OLNA
The OLNA is an online literacy and numeracy assessment. It is designed to enable students to successfully meet the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) requirement of demonstrating the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy.
Minimum standard of literacy and numeracy
To successfully meet the literacy and numeracy requirement, students must demonstrate the skills regarded as essential to meet the demands of everyday life and work in a knowledge-based economy. These skills are described in Level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework.
These skills must be demonstrated in:
- Literacy (reading and writing)
- Numeracy.
Prequalification
The Authority has identified students who in their Year 9 NAPLAN reading, writing and numeracy tests have demonstrated the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy. These students are therefore, not required to again demonstrate their skills in the corresponding component through the OLNA.
Given the changes to NAPLAN in 2023 by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), students’ results now show how they performed in each of the NAPLAN assessment areas against 4 new proficiency levels. More information about the proficiency levels is available at https://nap.edu.au/naplan.
ACARA has provided the School Curriculum and Standards Authority with a score corresponding to the minimum Literacy and Numeracy standard for the WACE, on the NAPLAN Reading, Writing and Numeracy test domains. Previously, this minimum standard for the WACE corresponded to Band 8.
Information regarding a student’s prequalification can no longer be determined from NAPLAN Individual Student Reports (ISRs). Information about prequalification will be provided to students and parents/carers by their school. See OLNA Prequalification and Year 9 NAPLAN: Information for Parents/Carers and Schools for further information.
The tests
The reading and numeracy tests each comprise 45 multiple‐choice questions. Students have 50 minutes to complete each of these tests. The writing test is a typed response of up to 600 words. Students have 60 minutes to complete the writing test. The table below provides a quick guide to each test.
| Numeracy | Reading | Writing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 45 | 1 | |
| Question type | Multiple-choice | Typed response (up to 600 words) | |
| Time | 50 minutes | 60 minutes | |
| Disability Adjustments | A variety of adjustments are available | ||
2023 Testing window dates
| Test Period | Writing | Numeracy and Reading | Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|
Term 1 | 27 - 28 February | 27 February - 10 March | Year 11#, 12 |
Term 2 Window A | 1 - 2 May | 1 - 12 May | Year 10, 11, 12 |
Term 2 Window B | 12 - 13 June | 12 - 23 June | Year 10, 11, 12 |
Term 3 Window A | 24 - 25 July | 24 July - 4 August | Year 10, 11, 12 |
Term 3 Window B | 4 - 5 September | 4 - 15 September | Year 10, 11, 12 |
Term 4 | 23 - 24 October | 23 October – 3 November | Year 9*, 10 |
* Optional sit: Students who are in Year 9 when they are given their first opportunity to sit the OLNA will have this count as their first sit as a Year 10 student.
# Students who are in Year 11 are required to sit in this round.
2024 Testing window dates
| Test Period | Writing | Numeracy and Reading | Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|
Term 1^ | 26 – 27 February | 26 February – 8 March | Year 11#, 12 |
Term 2 Window A^ | 22 – 23 April | 22 April – 3 May | Year 10, 11#, 12 |
Term 2 Window B | 10 – 11 June | 10 – 21 June | Year 10, 11#, 12 |
Term 3 Window A | 22 – 23 July | 22 July – 2 August | Year 10, 11, 12 |
Term 3 Window B | 2 – 3 September | 2 – 13 September | Year 10, 11, 12 |
Term 4 | 21 – 22 October |
| Year 9*, 10 |
* Optional sit: Year 9 students who sit in Term 4 will have this count as their first sit as a Year 10 student.
# Year 11 students are required to sit in one of these windows.
^ Monday, 4 March and Thursday, 25 April are public holidays in Western Australia. The OLNA will not be available on these dates.
Post-Year 12 sits
Post-Year 12 students can apply to sit the test for each component that they have not demonstrated the standard in. Applications can be made via the WACE after Year 12 page.