National Assessment Program
The National Assessment Program (NAP) is run at the direction of Education Ministers. Australian assessments are managed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in collaboration with Test Administration Authorities and international assessments are managed by the Australian Government Department of Education. The NAP includes the following:
Australian assessments
- The National Assessment Program –Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)
- Three-yearly NAP sample assessments for Year 6 and Year 10 in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy
- NAP Opt-in assessments will be phased in from 2024 and are optional assessments for schools with all three test domains listed above available from 2026.
International assessments
- Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
- Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
- Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) annually tests all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the domains of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and Numeracy.
Replacement student NAPLAN reports
Schools can access an additional copy of a student report for the current year from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authorities (QCAA) Portal fileShare app if a parent, other than the primary carer, requests a copy or if a report is lost. Principals can also contact the QCAA to request a NAPLAN report from a previous year. Please note that the QCAA can only take requests from, and provide replacement student reports to, schools for issue to parents/carers.
New Queensland Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance systems
The Queensland Government introduced a new Senior Secondary system in 2019. This has commonly been referred to as the New QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education). This has involved the introduction of new subjects, syllabus and a new assessment program, comprising both internal and external assessments. The QCE is Queensland’s senior secondary schooling qualification. It is internationally recognised and provides evidence of senior schooling achievements. The QCE allows students to choose from a wide range of learning options to suit their interests and career goals.
To receive a QCE, students must achieve the set amount of learning, at the set standard, in a set pattern, while meeting literacy and numeracy requirements.
From 2020, graduating Queensland secondary students were given the opportunity to gain an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), replacing the OP and bringing Queensland into line with other states and territories. ATARs are calculated by Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). Details regarding Tertiary entrance are available through the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s website.