Australia’s latest NAPLAN results show continued improvement in numeracy achievement, while reading performance, Year 3 numeracy and persistent equity gaps remain priorities for schools and education authorities.
Australian students have continued to improve in numeracy since the introduction of the revised NAPLAN proficiency standards in 2023, according to the 2026 National Results released by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
Participation levels in Tasmania were too low in 2026 to support valid reporting of achievement, with education ministers agreeing not to publish state-level NAPLAN results after industrial action significantly reduced participation in government schools. National participation was also affected by localised flooding in the Northern Territory.
The national results show average numeracy scores for students in Years 5, 7 and 9 are the highest since the proficiency scale was reset in 2023, with more students achieving the highest “Exceeding” proficiency level and fewer requiring additional support. There was also a reportable increase in the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieving the “Exceeding” proficiency level in numeracy in Years 7 and 9.
ACARA CEO Stephen Gniel said NAPLAN remained an important national measure of student achievement.
“As the only national assessment that lets us see whether young Australians are developing critical literacy and numeracy skills, NAPLAN provides valuable information on how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time using a national, objective scale.”
Mr Gniel said the improvements reflected the work of educators across Australia.
“All these improvements are testament to the exceptional work and commitment of our amazing teachers, principals and school staff around the country, as well as parents and carers and the students themselves.”
Despite the positive trend in numeracy, the report identifies several areas requiring continued attention.
Year 3 students recorded the lowest average numeracy score since 2023, while average reading scores in Years 5, 7 and 9 declined compared with 2025. There has also been a slight increase since 2023 in the proportion of students requiring additional support in reading and writing. Overall, national performance remained broadly stable, with no reportable change in average scores compared with either 2025 or 2023. Around two-thirds of students achieved the “Strong” or “Exceeding” proficiency level across reading, writing and numeracy, while around one in 10 students were assessed as needing additional support across all year groups and domains.
Mr Gniel described the Year 3 numeracy results as “clearly concerning”, noting that education ministers are addressing the issue through the rollout of the national Year 1 numeracy check. He said ACARA was also reviewing the Foundation to Year 2 Mathematics curriculum to help ensure younger students develop stronger mathematical foundations.
He said the latest results reinforced the need to focus on literacy and educational equity.
“The latest results have also highlighted some other areas that need our collective action, particularly the decline in Years 5, 7 and 9 average reading scores since last year, and the increase in the number of students in the ‘Needs additional support’ category in reading and writing since 2023.”
“It is also disheartening to see disparities persisting over the years in the attainment of students from our regional and remote areas, Indigenous students and those from a disadvantaged background. This needs to be a continuing focus for all in the coming years.”
The demographic results continue to reflect longstanding trends across Australian education. Female students outperformed male students in literacy, particularly writing, while male students generally achieved stronger results in numeracy. Students from higher socio-educational backgrounds consistently outperformed those from lower socio-educational backgrounds, while students attending major city schools achieved stronger results than those in very remote areas. Indigenous students also remained significantly more likely to require additional support in both reading and numeracy than non-Indigenous students.
National participation remained high overall, with more than 95 per cent of students in Years 3, 5 and 7 completing at least one NAPLAN assessment and more than 92 per cent of Year 9 students participating.
ACARA also noted that a technical issue affecting the national online testing platform disrupted the first day of testing for some Year 5, 7 and 9 students completing the writing assessment. While national writing results remained similar to last year, a caveat has been included in the 2026 reporting for those year levels because of the varied impacts on schools and students.
Mr Gniel reminded parents and carers that NAPLAN should be viewed as one element of a school’s assessment program rather than a high-stakes test.
“NAPLAN is not a pass or fail test – and it shouldn’t be used as a proxy for school entrance exams. It’s a point-in-time test that helps us understand students’ strengths and areas for development, and is one aspect of a school’s assessment program.”
More than 1.2 million students from more than 9,400 schools and campuses completed approximately 4.8 million online NAPLAN tests in March 2026.