Students across Australia faced disruptions in their NAPLAN assessments today after a technical issue led to widespread chaos. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) CEO, Stephen Gniel, stated that the problems began around 9:20 am AEDT, affecting students’ ability to log onto the online platform.
“We became aware of a technical issue which was affecting students being able to log on to the online platform to complete their NAPLAN assessments,” Gniel explained. “This issue was urgently investigated by the technology provider, Education Services Australia, who provide the platform.”
As a result, testing was paused in affected schools, and students were escorted out of exam halls to await further instructions. However, due to time differences, schools in Western Australia had not commenced testing when the issue arose.
Immediate Impact and Response
While the exact number of affected students remains unclear, Gniel confirmed that Year 3 students, who complete their NAPLAN writing tests on paper, were not impacted. “We also know from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority that as of 11:30 Queensland time about 100,000 Queensland students in Years 5, 7, and 9 had completed the writing test,” he added.
Education Services Australia resolved the issue, allowing testing to resume shortly after 11 am Sydney time. Schools recommenced NAPLAN assessments around 11:30 am, with the technology provider closely monitoring for further disruptions. “We apologise for the disruption to students and schools, and thank them for their patience,” an ACARA spokesperson stated.
Student Experiences and Reactions
Some students had already accessed test questions before the pause. A student from Arden Anglican School in NSW described the crash as “catastrophic,” noting that they had begun writing when the test was abruptly halted. Similarly, a student from Victoria reported losing connection 20 minutes into the exam, with the system flickering between ‘test paused’ and ‘reconnecting’.
“After about 15 minutes of this, our teachers told us to sign out,” the Victorian student recounted. “We were informed that the test would be moved to another day and that the progress we had already completed was lost.”
Ensuring Fairness and Future Measures
ACARA is working with Test Administration Authorities to provide guidance to affected schools, aiming to minimize the impact on students. Measures are being implemented to ensure students are not disadvantaged due to the morning’s disruptions.
More than 1.3 million students were expected to begin the 2026 NAPLAN tests today. Reports of technical issues quickly surfaced on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the widespread nature of the problem.
NAPLAN, an annual national assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9, is conducted over a nine-day period every March. While some assessments, such as the Year 3 writing test, are still completed on paper, most are now conducted online. The platform is designed to meet government and industry standards for security, privacy, and accessibility.
“No student is disadvantaged if their device stops working during the test,” the National Assessment Program website assures. “In the event the device stops working, all responses will have been saved and the student can complete their test on another device or in a rescheduled test session.”
The incident underscores the challenges of transitioning to digital assessments and the importance of robust technological infrastructure. As ACARA and Education Services Australia address today’s issues, the focus remains on ensuring a smooth experience for all students in the coming days.
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