10 most common mistakes students make

During NAPLAN Preparation

Introduction

If you are preparing your child for NAPLAN 2026, you probably want them to feel confident, calm and ready on test day. Many parents put in effort, encourage practice and buy resources, yet often they see only limited improvement. In many cases, the reason is not a lack of effort, but common mistakes that quietly undermine preparation.

Over time, through research, educator blogs and understanding the online NAPLAN format, a pattern of recurring mistakes becomes visible that makes preparation stressful, inefficient or misaligned.

In this blog, we walk you through the ten most common mistakes many students and parents make during NAPLAN preparation. More importantly, I will help you avoid them so your child’s preparation becomes balanced, effective and confidence-building. Understanding not only what to do but also what to avoid gives you a powerful edge.

Why identifying mistakes matters for your child’s success

Many online NAPLAN guides focus on what to practise: reading, writing, maths, and past papers. That is useful. But few guides highlight what not to do.

Based on recent analysis of NAPLAN preparation advice across multiple tutor websites and educational blogs, two common problems emerge:

• Students practise intensively but with the wrong focus or timing. This leads to burnout, mistakes and anxiety rather than learning.
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• Preparation often emphasises speed or memorisation rather than deep understanding of concepts, reading, reasoning and brain comfort with the online format.
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When you know what pitfalls to avoid, you spare your child wasted effort and improve the chances of success. This blog helps you spot and correct the most common pitfalls.

Mistake 1: Understanding NAPLAN as a last-minute exam rather than a skills journey

Many parents treat NAPLAN like a typical exam, something to revise in the last few weeks, like a math test or spelling test at school. This is a common misconception.

Why is it a mistake
NAPLAN is not a test of what your child can memorise quickly. It assesses skills developed over years — reading comprehension, writing clarity, grammar habits, numeracy understanding, reasoning, and time management under test conditions. ACARA + NAP

When preparation starts only a few weeks before the test, there is little time to build or strengthen these foundational skills. That often leads to surface-level cramming and a fragile performance.

What often happens

• Students rush through practice tests, leaving little time for understanding mistakes.
• Major improvement happens only in familiar topics; weaker areas remain weak.
• Stress increases. Confidence decreases. Performance becomes inconsistent.

What you should do instead

• Start early, well in advance of the NAPLAN year.
• Treat NAPLAN preparation as part of a regular learning rhythm: reading, writing and numeracy integrated into everyday learning.
• Build skills gradually — strong reading habits, consistent writing, maths reasoning, and language usage.
• Use baseline tasks to understand your child’s level, and build a long-term plan rather than a last-minute push.

Mistake 2: Ignoring the online format and question types of NAPLAN

In recent years, NAPLAN has shifted to a mostly online assessment format for many domains

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Why this matters
Online assessments include multiple choice, text entry, drag-and-drop, and hot-text questions. Numeracy may include calculator and non-calculator sections. NAP+2NAP+2 The presentation, navigation, time management and digital skills required are different from traditional pen-and-paper tests.

If a child is never exposed to the online environment or interactive question types, they may lose time or make avoidable mistakes.

What parents often overlook

• Relying only on paper worksheets and ignoring digital practice.
• Not practising online question types until too late.
• Not helping the child develop digital reading, scrolling, typing or drag-and-drop familiarity.

What you should do instead

• Include online practice tests early in the preparation, so the child becomes comfortable with the digital format. Learnmate.+2funfoxprogram.com.au+2
• Use the public demonstration site of NAPLAN to try sample questions with interactive formats. ACARA+1
• Practice time management and navigating between questions, marking, review, and checking answers, as in a real test environment.
• Gradually build digital familiarity — small online reading, typing, numeracy tasks to build confidence rather than pressure.

Mistake 3: Overlooking reading comprehension strategy and variety

Reading is not a skill you master overnight. Yet many families treat reading practice like daily homework — pages and pages of reading, but without a strategy.

Why reading strategy matters
NAPLAN reading tasks do not just check basic reading. They test comprehension, inference, interpretation, summarising, comparing ideas, understanding purpose and tone.
NAP+2Your Cloud Campus+2 Children who only practise easy texts or ignore inference passages may struggle with tougher content in the test.

Common missteps

• Reading only school textbooks or easy stories.
• No exposure to varied text types: informational articles, arguments, reports, visuals.
• Rushing through reading without pausing to reflect on the meaning.
• Answering questions by guessing rather than going back to the passage for evidence.

