August 2026

NAPLAN 2026 National Results released

Latest findings from the 2026 NAPLAN National Results released by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) show signs of improvement from 2023 in national numeracy levels for Australian students in Years 5, 7 and 9, but also highlights some other areas requiring attention.

The national average numeracy scores in Years 5, 7 and 9 are the highest since 2023 when new proficiency levels were introduced, continuing an encouraging pattern in numeracy in Years 5, 7 and 9 identified in last year’s results. However, these gains were not repeated for younger students in Year 3, where the average numeracy score was the lowest since 2023. 

The 2026 NAPLAN National Results also highlighted some other areas needing attention: 

• Average reading scores in Years 5, 7 and 9 are lower than in 2025 
• There has been a slight increase since 2023 in students needing additional support in reading and writing. 

The overall NAPLAN results in 2026 remained broadly stable at a national level, with no reportable changes in average scores between 2026 and 2025, or between 2026 and 2023. Around 2 out of 3 students achieved at the “Strong” or “Exceeding” proficiency level for their reading, numeracy and writing skills, with one in 10 students at the “Needs additional support” level across all year groups and domains. 

Read our media release (PDF 236 KB).

Find out more about the 2026 NAPLAN National Results.