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While most parents and students are familiar with NAPLAN, its recent transition online has left many with questions and doubts. We have attempted to answer all these questions here:<\/p>\n
When?<\/h2>\n
“Federal, state and territory education ministers agreed that all schools will gradually transition from the current paper-based tests to the computer-based assessments, with the aim for all schools to undertake NAPLAN Online by 2021”.<\/strong><\/p>\n Each NAPLAN Online test will be completed through a real-time internet connection or without an internet connection. The new test will assess a student\u2019s knowledge and their ability to apply this knowledge to solve real-world problems. Research shows that children\u2019s engagement increases when completing a test on a computer and when the questions appear relevant to their lives, two elements which have been successfully incorporated into NAPLAN Online.<\/p>\n All question types are keyboard accessible. Where applicable, there are tests that provide adjustments (audio and visual alternative questions, and five colour themes), which may improve accessibility for some students with disability to access NAPLAN Online. Students with a disability should undertake the demonstration tests at their school, to help determine what accessibility adjustments they may require.<\/p>\n NAPLAN Online will be able to adapt the questions provided to students based on their previous answers and assumed ability. This will be achieved by taking advantage of technology and using carefully crafted algorithms to provide the most relevant questions to students. This will allow educators to gain a better understanding of a student\u2019s understanding and ability. For example, if a student is confidently solving questions correctly, the test will begin to provide more challenging questions. On the other hand, if a student is at a below-average level or struggling with the exam, more basic questions will appear.<\/p>\n By tailoring the exam to the level of each student, teachers are able to gain a more detailed and accurate understanding of how their students are progressing and how they compare to other students across Australia.<\/p>\n In the case of the top performing student, the online exam can provide a more accurate distribution of their ability against other high achieving students as well as help their teacher appropriately stimulate them to maintain their engagement in learning. For the student who is slightly more behind, the online test can provide questions that assess their foundational knowledge and avoid the challenging questions which may damage their self-confidence. By removing the questions that have been designed to challenge and segment top performers, educators can gain a more detailed understanding of a student\u2019s strengths and gaps, allowing them to create a more specific learning plan.<\/p>\n As mentioned above, NAPLAN Online will use a special algorithm to simultaneously mark each student\u2019s exam whilst they are completing it to provide more relevant and level specific questions. This means that the exams will be marked, and results distributed to students, parents, and educators quicker than ever before. This allow the students who require assistance the opportunity to seek this help sooner whilst allowing the more advanced students to be given opportunities to excel in the classroom.<\/p>\n We know that tests can be intimidating, especially for year 3 students who may not have had to complete an exam before. The truth is, whether it\u2019s a child\u2019s first exam or their 100th, it is often quite a daunting experience. Therefore, we recommend NAPLAN practice and preparation to familiarise students with what to expect in terms of the types of questions, how to work in exam conditions and which questions they are allowed to ask the exam supervisors. Make sure your child has a thorough understanding of the structure of the exams. This includes exam dates, knowing the time given for each paper, amount of questions, type of questions and how to navigate the new online test portal. A number of these resources can be found on the NAP Website<\/a>, the official NAPLAN website.<\/p>\n Completing past papers<\/a> is the best way for students to become familiar with the wording, style, and types of questions they will be given. NAPLAN has a unique and repetitive structure\/layout, so working through past papers is extremely useful to students of all years completing NAPLAN. All past papers have solutions to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses, helping them decide what to focus on in preparation for the actual exams.<\/p>\n Students should review their mistakes, not just simply mark the paper and write a final score. Students should reattempt questions they solved incorrectly or work through the solution with a parent, older sibling, or tutor. Revisiting these mistakes is just as important as completing the paper as understanding and avoiding these errors in future will be critical to performing well in NAPLAN.<\/p>\n One of the most common mistakes students make in an exam is not planning their time and running out of time to finish the test. This can be avoided if they are taught how to plan themselves and best utilise their time. Students should have an already established strategy prior to entering the exam \u2013 things to consider include:<\/p>\n To discover which strategy works best for each child, we recommend they complete several past papers and try NAPLAN practice online, and engaging in small experiments to trial what strategies work best for them, and which don\u2019t. They can then use this information to establish a preferred method that they can replicate in the exam.