What you can do instead

• Encourage daily reading of varied texts: stories, newspaper articles, information passages, and short reports. This builds both comprehension and vocabulary.
• After reading, talk with your child: ask the main idea, key details, purpose, and what they think will happen next. This builds inference and critical thinking.
• Occasionally, use sample reading passages with comprehension questions that test inference. Practice under calm conditions first, and later timed to build stamina.
• Teach them to read questions carefully, underline keywords and refer back to the passage rather than guess.

Mistake 4: Writing without planning or editing

Many children treat writing tasks as “put words on paper as fast as possible”. For NAPLAN writing, that is rarely enough.

What NAPLAN writing expects
Writing tasks in NAPLAN assess the ability to present ideas clearly, structure responses, express thoughts logically, use correct grammar and punctuation, not only creativity. NAP+2Your Cloud Campus+2 Common mistakes

• Writing directly without thinking about what to say.
• Producing unstructured responses: ideas scattered, weak introduction or conclusion.
• Ignoring grammar, punctuation or spelling because focus is on idea generation only.
• Not reviewing or editing work. Errors remain uncorrected.

What you can do instead

• Teach your child to plan before writing: quickly jot down main ideas or structure (introduction, main points, conclusion or story flow).
• Encourage clarity over complexity. Simple, clear sentences are better than complicated but confusing ones.
• After writing, review together: read aloud, check punctuation, grammar, flow and clarity. Self-editing teaches them to improve.
• Regular writing practice—narratives, persuasive writing, and informational writing—build versatility and confidence.

Mistake 5: Treating numeracy as speed arithmetic rather than reasoning

Many families think numeracy preparation simply means speed and quick calculation. They emphasise arithmetic drills or tables.

Why this fails
NAPLAN numeracy tests are not just about speed. They test reasoning, problem solving, understanding, and application of concepts across number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability.
NAP+2NAP+2x For example, many questions are worded problems or require logical thinking rather than direct calculation.

Common pitfalls

• Focusing only on quick mental arithmetic or times tables.
• Neglecting reasoning problems or worded problems.
• Not encouraging working out steps — jumping to answer without understanding the question properly.
• Avoiding revision of foundational concepts (fractions, decimals, measurement, data) because they seem difficult.

What works better

• Emphasise conceptual understanding. Use real-world examples: share, measure, divide, compare. This helps children grasp why maths works.
• Include worded problems regularly. Practice reading, interpreting, planning and solving gradually.
• Encourage writing of steps. Encourage explanation of thinking: this builds clarity and problem-solving skills.
• Mix mental arithmetic, written problems and calculator-allowed problems (for appropriate year levels) to build flexibility.

Mistake 6: Neglecting language conventions — spelling, grammar, punctuation

Some families concentrate only on reading and writing tasks, assuming spelling and grammar will come automatically. That is often not true.

What NAPLAN tests for language conventions
Spelling, grammar and punctuation are assessed separately. The spelling section comes first, followed by grammar and punctuation. NAP+1 Errors in these areas can seriously reduce marks in writing and language sections.

Common neglect

• Not practising spelling regularly.
• Ignoring grammar, the assumption is that child learns grammar automatically in school.
• Overlooking punctuation, especially in longer writing—missing full stops, commas, capitalisation, and incorrect sentence structure.
• Expecting everyday homework to fix these.

What you should do

• Include short spelling practices—weekly age-appropriate spelling lists, sight words, and pattern-based practice.
• Do a quick grammar revision: start with basics (capitalisation, full stops), gradually move to commas, dialogue punctuation, etc.
• When reviewing writing tasks, highlight grammar or punctuation mistakes and explain them correctly.
• Encourage careful writing and review rather than speed.

Mistake 7: Doing full practice tests too early or too frequently

Books, websites and tutors often emphasise doing as many practice tests as possible. That seems logical: more practice, more familiarity. But if done without a proper foundation, this can backfire.

Why is too much early practice harmful?

• If core skills (reading, writing, numeracy, language) are weak, practice tests only expose those weaknesses repeatedly. This builds frustration and anxiety.
• Without analysis and review, repeated mistakes become a habit. A child may not learn proper methods.
• Over-testing may lead to burnout and reduce motivation.

What parents often do

• Schedule weekly full tests months before the test date.
• Treat test practice as a check on performance rather than a learning tool.
• Skipping review or correction of mistakes—it’s time-consuming.

What works better

• Begin with short, focused tasks rather than full tests. Let child practise one area at a time — reading, writing, language, numeracy.
• After each practice task, review mistakes together. Turn mistakes into small lessons.
• Introduce full-length or timed tests only when core skills are solid and the child is comfortable.

Mistake 8: Having an inconsistent or no weekly routine

Consistency is the secret ingredient many parents underestimate. Without a regular schedule, preparation becomes random, irregular and ineffective.

