NAP Opt-in assessment – information for schools

From 2024, Australian schools can enrol Year 6 and Year 10 students to take part in NAP Opt-in assessments in key curriculum areas.

These new assessments are part of the National Assessment Program and completely optional for schools. These new assessments will be phased in over 3 years, starting with science literacy in 2024. Civics and citizenship will be added in 2025, followed by ICT (information and communication technology) literacy in 2026.

From 2026, NAP Opt-in assessments in all 3 domains will be available each year.

In May 2024, the first optional assessment in Science Literacy was completed successfully. The feedback collected from participating schools was positive and informative, and this has helped to inform further improvement for the second rollout of the NAP Opt-in assessments in 2025. 

In 2025, the following domains will be available in for schools to participate: 

  • Science Literacy 

  • Civics and Citizenship  

The value to schools

Schools taking part in NAP Opt-in assessment will be able to: 

  1. Measure student performance against national standards in key curriculum areas beyond literacy and numeracy. 
  2. Use the results (available only to the participating school and no one else) to review, plan and adapt teaching and learning programs, and share with the school community if they wish. 
  3. Run the assessments using a self-service platform at a time that suits them in the testing window. 

Registering for NAP Opt-in assessment in science literacy 2024

Registration opens 25 March 2025 and closes 29 April 2025. There is no fee for schools  to take part in this assessment.

School principals can register their school at www.assessform.edu.au. ACARA will verify the school’s registration details and send confirmation to the email address provided.

See the principal registration quick guide (PDF 188 KB). 

NAP Opt-in assessments helpdesk email: [email protected]  

Preparing for NAP Opt-in assessment in science literacy 2024

Schools self-administer the NAP Opt-in assessment in science literacy via the platform www.assessform.edu.au. This is the same platform schools use already for NAPLAN assessments and so it will be familiar.

Principals use the platform to:

  • nominate their school technical support officer, NAP coordinator and test administrator.

Ahead of the testing window, schools will: 

  • access training manuals and guides on this website
  • carry out technical preparation including device checks 
  • select their preferred assessment dates
  • enrol students.

Schools do not have to enrol all students in Years 6 and 10. Schools can enrol both years, or one year, or individual classes of students within either year. When schools enrol full-year cohorts, they benefit from more data for school-wide planning. 

All the students are enrolled in both the domains, science literacy and civics and citizenship, by default. Schools can choose to participate in both the domains, or only one domain. 

The assessment for each domain can be done simultaneously or at a different time, depending on the school setting and school preference. 

Receiving results

ACARA will: 

  • mark the assessments and analyse the assessment data 

  • provide principals with school-level reports which can be access from the platform 

 

Note: ACARA will not make a school's results public – only a participating school can see its results. Schools can use the information to review, plan and adapt teaching and learning programs.  

Privacy

Personal information about students and school staff is collected to enable the administration of NAP Opt-in tests. See:

Key dates 

  • School registration and enrolment window: 25 March 2025 – 29 April 2025 

  • Test window: Monday 5 May – Friday 30 May 2025  

  • School Report window: July to August  

More information

Schools can find more information and Frequently Asked Questions in our NAP-Opt-In Assessments 2025 Information Sheet (PDF 236 KB)