NAPLAN Numeracy: Topics Tested Year by Year
Which maths topics NAPLAN Numeracy tests at Year 3 versus Year 5, how the content steps up, and free example questions for each year.
NAPLAN Numeracy follows the Australian Curriculum, so the topics are predictable — and they build clearly from Year 3 to Year 5. Knowing what sits at each level helps you see whether a wobble is a genuine gap or simply content your child hasn't been taught yet. Here's the map, with free example questions for both years.
The three strands
At every year level, Numeracy draws from three broad strands of the curriculum:
- Number and Algebra — place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals, patterns and simple equations.
- Measurement and Geometry — length, area, volume, time, money, angles, 2D and 3D shapes, position and maps.
- Statistics and Probability — reading and interpreting data, and everyday chance.
Both Year 3 and Year 5 sit Numeracy without a calculator, online, using the adaptive format (since 2023). The difference is the depth within each strand.
Year 3 topics
| Strand | Typical Year 3 content |
|---|---|
| Number & Algebra | Place value to thousands, addition and subtraction, simple multiplication and division, halves and quarters, counting patterns |
| Measurement & Geometry | Reading scales and clocks, money to a few dollars, everyday length and mass, naming 2D and 3D shapes, position |
| Statistics & Probability | Reading simple tallies, picture graphs and column graphs |
Try a few Year 3 examples — tap a choice to grade it and read the explanation.
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Year 5 topics
| Strand | What's added by Year 5 |
|---|---|
| Number & Algebra | Larger numbers, longer multiplication and division, fractions and decimals, simple ratios, and multi-step word problems |
| Measurement & Geometry | Area and volume, converting units, angles, coordinates and maps, and more demanding time and money problems |
| Statistics & Probability | Interpreting more complex data displays and describing chance |
Here is the same strand set, a level up.
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The real skill: reading the problem
Across both years, a lot of NAPLAN Numeracy is reasoning dressed up as arithmetic. The numbers are usually manageable; the challenge is deciding which operation the problem calls for. That's why word problems can trip up a child who is perfectly comfortable with the sums themselves. The fix isn't more arithmetic drill — it's practice at reading a problem slowly, underlining what's asked, and choosing the step.
How to use this map
If your child struggles with, say, decimals in Year 5, check where it sits: decimals are a Year 5 addition, so a Year 4 child meeting them for the first time simply hasn't been taught them yet — not a cause for concern. Match practice to what's actually on their year's test, keep sessions short, and talk the mistakes through.
Try a full free set for Year 3 or Year 5 (no sign-up), see the literacy side in NAPLAN Language Conventions explained, or read what changes between Year 3 and Year 5.