NAPLAN & OLNA
OLNA, Term 2 Weeks 2 – 3, 2026
This is a reminder that some Year 12 and Year 11 students, along with a small number of Year 10 students who were unable to complete their first round of the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) in Term 4, 2025, are scheduled to sit the OLNA in Term 2. The assessment period will run from Tuesday, 28 April to Friday, 8 May 2026.
The OLNA provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate the minimum standards of literacy and numeracy required for the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) awards the WACE at the end of Year 12 to students who have successfully met all requirements.
The OLNA consists of three components: Writing, Reading and Numeracy. The Reading and Numeracy assessments each consist of 45 multiple-choice questions, while the Writing component requires an extended response of up to 600 words. Students are allocated 50 minutes for both the Reading and Numeracy components, and 60 minutes for Writing.
If your child is unwell during the first week of testing, the Reading and Numeracy components may be rescheduled to the second week of the testing window. Please note, however, that the Writing component must be completed within the first two days of the testing window.
Students who have previously attempted the OLNA will have received feedback outlining the skills and understandings requiring further development. They are encouraged to use the OLNA Support website (https://olna.com.au) to develop these areas. To maximise their chances of success, students should aim to complete the relevant Skill Builders for at least one hour, twice per week, in the lead-up to the assessment period. This will also support familiarity with the test format.
Students are asked to check their Compass timetable for any adjustments in the week prior to testing. All assessments will take place during Period 2, CORE and Period 3. Students sitting assessments in Period 3 will continue into the start of Period 4 and then return to their regular class. Testing will be conducted in Rooms C115 and C116, where attendance will be recorded. Please ensure that your child is aware of their individual test requirements, including dates, times and locations.
To further prepare students for the sorts of questions they can expect and familiarise them with the online assessment software, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority provides access to practice and example tests on a secure website. Access to the secure website for practice and example tests is as follows:
Website: http://assess.scsa.wa.edu.au/
Username: 4002
Password: prac14.
If you want to know more, go to the Authority’s website (www.scsa.wa.edu.au) and look under Senior Secondary > Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment. You will find more information, answers to frequently asked questions, and a brief video.
2026 NAPLAN
Our Year 7 and Year 9 students are to be commended for the organised and diligent manner in which they have approached the NAPLAN assessments. While the majority of students will have completed their tests by Friday, 20 March, a small number will sit catch-up sessions on Monday, 23 March.
At the start of Term 3, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) will release individual student NAPLAN reports. These will be shared with teachers, parents and students shortly thereafter.
As a reminder, NAPLAN results are reported across four proficiency levels: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs Additional Support. The ‘Strong’ level includes a benchmark aligned with the minimum standard expected by the end of Year 12 to meet WACE Literacy and Numeracy requirements; however, a result within the ‘Strong’ level does not automatically indicate that the minimum standard has been achieved.
Consequently, Year 9 students will also receive an OLNA report alongside their NAPLAN report, indicating whether they have met the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) Literacy and Numeracy standard. A result of 3* indicates that the standard has been met, while an NSA indicates that the standard has not been met, and the student will be required to complete the relevant OLNA component. Parents are strongly encouraged to download or print copies of these reports for their records.
To meet the WACE Literacy and Numeracy standard, students have two pathways. They may pre-qualify by achieving the minimum standard in the Year 9 NAPLAN, or they may meet the requirement by successfully completing the relevant components of the OLNA between Years 9 and 12.
If you have any queries or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 9314 9362 or donna.levar-uppill@education.wa.edu.au.
NAP–Science Literacy
Each year, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) complete a sample test of Year 10 students from across Australia in either civics and citizenship, information and communication technology literacy, or science literacy.
This year, twenty Year 10 students from Applecross Senior High School will be randomly selected to participate in the online Science Literacy assessment. Students are not expected to study for this assessment, and no individual schools or students will be identified in this report's findings.
Selected students and their parents will be notified once the selection process has been finalised, along with confirmation of the official testing date.
If you would like to know more, please use the link below to access the flyer for parents/carers:
If you have any queries or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 9314 9362 or donna.levar-uppill@education.wa.edu.au
Donna Levar-Uppill, School Assessment Coordinator