What Changes in Year 5
By Year 5, students are expected to read longer and more complex texts, write with greater structure and detail, and solve multi-step numeracy problems. The test length increases and question difficulty ramps up from Year 3.
Test Structure for Year 5
- Reading: 50 minutes — longer passages with more inferential questions
- Writing: 42 minutes (online) — narrative or persuasive prompt
- Conventions of Language: 45 minutes — more advanced spelling and grammar
- Numeracy: 50 minutes — fractions, decimals, measurement and data interpretation
Key Skills Tested
Reading
Students must identify main ideas, make inferences, understand cause and effect, and compare information across different texts. Questions include multiple-choice, drag-and-drop and short-answer formats.
Writing
The persuasive genre becomes more prominent. Students are assessed on audience engagement, text structure, idea development, vocabulary choices, punctuation and spelling.
Numeracy
Topics include fractions and decimals, multiplication and division of larger numbers, area and perimeter, angles, and reading more complex graphs and tables.
Preparation Tips
- Practise estimating and checking answers to build number sense
- Read non-fiction books and news articles to develop inference skills
- Write persuasive paragraphs on everyday topics (e.g., "Why we should have a longer lunch break")
- Use the ACARA public demonstration site to familiarise your child with the online test format
Related Guides
- Year 3 NAPLAN Guide — the foundation
- Year 7 NAPLAN Guide — what comes next
- NAPLAN Writing Guide — narrative vs persuasive