the practice tests
Open NAPLAN practice and select your child’s year. Samples are available without signing in. Create an account and sign in for the full free mock. Paid bundles are available for Years 3 and 5. Practice scores are not official NAPLAN proficiency results.
Sources and further information
Check the school or assessment provider for current arrangements.
Not sure where to start?
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