Quick answer: NAPLAN numeracy covers six areas of the Australian Curriculum: number, algebra, measurement, space, statistics and probability. Number is the biggest part, around 35 to 45% of the test at both year levels. Neither Year 3 nor Year 5 can use a calculator. The main differences are the size of the test (Year 3 has 36 questions in 45 minutes, Year 5 has 42 in 50 minutes) and the difficulty of the maths: Year 3 focuses on whole numbers, simple fractions, time and money, while Year 5 adds decimals, harder fractions, area and coordinates.
The numeracy test at a glance
| Year 3 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 36 (three sections of 12) | 42 (three sections of 14) |
| Time | 45 minutes | 50 minutes |
| Calculator | No | No |
| Format | Online | Online |
| Read-aloud | Questions can be listened to | Questions can be listened to |
Calculators only appear in Years 7 and 9, which have a separate calculator-allowed section. In Years 3 and 5, students are expected to calculate independently, so quick, accurate mental and written methods matter.
The test is tailored: after each section, the next one adjusts to be harder or easier depending on how the student is going. A strong first section leads to more challenging questions, which is how able students show what they can do.
How the marks are spread
ACARA sets a target range for each strand. Year 3 and Year 5 are almost identical:
| Strand | Year 3 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Number | 35–45% | 35–45% |
| Measurement | 20–30% | 15–25% |
| Space (shape, position, maps) | 10–20% | 10–20% |
| Algebra (patterns, missing numbers) | 5–15% | 5–15% |
| Statistics (data and graphs) | 5–15% | 5–15% |
| Probability (chance) | 5–10% | 5–10% |
So number and measurement together make up more than half the test. If time is short, that's where practice pays off most.
What's tested in Year 3
NAPLAN is sat in March, so most questions draw on skills taught by the end of Year 2 and early Year 3.
- Number: reading, writing and ordering numbers into the thousands; place value; adding and subtracting two- and three-digit numbers; early multiplication (groups, arrays, the 2, 5 and 10 times tables); halves, quarters and simple fractions of shapes and groups; money and change.
- Algebra: continuing number patterns (counting by 2s, 5s, 10s); finding the missing number in a simple number sentence, such as 15 + ? = 23.
- Measurement: comparing lengths, masses and capacities; using simple units; reading time on analog and digital clocks to the quarter hour and beyond; days, weeks and months.
- Space: naming and describing 2D shapes and 3D objects; symmetry; giving and following directions; reading simple maps.
- Statistics: reading tally marks, picture graphs and simple column graphs.
- Probability: describing chance with words like likely, unlikely, certain and impossible.
Year 3 example (practice question)
Sam has 3 bags of apples. Each bag has 5 apples. He gives 4 apples to his sister. How many apples does Sam have left?
A. 8 B. 11 C. 12 D. 19
Answer: B. 3 groups of 5 is 15, and 15 − 4 = 11. This is a typical Year 3 two-step problem: one multiplication (or repeated addition), then one subtraction.
What's tested in Year 5
By March of Year 5, students are expected to work with larger numbers, fractions and decimals, and to solve multi-step problems.
- Number: place value into the tens and hundreds of thousands; all four operations with multi-digit numbers; times tables to 10 × 10 and related division facts; factors and multiples; equivalent fractions and counting by fractions; decimals to tenths and hundredths; money problems with several steps.
- Algebra: describing and continuing number patterns; finding unknown values in number sentences, such as 6 × ? = 42.
- Measurement: converting between units (cm and m, g and kg, mL and L); perimeter and area of rectangles; reading scales; 12-hour and 24-hour time; timetables and elapsed time; measuring and comparing angles.
- Space: properties of shapes; grid references and coordinates; flips, slides and turns; nets of 3D objects.
- Statistics: reading and interpreting tables, column graphs and dot plots; choosing the right way to display data.
- Probability: ordering events from least to most likely; outcomes of simple chance experiments.
Year 5 example (practice question)
A rectangular garden bed is 4.5 m long and 2 m wide. Ella puts a fence around all four sides. How many metres of fencing does she need?
Answer: 13 m. The perimeter is 4.5 + 2 + 4.5 + 2 = 13. The common wrong answer is 9 m, which is the area (4.5 × 2). Mixing up perimeter and area is one of the most frequent errors at Year 5.
The key jumps from Year 3 to Year 5
| Skill | Year 3 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers | Thousands | Tens and hundreds of thousands |
| Fractions | Halves, quarters, simple fractions | Equivalent fractions, fractions on a number line |
| Decimals | Mostly money | Tenths and hundredths |
| Multiplication | Groups, 2, 5 and 10 times tables | All tables to 10 × 10, multi-digit |
| Time | Clocks, days and months | 24-hour time, timetables, elapsed time |
| Measurement | Comparing, simple units | Converting units, perimeter and area |
| Problems | One or two steps | Several steps |
How to prepare for NAPLAN numeracy
- Lock in number facts. No calculator means slow or shaky times tables cost time on every question. Five minutes a day is enough.
- Practise reading the question twice. Many errors come from answering a different question, such as giving the area when the question asks for perimeter.
- Show working, even on screen. Encourage scrap paper for multi-step problems. It reduces careless slips.
- Do real-life maths. Telling the time, counting change, reading timetables and measuring while cooking cover a large slice of the measurement strand.
- Sit a timed practice test. Year 3 students have about 75 seconds per question and Year 5 about 70 seconds. Practising under time shows whether pace is a problem.
- Target the weakest strand. A skill breakdown is more useful than a single score. If your child is strong in number but weak in measurement, that's where to spend the next few weeks.
Free NAPLAN numeracy practice
Our free NAPLAN practice tests include a full numeracy section, marked with a breakdown by skill (such as fractions, time or perimeter) and a worked explanation for every question.
Frequently asked questions
Can students use a calculator in Year 3 or Year 5 NAPLAN?
No. Calculators are only available in the calculator-allowed sections of the Year 7 and Year 9 tests.
How many questions are in the Year 3 and Year 5 numeracy tests?
Year 3 has 36 questions in 45 minutes. Year 5 has 42 questions in 50 minutes.
What is the biggest topic in NAPLAN numeracy?
Number, at around 35 to 45% of the test in both Year 3 and Year 5. Measurement is next, at 20 to 30% in Year 3 and 15 to 25% in Year 5.
What types of questions are in NAPLAN numeracy?
Mostly multiple choice, plus on-screen formats such as typing a short answer, dragging items into place and selecting parts of a diagram.
Is the NAPLAN numeracy test the same for every student?
No. It's tailored. After each section, the next one becomes harder or easier depending on how the student has gone.
Does NAPLAN numeracy help with selective school tests?
Yes. The number, measurement and problem-solving skills overlap strongly with the mathematics sections of tests such as the NSW OC test, QASMT and Brisbane State High School entry, although those tests usually go further and add reasoning questions.
Find out which maths skills to work on. Try a free NAPLAN practice test with a skill-by-skill breakdown. No card required.
Example questions on this page are original practice material, not official NAPLAN questions. 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.