Australian assessment scores

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual literacy and numeracy assessment for Australian students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It is a point-in-time assessment to see how each child is progressing against national standards in literacy and numeracy and over time.

Note Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) reported student achievement in NAPLAN against 4 levels of proficiency in 2023. This replaced the previous numerical NAPLAN bands and national minimum standards. This means the time series was reset and NAPLAN achievement from 2022 and earlier are not able to be compared with 2023.

Data insights

Numeracy

In 2023, average numeracy scores were higher for boys than girls across all year levels.

Average numeracy scores in 2023 were closest in Northern Territory, with boys scoring 9 points higher than girls when averaged across all year levels. They were furthest apart in the Australian Capital Territory, where boys scored 17 points higher than girls when averaged across all year levels.

Between 12% and 15% of boys at each year level were in the ‘exceeding’ proficiency level for numeracy in 2023. For girls, the range was 8% to 10% – girls were consistently lower than boys across all year levels. The largest differences between genders were in years 3 and 5. For each of these year levels, 15% of boys and 9% of girls were exceeding in numeracy.

There were stark differences in average numeracy scores across some diversity groups: 

• Average numeracy scores of First Nations children were consistently lower than non-Indigenous children across all year levels. The difference in average scores between First Australians and non-Indigenous children ranged between 71 points (for year 3) and 84 points (for year 7).
• Children in regional and remote locations have consistently lower average numeracy scores, compared to children in major cities. The difference in average scores between children in very remote locations and children in major cities ranged between 111 points (for year 3) and 137 points (for year 7).

Children with a language background other than English (LBOTE) were an exception, as they tended to have higher average numeracy scores than non-LBOTE children.

Literacy

In 2023, girls’ average literacy scores were an average of 17 points higher than boys’ average scores.

Across all year levels, girls outperformed boys in every literacy assessment area. These areas are:

• grammar and punctuation
• reading
• writing
• spelling.

In each of the literacy assessment areas, a larger percentage of girls than boys were in the 'exceeding’ proficiency level.

See full NAPLAN literacy results on the National Assessment Program website. 

Data insights

Numeracy over previous years

In 2022, girls’ and boys’ average numeracy scores decreased for all year levels compared to 2021. The decreases were similar between girls and boys, especially in years 5 and 7. Average scores decreased slightly more for girls in year 3 and boys in year 9.

Between 93% and 96% of girls at each year level scored at or above the minimum standard in numeracy in 2022.

Across all year levels, a smaller percentage of girls than boys achieved at or above the highest band usually achieved in their year group. This is consistent with the 2021 NAPLAN numeracy results.

The differences between diversity groups are similar over time:

• average numeracy scores were consistently lower for First Nations children compared to non-Indigenous children, across all year levels
• children in regional and remote locations have consistently lower average numeracy scores, compared to children in major cities.

Children with a language background other than English (LBOTE) were an exception, as they tended to have higher average numeracy scores than non-LBOTE children over the entire time series.

About the data

As noted above, the time series was reset in 2023. While future results will be able to be compared to 2023 to form a new time series, NAPLAN achievement from 2022 and previous years is not able to be compared with 2023.

From 2023 onwards, student achievement in NAPLAN is reported against 4 levels of proficiency. The standards are set at a challenging but reasonable expectation of what students know and can do at the time of testing. There are 4 proficiency levels: 

• exceeding
• strong
• developing
• needs additional support.

Before 2023, reporting was against numerical NAPLAN bands and national minimum standards. Each of the NAPLAN assessment scales described student achievement from year 3 to year 9 on a 10‑band scale.

The common scale through years 3, 5, 7 and 9 allowed us to monitor the results of all students. The scale was divided into 10 bands to cover the full range of student achievement in the tests. These bands mapped the increasing complexity of the skills NAPLAN assesses.

NAPLAN reporting used 6 bands at each year level. Student achievement usually fell between these ranges:

• Year 3: bands 1 to 6
• Year 5: bands 3 to 8 
• Year 7: bands 4 to 9 
• Year 9: bands 5 to 10.

Read about our methodology.