Year 9 is the last time students sit NAPLAN, and the final national check on literacy and numeracy before they choose their senior subjects and begin working towards the VCE, HSC, QCE, WACE or SACE. This analysis covers the 2026 Year 9 NAPLAN results released by ACARA. It compares every state and territory across all five domains, tracks results since 2023, looks back as far as 2008 and measures how much students have grown since Year 7.
Key Takeaways
- Year 9 reading recorded the largest fall of any year level in 2026, dropping 5.5 points to 562.2. Only 62.0% of students were at Strong or above, a statistically significant decline (ACARA, 2026).
- Grammar and punctuation also fell significantly, and with just 54.0% of students at Strong or above, it's the weakest Year 9 domain.
- Year 9 numeracy is at its highest level since 2023 (573.9), and the share of students at Exceeding has risen from 9.9% to 13.3%.
- Western Australia is the standout state, with the strongest long-term improvement and the strongest growth from Year 7 to Year 9.
- The gender gap in writing is the widest of any year level: 68.1% of girls are at Strong or above compared with 52.0% of boys.
- Over the long term, Year 9 results have barely changed since 2008, and Tasmania's 2026 results were not reported.
What Is NAPLAN?
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a national assessment held each year in March for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It tests foundational skills in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
NAPLAN isn't a test of content knowledge. It measures how well students apply literacy and numeracy skills developed over time through the school curriculum. Governments, schools and teachers use the results to track progress nationally and identify where support is needed.
Why Is NAPLAN Done in Year 9?
Year 9 is the final NAPLAN assessment. It shows:
- Whether students have the literacy and numeracy foundations they need for senior secondary study.
- How much students have grown since Year 7, and across their whole schooling since Year 3.
- Where support is still needed before students begin their senior years.
For parents, Year 9 NAPLAN is the last national snapshot of their child's skills before subject selection, and a chance to close any gaps before the senior years begin.
What Are the Proficiency Levels?
Since 2023, NAPLAN results have been reported using four proficiency levels:
- Exceeding: The student's result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.
- Strong: The student's result meets challenging but reasonable expectations.
- Developing: The student is working towards expectations.
- Needs additional support: The student is not achieving the expected learning outcomes and is likely to need additional support.
Students at Strong or Exceeding are considered to be meeting expectations. There's no official target, but many schools aim to have at least two-thirds (66%) of their students at Strong or above.
What Domains Are Assessed?
- Reading: Understanding, interpreting and analysing a range of written texts.
- Writing: Writing a narrative or persuasive piece, assessed on structure, ideas, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.
- Spelling: Applying spelling patterns and rules correctly.
- Grammar and punctuation: Using sentence structure, verb agreement, capitalisation and punctuation correctly.
- Numeracy: Solving problems across number, algebra, measurement, geometry and statistics.
Important Notes About the 2026 Results
- Tasmania wasn't reported. Industrial action led to low participation in Tasmanian government schools, well below ACARA's reporting standard. Education ministers agreed not to publish Tasmanian state-level results for 2026, so Tasmania appears in the trend charts only up to 2025.
- Writing results come with a caveat. A technical issue with the national NAPLAN platform disrupted the writing test on the first morning of testing, mainly for schools on the east coast and only for Years 5, 7 and 9. National writing scores remained similar to last year, but ACARA has flagged the 2026 Year 9 writing results with a caveat.
- Participation is lower in Year 9. Around 89% to 90% of Year 9 students sat each test, compared with about 94% in Year 3. Participation was lower in Queensland (around 83% to 85%) and the Northern Territory (around 70%).
- Not every change is meaningful. ACARA tests whether each change is statistically significant. Smaller jurisdictions like the ACT and the Northern Territory can swing several points from year to year without it being a real change, so we highlight which movements ACARA classifies as significant.
A Longer View: Year 9 NAPLAN Since 2008
NAPLAN has been running since 2008, but in 2023 the test moved from May to March and results began being reported on a new scale with the four proficiency levels. Because of this, scores from 2008 to 2022 can't be compared directly with scores from 2023 onwards. We show the two periods separately, but together they reveal how Year 9 skills have changed over almost two decades.
Source: ACARA NAPLAN results 2008–2022 (pre-2023 scale; not comparable with 2023 onwards). No NAPLAN in 2020.
| Domain | First year | 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar and Punctuation | 569.1 (2008) | 573.3 | +4.2 |
| Numeracy | 582.2 (2008) | 584.4 | +2.2 |
| Spelling | 576.9 (2008) | 576.7 | −0.2 |
| Reading | 578.0 (2008) | 577.6 | −0.4 |
| Writing | 565.9 (2011) | 559.9 | −6.0 |
Year 9 results barely changed between 2008 and 2022. Reading and spelling finished almost exactly where they started, and writing ended lower. This is the clearest pattern across the whole NAPLAN series: the big improvements in Year 3 reading (+37 points) and Year 5 reading (+25 points) became smaller in Year 7 (+6) and disappeared by Year 9. Most Year 9 results peaked around 2017 to 2018 and declined by 2022.
