Literacy and numeracy skills at school
Access to education, skills development and learning throughout life
Metric
Average Year 3 NAPLAN scores for literacy and numeracy
Why this matters
Language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills, as well as general skills like organising, problem solving, and teamwork, are critical to participating in all aspects of life and are required to engage in work and further learning.
Progress
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Between 2023 and 2024, there was little change in average Year 3 NAPLAN scores for literacy and numeracy across all five testing domains, including reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.
In 2023, the NAPLAN measurement scale was reset, meaning results from 2023 onwards cannot be compared with earlier years. Data from earlier years is shown on a separate chart below.
Between 2008 and 2022, average Year 3 scores improved across all domains.
Differences across groups
In 2024, data published by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), shows that across all 5 testing domains:
- Year 3 students in major cities achieved higher average scores than students in remote and very remote regions
- Year 3 students whose parents hold a bachelor degree or above achieved higher average scores than students whose parents’ highest level of education is Year 11 or below.
Gender differences were also identified:
- female Year 3 students achieved higher average scores in writing (426.3 compared with 406.0 for male students)
- male Year 3 students achieved higher average scores in numeracy (411.8 compared with 395.5 for female students).
- Writing assessment was introduced in 2011
- NAPLAN was not conducted in 2020 due to COVID-19
Disaggregation
Further information about average Year 3 NAPLAN scores by student group is available in NAPLAN national results and commentary.
Disaggregation available includes:
- Gender
- Remoteness
- Cultural and language diversity: Language background other than English status
- Parental education
- Parental occupation
- Indigenous status.