When is NAPLAN 2027?

NAPLAN 2027 runs across a two-week window in March. Here are the dates, which year levels sit it, what happens on day one, and what to do if your child is away — so you can plan the term around it.

The 2027 dates

The NAPLAN 2027 testing window is Wednesday 10 March to Monday 22 March 2027. Schools schedule the individual tests on different days within that window, but there is one fixed point: all schools sit the Writing test first, on day one — Wednesday 10 March. The remaining tests (Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy) are completed across the fortnight.

Future windows follow the same early-March pattern — for reference, 2028 is 15–27 March and 2029 is 14–26 March — but always confirm the current dates on the official site below before planning around them.

Which years sit it

As in every year, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit NAPLAN in 2027. Each of those years takes the four tests:

• Writing — one piece (narrative or persuasive); sat first, on day one.
• Reading — understanding and interpreting a range of texts.
• Conventions of Language — spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Numeracy — number, measurement, space and problem solving.

Online, with one paper exception

NAPLAN is a computer-based, adaptive test — the questions adjust to how a child is answering. The one exception for 2027, as in recent years, is the Year 3 Writing task, which is handwritten on paper.

If your child is away

You don't need to panic about a single sick day. Schools can arrange a catch-up test on another day within the same 10–22 March window for students who are absent on a scheduled test day. Talk to your child's school as early as you can if you know about an absence in advance.

For the official timetable, rules and any updates, always check the National Assessment Program key dates (nap.edu.au) — dates can change, and the official site is the source of truth.

Frequently asked questions