Teachers, educators and preschool services across Australia are helping test and refine a new national formative assessment tool.
The Preschool Outcomes Measure is designed to support teachers and educators to make the most of the preschool year. Using a trusted, evidence-based assessment tool aligned with national learning progressions, it helps them plan children's learning and development in the year before full-time school.
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is delivering a 2-year pilot of the national tool on behalf of Australian, state and territory governments. The pilot is taking place across 2026 and 2027 and builds on a national trial of a prototype tool that took place in 2025.
Participating jurisdictions include Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Western Australia. Queensland, South Australia and Victoria are participating in outcomes measurement using other tools that are aligned to the national learning progressions.
The pilot is testing:
- how easy the national tool is for teachers and educators to use
- if the national tool is beneficial to teachers and educators to support children’s learning and readiness for full-time school
- how it can work in different preschool settings
- if the national tool supports children from diverse cohorts
- how it can support understanding of children's learning and development over time
- what further improvements may be needed.
Around the country, participating teachers, educators and services are:
- undertaking professional learning
- testing the tool in practice
- sharing feedback on their experiences.
Their insights are helping refine the national tool, professional learning and other resources to support the effective use of the tool.
Here’s some of what we have heard from teachers and educators about how they are feeling about being part of the pilot:
"It is a good opportunity to further my skills and to be a part of shaping a tool that will help students to learn and to be the best version of themselves."
"Excitement of being able to use the tool again and help to shape a really usable tool moving forward. It's also really valuable to be able to get a clear snapshot of where the children we assess are at in their learning."
The Preschool Outcomes Measure is designed to support learning and development and it will not be used to rank or compare children, teachers and educators, services or jurisdictions.
Since the pilot began:
- 236 services have joined
- 691 teachers and educators are participating and have already completed over 1,000 assessments
- 25 professional learning sessions have been delivered
Teachers, educators and services are helping shape this important work by contributing their time, expertise and practical experience Learn more about the Preschool Outcomes Measure and how the pilot is being delivered in each state and territory.