National Overview
At the national level, Year 9 numeracy improved in 2026, while reading and grammar and punctuation declined significantly.
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results.
| Domain | Average score 2026 | Change from 2025 | % Strong or above | % Needs support or exempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numeracy | 573.9 | +1.3 | 65.3% | 12.8% |
| Writing | 572.0 | −3.0 | 59.9% | 14.6% |
| Spelling | 568.5 | −0.5 | 71.3% | 9.5% |
| Reading | 562.2 | −5.5 (significant) | 62.0% (significant fall) | 12.9% |
| Grammar and Punctuation | 554.2 | −4.8 (significant) | 54.0% (significant fall) | 17.4% |
Year 9 numeracy has reached its highest level since 2023, with significant improvements in NSW and Victoria. Literacy is the concern. Reading recorded its largest fall of any year level in 2026, and grammar and punctuation remains the weakest domain.
What Were the Results in 2026?
Reading
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania 2026 not reported due to low participation.
The national Year 9 reading average fell from 567.7 to 562.2 in 2026, a statistically significant decline and the largest drop of any year level. Every state recorded a lower score, with significant falls in NSW (−6.2) and Queensland (−6.8). The ACT (578.5), Victoria (571.7) and Western Australia (571.2) recorded the highest scores. Queensland (548.2) and South Australia (550.8) were the lowest-scoring states.
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania not reported in 2026.
The share of Year 9 students at Strong or above in reading fell significantly from 65.1% to 62.0%, with significant falls in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Only the ACT (70.6%) and Western Australia (68.1%) were above two-thirds. In Queensland and South Australia, only around 55% of students met expectations, and 15.1% of Queensland students need additional support.
The long-term view. On the previous scale, Year 9 reading was flat between 2008 and 2022 (−0.4 points nationally). Western Australia was the only state to improve substantially (+15.3), while the ACT (−11.8) and Tasmania (−12.7) finished well below where they started.
Source: ACARA NAPLAN results 2008–2022 (pre-2023 scale; not comparable with 2023 onwards). No NAPLAN in 2020.
Writing
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania 2026 not reported due to low participation.
Year 9 writing fell from 575.0 to 572.0 nationally, although the change isn't statistically significant and the results carry ACARA's caveat about the testing disruption. Victoria (586.8) led, followed by the ACT (579.7) and Western Australia (578.8). Queensland recorded the largest fall (−7.7 points, to 552.7).
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania not reported in 2026.
Writing is polarised in Year 9. Only 59.9% of students were at Strong or above, the lowest share for writing at any year level, yet 21.6% were at Exceeding, one of the highest shares for any domain. At the other end, 12.8% need additional support, rising to 19.3% in Queensland. No state reached two-thirds at Strong or above.
The long-term view. Year 9 writing fell sharply in the mid-2010s, reaching a low of 542.4 in 2018, and finished 2022 six points below its 2011 result. Queensland finished more than 20 points lower than it started.
Source: ACARA NAPLAN results 2008–2022 (pre-2023 scale; not comparable with 2023 onwards). No NAPLAN in 2020. Writing is comparable from 2011.
Spelling
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania 2026 not reported due to low participation.
Year 9 spelling was stable at 568.5 nationally, and it remains the strongest Year 9 domain. The ACT (576.6), NSW (574.9) and Western Australia (571.7) recorded the highest scores. The Northern Territory recorded a large increase (+13.8), though it isn't statistically significant.
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania not reported in 2026.
71.3% of Year 9 students were at Strong or above in spelling, the highest of any Year 9 domain. The ACT (75.6%), NSW (74.3%) and Western Australia (74.2%) led, and every state was above two-thirds.
The long-term view. Year 9 spelling was unchanged between 2008 and 2022 (−0.2 points nationally). The Northern Territory (+18.9) and Western Australia (+14.5) improved, while Tasmania (−10.0) declined.
Source: ACARA NAPLAN results 2008–2022 (pre-2023 scale; not comparable with 2023 onwards). No NAPLAN in 2020.
Grammar and Punctuation
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania 2026 not reported due to low participation.
Grammar and punctuation fell from 559.0 to 554.2 nationally, a statistically significant decline, and every state recorded a lower score. The ACT (565.5) and Victoria (561.9) recorded the highest results, while Queensland (542.4) and South Australia (541.5) were the lowest.
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania not reported in 2026.
