NAPLAN testing begins today for 400,000 primary and high school students across more than 3,000 schools in NSW.

NSW students make up a significant portion of years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students sitting tests across the country over the next nine days.

This will be the second year that schools will sit tests in Term 1 instead of Term 2 and be assessed against more robust literacy and numeracy standards.

The updated standards were implemented for the first time in 2023, with NSW schools adapting well to earlier testing and continuing the trend of strong participation across the state.

Schools in NSW can expect to see results for their school from the start of Term 2, ensuring students can receive timely, targeted support.

The results will be reported against the new proficiency standards that were introduced in 2023, with four levels of achievement for each year level. They replace the previous scale which reported against six bands.

The updated reporting model aims to better support schools identifying students who may need additional support, as well as those who are meeting and surpassing learning expectations.

NAPLAN is one tool teachers use to assess student progress.

NAPLAN will run for nine days, ending on Monday 25 March 2024. For more information visit NESA at nsw.gov.au

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

"All the best to our students preparing to sit their NAPLAN tests from today.

“NAPLAN helps to build an understanding of where our students are at, and I know our teachers use this information alongside other assessments and reports, to achieve the best outcomes for students.

“The NSW Government knows that literacy and numeracy are the foundations of learning, which is why we gave teachers and schools more time to successfully implement the new NSW curriculum being rolled out by 2027.

“We need to ensure our students have the skills they need, which is why we’re committed to delivering a world-leading curriculum.”