Will the NAPLAN Writing Test Go Back to Pen and Paper? What It Means for Your Child

Where the NAPLAN writing test changes stand

Education ministers are weighing a return to handwriting for the NAPLAN writing test in Years 5, 7 and 9. They have asked ACARA, the authority that runs NAPLAN, for advice. That advice is due in 2027, and the current format continues until ministers decide. Here is how the facts sort out.

Settled

• Year 3 students handwrite their writing response.
• Years 5, 7 and 9 type theirs online.
• Ministers have requested advice on paper for Years 5, 7 and 9.

Open

• Whether ministers adopt the change.
• Which year it would start.
• Whether it would cover all three year levels.

Searches for NAPLAN 2027 changes lead here for a reason. 2027 is when ACARA’s advice is due, so it marks the point when a decision becomes possible.

Is NAPLAN writing done on computer or paper?

It depends on the year level. Year 3 students handwrite into a test booklet, and students in Years 5, 7 and 9 type online. NAPLAN went fully digital in 2022, with Year 3 writing and students with special needs remaining the exceptions, which answers the common question about when NAPLAN writing goes online.

Schools running authority-approved alternative curricula also use paper, so check with your child’s school if you are unsure which format applies.

Why the question has surfaced now

ACARA released the 2026 results on 5 August. Reading averages in Years 5, 7 and 9 sat below 2025, and a slightly larger share of students than in 2023 needed additional support in reading and writing. Year 5 was the only group whose writing improved.

Those NAPLAN writing results in Australia sent policymakers looking for explanations. Education Minister Jason Clare wondered aloud whether long hours spent on short messages are affecting how young people write extended paragraphs. NSW Education Minister Prue Car said she is keen to see what the pen-and-paper advice shows.

A technical fault on the first day of testing also hit the writing test for Years 5, 7 and 9 on the east coast. ACARA said it had no obvious or real impact on the writing test.

Why are NAPLAN writing scores going down? The reports so far list several possible factors, including screen habits, short-form texting and the test platform itself. ACARA’s advice is the next piece of evidence, and a single year of results cannot settle the question.

NAPLAN online vs paper writing: what changes for your child

On a keyboard, a student can fix a weak opening, move a paragraph or add a missing idea without starting again. On paper, each of those fixes costs time and tidiness, so planning carries more weight. Format shapes how a child approaches the NAPLAN writing test. The likely effect is that typed responses show stronger editing and handwritten responses show stronger forethought.

The biggest format switch arrives early. A child who handwrites in Year 3 meets a keyboard in Year 5. If paper returned, that student would handwrite at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and type only for classroom work in between. Year 4 is the bridging year, and it is the natural time to build both skills together.

Readiness looks different for each format:

• Handwriting: a full page without hand fatigue, and letters a stranger can read.
• Typing: finding keys without looking down, and reaching the end of a draft with time to reread.

Does handwriting help children learn better?

A 2024 study in Frontiers in Psychology, by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, recorded brain activity in 36 university students. Connectivity across brain regions was richer when they wrote words by hand than when they typed them.

Other researchers have since questioned the design. Participants typed with one finger, which is unlike everyday typing, and handwriting may simply be slower, which demands more working memory. Co-author Audrey van der Meer herself says a keyboard may suit long texts and essays better.

For a parent, the useful reading is this: handwriting has real value for memory and learning. The study tested adults on single words and measured no NAPLAN outcomes, so it cannot predict how your child will score.

How is NAPLAN writing assessed?

Students receive a prompt and respond in a narrative or persuasive genre, and the genre is revealed on the day. ACARA’s national marking guide scores ten features of the response:

1. Audience
2. Text structure
3. Ideas
4. Persuasive devices (or character and setting, for narrative)
5. Vocabulary
6. Cohesion
7. Paragraphing
8. Sentence structure
9. Punctuation
10. Spelling

Each feature describes the quality of the writing itself, which is why the skills transfer between pen and keyboard. Paragraphing and cohesion are where typed and handwritten drafts tend to differ, so watch those two.

The Two-Format Writing Check: a weekend test you can run at home

This check turns a vague worry into a specific skill to build before the NAPLAN writing test. It takes two short sittings.