Only 54.0% of Year 9 students were at Strong or above in grammar and punctuation, a significant fall from 56.4% in 2025, with a significant decline in NSW. Around one in six students (15.6%) need additional support. Only the ACT reached 60%, and in Queensland and South Australia fewer than half of students met expectations.
The long-term view. On the previous scale, grammar and punctuation rose only 4 points between 2008 and 2022. Western Australia (+22.5) was again the standout, while Tasmania and the ACT finished lower than they started.
Source: ACARA NAPLAN results 2008–2022 (pre-2023 scale; not comparable with 2023 onwards). No NAPLAN in 2020.
Numeracy
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania 2026 not reported due to low participation.
Year 9 numeracy rose to 573.9 in 2026, its highest level since 2023 and significantly higher than in 2023 (567.7). Victoria (583.6) recorded the highest score, followed by the ACT and Western Australia (both 582.6) and NSW (582.4). Victoria (+9.7) and NSW (+7.0) have improved significantly since 2023. Queensland (555.8) and South Australia (557.2) were the lowest-scoring states.
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results. Tasmania not reported in 2026.
65.3% of Year 9 students were at Strong or above in numeracy, just below two-thirds. The share at Exceeding has risen from 9.9% in 2023 to 13.3%, showing that more students are reaching the top level. Western Australia (71.3%) and the ACT (71.2%) had the highest shares at Strong or above, while Queensland and South Australia were below 60%.
The long-term view. On the previous scale, Year 9 numeracy rose by only 2 points between 2008 and 2022. Western Australia (+23.1) was the clear standout, while Victoria, NSW and the ACT finished slightly lower than they started. Most states peaked around 2017 to 2018.
Source: ACARA NAPLAN results 2008–2022 (pre-2023 scale; not comparable with 2023 onwards). No NAPLAN in 2020.
Numeracy is rising in the older year levels. Since 2023, Year 9 numeracy has risen by 6.2 points, alongside gains in Years 5 and 7, while Year 3 numeracy has fallen.
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results.
Western Australia: The Year 9 Standout
Western Australia stands out across the Year 9 data:
- Long-term improvement: On the previous scale, WA recorded the largest Year 9 gains of any state between 2008 and 2022 in reading (+15.3), grammar and punctuation (+22.5) and numeracy (+23.1). Most other states were flat or declined.
- Growth from Year 7 to Year 9: WA students grew more than students in any other state in reading (+40.7), writing (+41.5), grammar and punctuation (+25.3) and numeracy (+44.9).
- 2026 results: WA had the highest share of students at Strong or above in numeracy (71.3%) and among the highest in reading and spelling.
Beyond the Averages: Who's Doing Well and Who Needs Support?
The Gender Gap Is Widest in Year 9
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results.
The gender gap in literacy is larger in Year 9 than at any other year level. In writing, 68.1% of girls were at Strong or above compared with 52.0% of boys, and girls' average writing score was 38 points higher (591.4 vs 553.3). One in six boys (16.8%) need additional support in writing, twice the rate for girls (8.5%). Girls also led in reading (67.1% vs 57.2%) and grammar and punctuation (60.4% vs 47.9%).
Boys led in numeracy (67.4% vs 63.1%) and were more likely to reach Exceeding (16.2% vs 10.1%). In 2026, boys' reading results fell to 57.2% at Strong or above, the lowest since 2023.
Location Makes a Big Difference
Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results.
In major cities, 66.1% of Year 9 students were at Strong or above in reading, compared with 47.8% in outer regional areas and just 21.5% in very remote schools. Numeracy follows the same pattern, from 69.6% in major cities to 23.3% in very remote schools.
Family Background and Language
- Parental education: 82.2% of Year 9 students whose parents have a bachelor's degree were at Strong or above in numeracy, compared with 50.7% where parents finished Year 12 and 31.3% where parents finished Year 11.
- Language background: Students with a language background other than English outperformed other students in every domain, especially in spelling (78.1% vs 68.6%).
- Indigenous students: 29.4% of Indigenous Year 9 students were at Strong or above in reading, compared with 64.5% of non-Indigenous students.
How Does Year 9 Compare With Other Year Levels?
| Domain | Year 3 | Year 5 | Year 7 | Year 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spelling | 61.6% | 69.8% | 72.5% | 71.3% |
| Numeracy | 62.1% | 70.7% | 69.9% | 65.3% |
| Reading | 65.6% | 70.9% | 66.8% | 62.0% |
| Writing | 73.9% | 65.6% | 62.4% | 59.9% |
| Grammar and Punctuation | 53.9% | 63.0% | 60.1% | 54.0% |
Percentage of students at Strong or Exceeding in 2026, Australia.
Year 9 has the lowest share of students meeting expectations of any year level in reading and writing, and the second-lowest in grammar and punctuation. Numeracy is also lower than in Years 5 and 7. Expectations rise sharply in the secondary years, and the data shows many students aren't keeping pace, especially in literacy.
