NAPLAN Test Anxiety: How to Help Your Child Stay Calm

A little nervousness before NAPLAN is normal. The aim is not to remove it entirely but to keep it manageable, so your child can show what they actually know.

What helps

• Normalise it — call NAPLAN a check-in, not a judgement of who they are.
• Build familiarity — practising the format removes a major source of fear.
• Protect sleep and food, especially in the final week.
• Teach a calming reset — slow breaths before and during the test.

What to avoid

• Last-minute cramming, which raises stress and lowers performance.
• High-stakes language — avoid framing it as make-or-break.
• Comparing your child to siblings or classmates.

Calm, steady preparation across the preceding weeks does more for confidence than anything done the night before. Our preparation guide lays out a gentle plan.