5 NAPLAN Preparation Techniques That Reduce Anxiety and Improve Results

NAPLAN tests skills built over years, not weeks. These five strategies help Australian students get comfortable with the format without the anxiety that comes from last-minute cramming.

These techniques are drawn from cognitive science research and the experience of Australian parents who have seen them work at home. They complement the structured learning on BrightPath — you don't need special materials, a teaching background, or extra time. Most take five to twenty minutes and slot into existing family routines.

1. Practice writing under time pressure weekly

Set 25 minutes and give your child a random prompt — "Write about a time you changed your mind" or "Should students have phones at school? Argue your case." The persuasive and narrative writing tasks in NAPLAN are very predictable in format, if not topic. Weekly practice internalises the structure so your child can focus on content, not format, on the day.

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2. Read questions before the passage

In NAPLAN reading comprehension, scan all the questions before reading the passage. This primes your brain to look for relevant information instead of reading passively and then having to go back. For students who run out of time in reading tasks — a common issue — this single habit can significantly reduce the amount of rereading required.

3. Normalise the format, not the stakes

Use past NAPLAN papers as "just another practice session", not a test. Anxiety is one of the biggest performance killers in NAPLAN, especially for capable students who have absorbed their parents' stress about it. Familiarity with the exact format — the interface, the question types, the timing — removes the "unknown" element that triggers anxiety. ACARA publishes free past papers on their website.

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4. Study spelling patterns instead of word lists

Instead of memorising lists, teach the underlying pattern: words ending in -tion, -cian, -ous, -ible versus -able. One pattern teaches 50 words; one word list teaches 20. The NAPLAN spelling items consistently target common patterns, not random words. Understanding why "sufficient" is spelled that way is more powerful than memorising the word in isolation.

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5. Teach the "flag and move on" habit

Run out of time on question 18 because of question 9 — that's the most common avoidable NAPLAN mistake. Teach your child to flag difficult questions, skip them, finish everything else, and return with whatever time remains. This sounds simple but requires practice to become automatic under pressure. Build it into every timed practice session.

Making these techniques stick

The most effective approach is to pick one technique from this list and try it consistently for two weeks before adding another. Attempting five new habits at once typically results in none of them sticking. One habit, done consistently, compounds into lasting change — which is exactly the kind of foundation that makes the BrightPath curriculum work faster for students who also practise these techniques at home.

If you'd like to see where your child's specific gaps are — so you know which of these techniques to prioritise — BrightPath's free diagnostic assessment takes about fifteen minutes and maps your child's strengths and gaps against the Australian Curriculum v9 strand by strand.