NAPLAN starts tomorrow (Tuesday, 14th May)

NAPLAN starts tomorrow (14th May) with our Writing test, so we would like to wish all of our students good luck and we know you will do well. We have included some tips to help you get through the next two weeks successfully and a schedule of when each test needs to take place.

10 Tips For Taking Tests 

“No one really likes tests or exams. Here are a few tips,” says Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist 

1. Remember everyone gets stressed during tests and everyone has to learn how to manage these feelings. 

2. Know that stress is your body’s way of getting ready to take on a challenge and perform at your best. “Stress can help us to perform at high levels - as long as we know how to keep it in check” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist. 

3. Write down your concerns about the upcoming test as questions – and then write answers to those questions. “Just writing out your fears, getting them out of your head and onto some paper helps you to gain some perspective” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist. 

4. Focus on doing your best with the questions in front of you, rather than thinking about how you did in past tests. “Performance in any area requires presence- focus on what you have to do right now” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist. 

5. If you breathe out and count silently, “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand”, you will start to feel calmer. “The part of our calming system is activated when we breathe out slowly” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist. 

6. Maintaining a powerful posture sends a signal to your brain that tells it you are feeling in charge of things. “Your brain is extremely clever but it can also be pretty stupid. It believes what you tell it. If you hold a power posture your brain notices and decides that you’re feeling fine and lowers the levels of stress” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist. 

7. Eat breakfast – a mix of protein (like eggs) and carbohydrates (like toast). “Usually a higher protein, lower carbohydrate mix increases memory, concentration and energy” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist. 

8. Drink water. Avoid energy drinks, which may interfere with your levels of concentration. “Energy drinks increase your levels of adrenaline making you feel wired. If you are feeling stressed you are better to drink water as it reduces your levels of cortisol- the stress hormone” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist.

 9. Get a good night’s sleep. “Before a test or exam it’s best to get a good night’s sleep.” Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist. 

10. Remember that tests and exams are important, but they are not the big predictors of life success. 

10 tips for taking tests

Test	Duration	Order	Details
Writing	Year 3: 40 minutes Year 5: 40 minutes	To be completed in the first two days	Year 3 students do a paper-based writing test on day one only. Year 5 students complete online.
Reading	Year 3: 45 minutes Year 5: 50 minutes	To be completed after the writing  test	Students read a range of informative, imaginative and persuasive texts
Language conventions	Year 3: 45 minutes. Year 5: 45 minutes	To be completed after the reading test	This test includes spelling, grammar and punctuation
Numeracy	Year 3: 45 minutes. Year 5: 50 minutes	To be completed after the conventions of language test	This test includes number and algebra; measurement and geometry; and statistics and probability

Best wishes,

Miss Dowling & Mrs McIlwraith