Why consistency matters?
Steady, gradual revision helps build memory, confidence and skill. Irregular bursts, even if intense, rarely give lasting results.

What often happens

• Practice happens only when the parent or child remembers or feels like it.
• Long gaps between sessions erode confidence and memory.
• A child finds it hard to build habits.

What you should aim for

• Define a weekly routine with short sessions for reading, writing, numeracy and language.
• Keep tasks light and manageable — twenty to thirty minutes, depending on age.
• Rotate between domains: reading one day, numeracy another, writing another. Variety keeps interest high.
• Be gentle. If the child misses a session — no blame, just resume next scheduled day. Consistency wins over pressure.

Mistake 9: Focusing only on strengths and ignoring weak areas

It is natural to encourage a child to practise what they enjoy or are good at. But ignoring weaker areas, especially in a broad test like NAPLAN, can backfire.

Why is this risky?
NAPLAN tests all four domains equally. A child strong in writing but weak in numeracy or grammar may still perform below the expected level overall.

When weak areas remain unattended, overall confidence and performance suffer.

What often happens

• Students spend most time on their favourite subjects (for instance, creative writing or reading), neglecting grammar, punctuation or maths.
• Weak areas remain shaky even after repeated practice because they are never strengthened.
• On test day, these weak areas weigh down performance despite strengths elsewhere.

What to do instead

• Use baseline tasks (see Step Two) to identify both strong and weak areas.
• Create a balanced plan that addresses all domains. Do not let strengths dominate practice time.
• Rotate focus each week so weak areas receive regular attention.
• Celebrate small improvements in weak areas — this builds confidence and motivation.

Mistake 10: Stress, pressure or lack of well-being support

Academic preparation often ignores the emotional and psychological side. Yet stress, pressure, fatigue and poor well-being can ruin preparation progress more than any academic mistake.

Why well-being matters?
NAPLAN is a test, but it is also a snapshot of learning — it reveals strengths and weaknesses in a calm environment. A child under stress tends to skip reading questions carefully, rush writing or panic during numeracy tasks. Stress reduces concentration, confidence and performance.

Several parent-guide resources emphasise that calm, balanced routine and emotional support are as important as academic preparation. Learnmate.+2funfoxprogram.com.au+2 Common harmful practices

• Overloading a child with long study hours daily.
• Pressuring a child for perfect scores.
• Ignoring sleep, rest, exercise and downtime.
• Making mistakes feel like failures rather than learning steps.

What you should do instead

• Keep preparation gentle, balanced and comfortable.
• Focus on small, regular sessions, not long daily study marathons.
• Encourage breaks, restful sleep, healthy habits and hobbies.
• Praise effort, progress and improvement, not only perfect scores.
• Maintain open communication: ask how the child feels about practice or tests. If they feel overwhelmed, pause, calm and adjust the plan.

What to do instead, how to avoid these mistakes

Here is a short plan summarising what you should do instead of making these common mistakes:

• Start early and treat NAPLAN preparation as skill development, not last-minute cramming
• Include online practice to build digital familiarity
• Encourage varied reading and reading comprehension strategies
• Teach planning and editing for writing tasks
• Develop numeracy reasoning, not only speed maths
• Practise spelling, grammar and punctuation regularly
• Use short, focused practice tasks early, full tests only when ready
• Maintain a consistent weekly routine
• Ensure balanced preparation: address weak areas as much as strong ones
• Support emotional well-being and avoid pressure

If you follow these, your child’s preparation becomes more effective, balanced and confidence-building.

Helpful Links for Parents

Here are trusted links where you can find official NAPLAN information, sample tests and useful resources to support your child’s preparation

ACARA – NAPLAN home
https://www.acara.edu.au/assessment/naplan

Official NAPLAN What’s in the Tests page
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/whats-in-the-tests

Public demonstration site and practice test information
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan

NAPLAN practice tests and past papers resources
https://clueylearning.com.au/naplan-practice-tests-past-papers/

General NAPLAN preparation and wellbeing advice for parents
https://learnmate.com.au/naplan-a-guide-for-students-and-parents/

Resources Used

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) information from ACARA and national site
https://www.acara.edu.au/assessment/naplan

NAPLAN test structure and domains guidance
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/whats-in-the-tests

NAPLAN online assessment format details
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan

NAPLAN sample tests and past papers lists
https://clueylearning.com.au/naplan-practice-tests-past-papers/

Recent parent guidance and expert tips on NAPLAN preparation and wellbeing
https://learnmate.com.au/naplan-a-guide-for-students-and-parents/