<\/p>\n Once students understand how to manage their time, they must complete exam papers under exam conditions. Exam conditions include sitting in a silent room without distractions, setting a timer and completing the paper without assistance. This environment can be intimidating for students who are unfamiliar with it and therefore it is vital that they become comfortable with it prior to the first exam.<\/p>\n It is important for students to study consistently, not constantly, to avoid them feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by their preparation. As educators, we hope that students enjoy the process and see the value in their study and efforts. Constantly practicing for the exam may cause the student to burn out and underperform in the actual exam. Therefore, we recommend practicing NAPLAN questions for 40 minutes to an hour at least 2 or 3 times a week as opposed to cramming in all study the week before.<\/p>\n Rather than focusing on exam marks, we should encourage students to focus on the process of learning. If your child has never completed an exam or has not discovered there unique exam preparation style, we encourage you to celebrate and enjoy the journey of identifying strengths, weaknesses and study style with them, using NAPLAN as a goal to work towards.<\/p>\n Everyone is different and learns differently, so it\u2019s important to try at least a few different learning methods. Sometimes it can be boring or ineffective to simply do the same thing over and over again, so changing it up will be the key to enjoying consistent study. Some ideas to make study more enjoyable include:<\/p>\n Parents are not expected to be experts in NAPLAN, nor to have the time to thoroughly prepare their children for the exam. As such, seeking assistance from experts, such as Maths Words not Squiggles<\/a>, can be helpful in ensuring students perform their best in the exam. This includes preparing students for the types of questions they will expect, navigating the new, online platform, understanding the expectations of exams and which questions they can ask, managing their time, avoiding silly mistakes, learning to perform under pressure, and more! Students may seek weekly Maths<\/a> or English tuition<\/a> at a primary<\/a> or high school<\/a> level or enrol into our intensive (but enjoyable) NAPLAN Preparation Courses<\/a> to best prepare for the exams.<\/p>\n It’s really important that parents and students treat exam day like a normal day. This includes waking up at the same time, eating the same breakfast, packing a usual lunch, etc. Changing up anything on the day of the exam can add to any existing anxieties and create unease. Exam day is just like any other day and the usual routine will help reinforce this.<\/p>\n As parents and teachers, we should remind our children and students that it is just an exam and no matter what happens, everything will be okay! We should encourage and praise efforts, as opposed to results, and remove pressure and stress from our kids. It is likely that the marks each student receives will not be a surprise, but rather a reflection of their school reports, teacher’s comments, and overall educational performance. NAPLAN results should be used as a benchmark for student performance and a guide for where students should direct extra effort.<\/p>\n The idea of completing a NAPLAN Online test can be daunting for some. Especially for parents who completed NAPLAN themselves or had older children sit the exam with a pen and paper. In saying this, the online exam has been trialled over the past few years and the results have been promising. It is exciting to see Australia taking advantage of technology to provide more accurate assessments with faster results. As educators, we are able to create more tailored learning programs for our students and as parents, you can gain a better understanding of your child\u2019s performance, allowing you to assist them in any way you can.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While most parents and students are familiar with NAPLAN, its recent transition online has left many with questions and doubts. We have attempted to answer all these questions here: When? “Federal, state and territory education ministers agreed that all schools will gradually transition from the current paper-based tests to the computer-based assessments, with the aim […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":7001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,4,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-for-parents","category-blog","category-naplan"],"yoast_head":"\nHow does NAPLAN Online work?<\/h2>\n
NAPLAN Online will be a “better assessment” for 3 reasons:<\/h2>\n
1. The exams will be tailored to each student.<\/h3>\n
2. The exams will be more accurate & relevant.<\/h3>\n
3. Faster turnaround for results.<\/h3>\n
How can you prepare for NAPLAN Online?<\/h2>\n
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Preparing for NAPLAN Online – Top Tips<\/h2>\n
\nTo help our students prepare for NAPLAN, we have shared our top 10 tips:<\/p>\nTip 1: Know the Structure<\/h3>\n
Tip 2: Practice with Past Papers<\/h3>\n
Tip 3: Review Mistakes<\/h3>\n
Tip 4: Plan Your Time!<\/h3>\n
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Tip 5: Practice with Pressure<\/h3>\n
Tip 6: Practice Consistently but not Constantly<\/h3>\n
Tip 7: Place the Focus on Learning Rather than Results<\/h3>\n
Tip 8: Practice Different Learning Approaches<\/h3>\n
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Tip 9: Seek Extra Assistance from Experts<\/h3>\n
Tip 10: Maintain Routine on Exam Day<\/h3>\n
Tip 11: Remember, it’s just an exam!<\/h3>\n
Final Thought:<\/h2>\n