When you receive your child’s NAPLAN results, it is not always obvious what the different proficiency levels actually mean.
You might see terms like Exceeding, Strong, Developing or Needs additional support and wonder what they say about how your child is going at school.
Understanding how these proficiency levels work can help you make more sense of your child’s result, see where they may need extra support and understand where they may already be confident.
How are NAPLAN results reported?
NAPLAN is completed by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and assesses literacy and numeracy skills taught through the school curriculum. It provides parents and schools with another way of seeing how a student is progressing against national proficiency standards, which we explain in more detail in our NAPLAN guide.
Since 2023, NAPLAN results have been reported using four proficiency levels:
Needs additional support, Developing, Strong and Exceeding.
In the 2025 national results, about two in three students were at Strong or Exceeding, and about one in ten needed additional support. In reading, 68.2% were Strong or Exceeding and 9.3% needed additional support; in numeracy, 66.8% and 9.2%.
What should I do if my child receives a Needs additional support NAPLAN result?
A Needs additional support result means your child may need some extra help with certain concepts expected at their year level.
They may still be doing well in some areas, while finding others more challenging. The result can help point you towards the skills that may need a little more attention.
Looking at their NAPLAN result alongside their schoolwork and speaking with their teacher can give you a clearer picture of where they may need extra support.
Once you know which areas to focus on, you can help them build those skills and grow in confidence, while focusing on the support they need most.
Does a Developing NAPLAN result mean my child is behind?
A Developing result means your child is working towards the expectations for their year level at the time they completed NAPLAN.
It is important to look beyond the proficiency level itself. Your child may be Developing in numeracy because there are just a few specific skills they need more practice with. Another child with the same result may need support in completely different areas.
Rather than seeing a Developing result as a sign that your child is simply “behind”, it can be more helpful to use it as a starting point to understand which skills they may need a little more support with.
Does a Strong NAPLAN result mean my child is on track?
A Strong result means your child is meeting the expectations for their year level at the time they completed NAPLAN.
This generally shows that they have a solid understanding of the skills being assessed and know how to apply them confidently.
There may still be some areas they find easier than others, so it is worth looking at the detail in the report rather than focusing only on the overall result.
If their classroom work and teacher feedback are also positive, a Strong result can be a reassuring sign that your child is progressing well for their year level.
Does an Exceeding NAPLAN result mean my child needs more challenging work?
An Exceeding result means your child is performing above the expectations for their year level at the time they completed NAPLAN.
If this matches what their teacher is seeing in class, your child may be ready to take on more challenging work in the areas they already understand well.
This can simply mean giving them more opportunities to build on what they already know and keep progressing.
How do I know what support my child needs after NAPLAN?
After looking at your child’s NAPLAN results, it can be helpful to look at other areas of their learning too. This might include their school report, homework, recent assessments, feedback from their teacher and having a gentle chat with your child about how they feel they are going at school.
You may find that they are struggling in a few areas, which can help you understand where they might need some extra support. You may also find that they are confident in some areas and ready for the next step in their learning.
The most important thing is to focus on what your child needs next. That might mean strengthening a few small gaps in their learning or continuing to build on the areas where they are already doing well.
How Kinetic Education can help
Whether your child needs help with a few learning gaps or is ready to be challenged further, Kinetic Education can help work out what they need next.
Our assessment process helps us understand what your child already knows and where they may need more support. From there, we create a personalised weekly learning plan based on the areas they are ready to work on next.
Through our Maths tutoring and English tutoring, your child can strengthen concepts they are finding difficult while continuing to build on the areas they already understand. With real tutor support along the way, their learning can continue to be adjusted as their needs change.
You can get started with two weeks free tutoring and see how Kinetic Education can support your child’s learning.
How Familiarity with NAPLAN Questions Helped Maggie Feel Less Overwhelmed
Rosie is a mum from New South Wales whose daughter Maggie has been learning with Kinetic Education. She shared how Maggie’s experience with NAPLAN changed between Year 3 and Year 5.
Rosie remembers that as Year 5 NAPLAN was approaching, their tutor suggested adding NAPLAN practice tasks into Maggie’s lesson plan.
Before getting support from Kinetic Education, Maggie had found NAPLAN overwhelming. After her Year 3 NAPLAN, she admitted to Rosie that she had skipped through the questions because she didn’t really understand them. The format felt so different from anything she had learnt at school.
So, having the chance to practise with activities that were similar to NAPLAN, including the way the questions were structured and worded, really helped with her preparation. That familiarity allowed Maggie to feel like NAPLAN wasn’t so bad after all. She didn’t feel overwhelmed, and her result
Read the transcript
She just openly admitted, "Mum, I had no idea what they were even talking about. I just sort of banged through it till it stopped asking me questions." And she didn't do great in NAPLAN. Not, I think, because she wasn't smart, but the format of the questions was so different to the way she was learning. And I remember talking with one of the tutors and them saying, "Look, it's coming up to NAPLAN for Year 5. We're gonna put in some NAPLAN-like questions for her so that she can see those scenarios, see the way they're worded, and be really familiar with that." And then we got her NAPLAN results back and they were really great. We were really happy with her NAPLAN results, and she was happy. She came home after NAPLAN and was like, "Yeah, no, I didn't think it was too bad." She wasn't overwhelmed. She didn't give up because it was too foreign to her. So that, I think, was really positive as well.
NAPLAN Proficiency Levels: FAQs
Is a Developing NAPLAN result bad?
A Developing result should not simply be viewed as a good or bad result. It indicates that your child is working towards the expectations for their year level at the time of testing. It can be useful to speak with their teacher about which particular skills may need strengthening.
Can a child be ahead in one subject and behind in another?
Yes. Children can have very different strengths across subjects and even within the same subject. A child may be confident with some Maths concepts while needing additional support with others, which is why looking at individual skills can be more useful than applying one overall label.
What does a Developing NAPLAN result mean?
A Developing result means your child is working towards the expectations for their year level. It can be helpful to look at the specific areas they found challenging rather than focusing only on the overall proficiency level.
Does a Needs additional support NAPLAN result mean my child is behind?
Not necessarily across every area. Your child may be doing well in some skills while needing more support with others.
Is a Strong NAPLAN result good?
A Strong result means your child is meeting the expectations for their year level at the time they completed NAPLAN.
What does an Exceeding NAPLAN result mean?
An Exceeding result means your child is performing above the expectations for their year level and may be ready to build on the areas they already understand well.
Should I compare my child’s NAPLAN result with other students?
It is usually more useful to focus on your child’s individual strengths, areas for support and what they may be ready to work on next.
What should I do after receiving my child’s NAPLAN results?
Look at the result alongside their school report, homework, recent assessments and teacher feedback. This can give you a clearer picture of where they may need support or more challenge.