Disability adjustments

Adjustments are permitted in NAPLAN tests to help a student with disability participate on the same basis as other students.

Disability adjustments should reflect the kind of support and help provided for an assessment in the classroom. However, some adjustments that are appropriate in a learning environment may not be appropriate in a standardised assessment environment. For example, a NAPLAN support person is not allowed to read questions to a student in the reading or conventions of language tests as reading is the skill that is being assessed.

Disability adjustments must be discussed and agreed on with the student’s parent/carer and they must sign a consent form before the test period.

Most disability adjustments are at the discretion of the school, but some require an application to NESA for approval.

Adjustments requiring NESA approval

Schools submit applications for the following disability adjustments via Schools Online. Applications for these adjustments for NAPLAN 2025 will open in Term 4, 2024.

• Alternative format – braille
• Alternative format – large print
• Alternative format test – electronic (PDF)
• Alternative format test – black and white master
• Assistive technology that requires an unsecured browser
• Colour contrast modification that requires an unsecured browser
• Extra time – double the total test time
• Scribe (writing test only)
• Computer for writing (Year 3)

Adjustments requiring school approval ONLY (NESA approval not needed)

• Alternative items – visual
• Alternative items – audio
• Black text with blue background theme*
• Black text with green background theme*
• Black text with lilac background theme*
• Black text with white background theme*
• Black text with yellow background theme*
• Extra time – one minute for every 2 minutes of test time
• Extra time – one minute for every 3 minutes of test time
• Extra time – one minute for every 6 minutes of test time
• NAPLAN support person
• Oral/sign support
• Rest breaks
• Assistive technology that does not require an unsecured browser and is compatible with the test construct (e.g. ergonomic mouse, Bluetooth headphones, classroom communication devices)

*There are 5 colour themes available on the public demonstration site which can be used to check a student’s needs before NAPLAN.

Determining adjustments

Teachers and schools (in consultation with parents and carers) are best placed to determine the needs of individual students. They must establish students’ individual needs before testing.

Schools should access the public demonstration site and work alongside students with disability to assess whether the available adjustments meet the individual needs of the students. The public demonstration site provides an opportunity for students with disability to try adjustments such as alternative questions or colour themes.

Not all available disability adjustments will meet the needs of every student. For example:

• some assistive technologies and colour contrast modifications may not be compatible with the online NAPLAN tests.
• images may lose their clarity at settings above 200% (equivalent to above N24) when using the zoom function.
• technical limitations prevent the online NAPLAN tests being available for students who use braille.

If a student has used the public demonstration site and the tests do not meet their individual needs, the school may apply for the student to sit an alternative format test.

NESA-approved disability adjustments

Alternative format test – Braille test material

These are paper-based tests designed for braille users.

Alternative format test – Large print test material (A4 N18; A4 N24; A3 N18; A3 N24; A3 N36)

These are paper-based tests designed for students with a vision impairment where it is determined that they cannot access the online tests.

Alternative format test – Electronic (PDF) test material

These are PDF-based tests designed for students working above font size N36 where it is determined that they cannot access the online tests or paper-based large print test material.

Alternative format test – Black and white test material

These are paper-based tests that may be photocopied onto coloured paper for students where it is determined that they cannot access the online tests with the adjustment of a Colour theme or Colour contrast modification.

Colour contrast modification (COL and BNW)

Students may be granted permission to work outside the locked-down browser to use their own software to modify the colour of their screen.

Assistive technology (AST)

Students may be granted permission to work outside the locked-down browser to use their own assistive technology. Only technology that does not interfere with the validity of the test can be approved.

Scribe (SCR)

Students with a physical disability who regularly work with a scribe in the classroom may be granted permission to work with a scribe to complete the writing test. Students and scribes must follow the NAPLAN scribe rules.

Double extra time (ETD)

Students may be granted permission to use double test time in exceptional circumstances. This adjustment is typically available for students with disability who are accessing assistive technology, where the logistics of use increase the time taken and/or physical effort to access test materials or interact with the platform.

School-approved disability adjustments

Rest breaks (RBK)

Rest breaks may be provided for students with a disability who usually need rest breaks to complete assessment tasks.

Extra time, up to 15 minutes per half hour (ETA; ETB; or ETC)

Extra time may be provided for students with a disability who usually require additional time to complete assessment tasks.

NAPLAN support person (SUP)

A NAPLAN support person may be provided during the reading, conventions of language and numeracy tests for a student with a disability who usually needs help with indicating responses in assessment tasks.

Oral/sign support (OSS)

An oral/sign support person may be provided for students with a hearing impairment who usually require assistance with assessment tasks.

Colour themes

Five colour themes are available for students with a disability who need assessment material to be on a specific colour background. The colour themes are available on the public demonstration site to check they meet the student’s adjustment needs.

The 5 colour themes are:

• blue background with black text (BNB)
• green background with black text (BNG)
• lilac background with black text (BNL)
• white background with black text (BNW)
• yellow background with black text (BNY).

Alternative items – audio (AIA)

The conventions of language test contains spelling questions that rely on students accessing audio files. Alternative questions can be provided for students with a hearing impairment who cannot access the audio files.

Alternative items – visual (AIV)

Visually simplified test questions can be provided to students with a vision impairment.

More information

For more information about disability adjustments, visit:

• ACARA’s disability adjustment scenarios
• ACARA’s information on adjustments for students with disability