1. Pick two prompts of the same genre. Two narrative openers work well, such as “The lights went out at recess.”
2. Saturday, by hand. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Let your child plan and write without help.
3. Sunday, typed. Same timer, second prompt.
4. Compare four things. Did the story reach an ending? Are there paragraph breaks? How many spelling and punctuation slips appear per page? Did the child plan before starting?
5. Read the gap. A stronger typed piece points to handwriting stamina or legibility. A stronger handwritten piece points to keyboard fluency.

A teacher can run the same comparison and mark both pieces against the ten features above, so the next step is specific.

How to improve NAPLAN writing in Year 5

Four habits make the largest practical difference at this stage of preparing for the NAPLAN writing test:

• Plan first. Spend the opening minutes jotting a beginning, a problem and an ending.
• Alternate genres weekly. One narrative, one persuasive, because the genre stays hidden until test day.
• Reserve the last minutes for rereading. Check paragraph breaks and end punctuation.
• Vary sentence openings. A paragraph where every sentence starts with “I” or “Then” loses marks on sentence structure.

Where a qualified teacher adds value

Teachers2You pairs each student with a qualified Australian teacher who is currently working in an Australian school, matched by year level and subject. That teacher can mark a practice response against the same ten features and explain the result in plain language.

Sessions are recorded and lesson notes sit in the Teachers2You Workspace, so your child can revisit feedback before the next piece of writing. The same tutor stays with your child, which lets feedback build from week to week. Families can explore NAPLAN preparation for Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9, or read our guide to preparing for NAPLAN. Broader writing support sits within online English tutoring.

What to do while the decision is pending

A change of format would move a few marks around. Clear planning, varied sentences and tidy paragraphs earn credit on either surface, so the NAPLAN writing test rewards the same habits whichever way ministers decide.

If you would like a Teachers2You teacher to run the Two-Format Writing Check with your child and mark it against the ten features, book a free consultation.

FAQs

1. Will NAPLAN go back to pen and paper? Education ministers asked ACARA for advice on returning the NAPLAN writing test to paper for Years 5, 7 and 9. Nothing is confirmed. ACARA’s advice is due in 2027, so the test stays online until then.
2. Is NAPLAN writing done on computer or paper? It depends on the year level. Year 3 students handwrite their writing response, while students in Years 5, 7 and 9 type theirs on screen. Some students with special needs complete it on paper instead.
3. What year does NAPLAN writing go online? Students first type their NAPLAN writing response in Year 5. NAPLAN became fully digital in 2022, while Year 3 writing stayed on paper, so Year 5 is the first year of online writing for most students.
4. What are the NAPLAN 2027 changes? The 2027 date relates to ACARA’s advice on paper testing. The NAPLAN writing test format stays as is until education ministers decide, so check nap.edu.au for official updates and any confirmed dates.
5. How is NAPLAN writing assessed? ACARA’s marking guide assesses 10 features: audience, text structure, ideas, persuasive devices or character and setting, vocabulary, cohesion, paragraphing, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling.
6. Why are NAPLAN writing scores going down? Reports list several possible factors, including screen habits, short-form texting and the test platform. Year 5 was the only group to improve its writing in 2026. ACARA’s advice is the next evidence.
7. Does handwriting help children learn better? A 2024 Norwegian study found richer brain connectivity when 36 young adults handwrote words than when they typed. It did not test NAPLAN results, so it cannot predict how a child will score on NAPLAN.
8. How can I improve NAPLAN writing in Year 5? Plan before writing, alternate narrative and persuasive practice each week, reread for paragraphs and punctuation, and vary sentence openings. One timed practice response a week builds a strong habit.
9. Should my child practise typing or handwriting for NAPLAN? Practise both. Years 5, 7 and 9 type today while paper may return. Try the Two-Format Writing Check: one timed handwritten piece, one typed piece, then compare endings, paragraphs and spelling errors.
10. Can an online tutor help with the NAPLAN writing test? Yes. A Teachers2You tutor is a qualified Australian teacher working in an Australian school, and can assess a practice response against the ten features. Book a free consultation to get started today.