How Much Did Students Grow From Year 7 to Year 9?
Students who sat Year 7 NAPLAN in 2024 sat Year 9 NAPLAN in 2026. Nationally, their average score rose by:
| Domain | Year 7 (2024) | Year 9 (2026) | National growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numeracy | 539.8 | 573.9 | +34.0 |
| Writing | 540.2 | 572.0 | +31.7 |
| Spelling | 540.0 | 568.5 | +28.5 |
| Reading | 535.0 | 562.2 | +27.1 |
| Grammar and Punctuation | 536.7 | 554.2 | +17.5 |
Growth slows at every stage of schooling: students grew by around 66 to 90 points between Years 3 and 5, 37 to 59 points between Years 5 and 7, and just 18 to 34 points between Years 7 and 9. Grammar and punctuation grew the least, which helps explain why it remains the weakest Year 9 domain. Western Australia recorded the strongest growth in four of the five domains, while NSW recorded the smallest growth among the states in grammar and punctuation (+14.3) and spelling (+25.4).
Final Thoughts
| Domain | Average score 2026 | % Strong or above | % Needs support or exempt | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spelling | 568.5 | 71.3% | 9.5% | Strongest domain, stable |
| Numeracy | 573.9 | 65.3% | 12.8% | Highest since 2023, more students at Exceeding |
| Reading | 562.2 | 62.0% | 12.9% | Largest fall of any year level |
| Writing | 572.0 | 59.9% | 14.6% | Polarised, with the widest gender gap |
| Grammar and Punctuation | 554.2 | 54.0% | 17.4% | Weakest domain, significant decline |
The 2026 Year 9 results show the same split seen in Years 5 and 7: numeracy is improving while literacy is going backwards. Year 9 reading recorded the largest fall of any year level, and grammar and punctuation remains a weak point, with only around half of students meeting expectations.
The long-term data adds important context. While Year 3 and Year 5 literacy improved substantially between 2008 and 2022, Year 9 results barely moved. The gains made in primary school haven't carried through to the end of Year 9, and the share of students meeting expectations in reading and writing declines at every stage of secondary school. Western Australia is the clear exception, with strong long-term improvement and the best growth from Year 7 to Year 9.
For families, Year 9 is the last chance to address literacy and numeracy gaps before the senior years. Students heading into the VCE, HSC, QCE, WACE or SACE need strong reading comprehension and extended writing skills in almost every subject.
What Can Parents Do?
- Read the report as a snapshot. NAPLAN is one test on one day. Use it alongside your child's school reports and conversations with their teachers.
- Prioritise reading. Encourage wide reading, including news, longer novels and non-fiction, and discuss what your child has read to build comprehension and critical thinking.
- Focus on writing, especially for boys. Practising structured essays and analytical writing now will pay off across almost every senior subject.
- Think ahead to senior subjects. Year 9 results can help guide subject selection. See our guides to choosing HSC subjects, how the QCE works and how the WACE works.
- Get support early if needed. If your child is at Developing or Needs additional support, Year 9 is the ideal time to close gaps before the senior years. Our NAPLAN tutors in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth work one-on-one with students to build the literacy and numeracy skills NAPLAN assesses.
See our 2026 analyses for Year 3, Year 5 and Year 7, or last year's Year 9 analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
When were the 2026 NAPLAN results released?
ACARA released the 2026 NAPLAN National Results on 5 August 2026. Students sat the tests in March 2026.
What percentage of Year 9 students met expectations in 2026?
Nationally, 71.3% of Year 9 students were at Strong or above in spelling, 65.3% in numeracy, 62.0% in reading, 59.9% in writing and 54.0% in grammar and punctuation.
Did Year 9 NAPLAN results go up or down in 2026?
Both. Numeracy rose to its highest level since 2023. Reading and grammar and punctuation declined significantly, with reading recording the largest fall of any year level.
Which state had the best Year 9 NAPLAN results in 2026?
The ACT, Victoria, Western Australia and NSW led. Victoria recorded the highest scores in writing and numeracy, and the ACT in reading, spelling, and grammar and punctuation. Western Australia had the highest share of students at Strong or above in numeracy.
Is Year 9 the last NAPLAN test?
Yes. Year 9 is the final NAPLAN assessment. After Year 9, students move into their senior years and work towards their state's senior secondary certificate.
Need Help Preparing for the Senior Years?
Our tutors offer one-on-one support for secondary students in English, maths and every core subject, in person and online, helping students build the skills they need for senior school.
Find NAPLAN tutoring near you:
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Source: ACARA, 2026 NAPLAN National Results, national results dataset and NAPLAN results 2008–2022. All figures are for Year 9 students unless stated.
