The national NAPLAN results are in for 2026. Years 5, 7 and 9 saw their numeracy scores increase, however a reported “dip” in Year 3 results has raised alarm bells.

The organisation that runs the NAPLAN test, described the results as “clearly concerning”. And Education Minister Jason Clare noted while the older years’ results were “good news”, Year 3 numeracy was a “different story”.

What is going on with Year 3 numeracy? Do we really need to be concerned?

Read more: NAPLAN results are coming home. Here’s what parents should keep in mind

What were the Year 3 results?

There appears to be a downward trend in Year 3 numeracy, but the overall decline in national average scores is small and not statistically significant. To be precise, there has been a drop of 2.7 scale score points (out of 1,000) compared to 2025.

It also depends what scores you look at. NAPLAN results are grouped into four bands: “needs additional support”, “developing”, “strong” and “exceeding”.

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