Each year, select groups of students are chosen to participate in one of the three sample assessments that are an ongoing part of Australia's National Assessment Program (NAP). Schools may also elect to participate in NAP Opt-in assessments.
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What are the NAP sample assessments?
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) administers 3 NAP sample assessments nationally: NAP-Civics and Citizenship (NAP-CC), NAP-Science Literacy (NAP-SL), and NAP-Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy (NAP-ICTL).
Each assessment is administered online, once every 3 years on a rolling basis. Students most recently sat NAP-ICTL in 2025, NAP-CC in 2024, and NAP-SL in 2023. NAP-SL will next be administered in 2026.
NAP-ICT Literacy
NAP-ICTL assesses students’ general ICT skills and knowledge, including their ability to access, manage and evaluate information, develop new understandings and communicate through ICT products, and how to use digital tools appropriately. The ICTL test is delivered in schools through software designed to reflect how students use digital tools in their lives and aims to build students’ capacity to become literate, creative and productive users of ICT.
Further information about NAP-ICTL is available on ACARA’s NAP-ICTL webpage. The 2025 NAP-ICTL report will be published in early 2026.
NAP-Civics and Citizenship
NAP-CC assesses students’ knowledge of Australia’s system of governance, such as how our political and legal systems operate, the nature of citizenship, and how the people, as citizens, choose their governments.
Further information about NAP-CC, including the 2024 NAP-CC National Report, is available on ACARA’s NAmkP-CC webpage.
Science Literacy
NAP-SL assesses how well students can apply their knowledge of science learnt at school to interpret information on scientific issues, ask questions, conduct investigations, make decisions and communicate their findings, and utilise problem solving skills.
Further information regarding NAP-SL, including the 2023 NAP-SL National Report, is available on ACARA’s NAP-SL webpage.
Why do Australian schools participate in the sample assessments?
NAP sample assessments are part of the greater NAP, which is used to monitor and report on student achievement in a comparable and consistent way. The 3 sample assessments complement NAPLAN, international assessments, and opt-in assessments by providing information on student progress in key learning areas.
These assessments provide invaluable information to schools, Education Ministers, and the community about the level of science, civics and citizenship, and ICT literacy among sample Year 6 and Year 10 cohorts. Results are utilised to drive improved teaching and learning to improve outcomes for all students.
Where and how are NAP sample assessments results reported?
Each year, ACARA releases a detailed national report on the sample assessment from the previous year.
The national reports each include a comparison of results for each jurisdiction and a breakdown of the national results that shows how students in specific demographic groups are achieving. Results are disaggregated by gender, Indigenous status, non-English speaking background, geolocation, parental occupation, and parental education level.
Past national results for all NAP sample assessments are available on ACARA’s Results and Reports webpage.
What are the NAP Opt-in assessments?
From 2024, schools have been able to enrol Year 6 and Year 10 students to take part in NAP Opt-in assessments in 3 key curriculum areas, which are being phased in over 3 years, commencing with Science Literacy. Civics and Citizenship was added as an available assessment in 2025, and ICT will be added in 2026. From 2026, all 3 Opt-in assessments will be available to schools. NAP Opt-in participation is entirely voluntary.
Participation in NAP Opt-in assessments gives schools the ability to measure student performance against national standards in key curriculum areas beyond literacy and numeracy, use the results (only available to the participating school) to review and adapt teaching and learning practices, and administer the assessments at a time that suits them within the testing window.
Further information about NAP Opt-in assessments, including how schools can register, is available on ACARA’s NAP Opt-in webpage.