Students will have up to six opportunities (two are allocated to each of Year 10,11 and 12 to sit the OLNA tests. The first of these opportunities maybe offered to students in Year 9 Term 4. For students who did not prequalify in reading, writing and/or numeracy in Year 9 NAPLAN, they are required to sit the corresponding component/s of the OLNA at least once before the end of Year 10, or twice if they do not demonstrate the standard in their first sit. If students do not demonstrate the standard by the end of Year 10, they must sit the component/s in Semester 1 of Year 11.

Subsequently, students may choose when next to sit the component/s. Students will have up to six opportunities before completing Year 12 to demonstrate the WACE minimum standards of literacy and numeracy.

Students with a language background other than English or temporary disability, illness or short-term impediment to performance may postpone sitting the OLNA tests.

Students with a language background other than English

Students who have arrived from overseas, have a language background other than English and have been attending school in Australia for less than one year before the OLNA testing window, must be given the opportunity to sit the OLNA tests to achieve a WACE. These students may choose to defer sitting the OLNA tests until either they have been in Australia for 12 months or have entered mainstream schooling from an Intensive English Centre.

Postponement

Students who are absent or unwell can sit the OLNA tests on another day within the assessment period. Students who are absent for an extended time during the assessment period must sit the OLNA tests in the next window.

Disability adjustments

The Authority recognises that students with a diagnosed disability may require adjustments to the OLNA tests in instances where their disability, impairment, illness or impediment will significantly affect their access to the assessment. Information is available on the Disability adjustments page.

On completion of Year 12, the Authority reports on student achievement of the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy through the Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA). For each of their students, schools can access interim reports that identify the categories of achievement (see below) for each component. The Authority advises parents and students not to interpret interim feedback in terms of pass or fail, but as indicators of the following:

• Category 1: Students who have not demonstrated the standard i.e. proficiency in using a range of ACSF Level 3 skills in a component. These students have been identified as at risk of not demonstrating some of these skills before the end of year 12 and therefore require specific learning interventions to enable the student to demonstrate the required standard. Individual student feedback identifies some of the skills students have not demonstrated in this component.
• Category 2: Students who have not yet demonstrated the standard i.e. proficiency in using a range of ACSF Level 3 skills in a component. These students have been identified as at risk of not demonstrating some of these skills and may require specific learning interventions to enable the student to demonstrate the required standard. Individual student feedback identifies some of the skills students have not demonstrated in this component.
• Category 3: Students who have demonstrated the standard i.e. proficiency in using a range of ACSF Level 3 skills in a component, either through an OLNA test or through their performance in NAPLAN Year 9.

While students who achieve Category 3 are required to enrol in either General or ATAR courses, exemptions to enrol in or continue to enrol in Foundation courses may be permitted with approval from the Authority. See the WACE manual for details.

Foundation courses are designed for students who have not demonstrated the minimum standard in literacy and numeracy.

Foundation courses are divided into List A courses and List B courses.

List A courses

There are three List A courses:

• English Foundation
• English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) Foundation
• Career and Enterprise Foundation

List B courses

There are three List B courses:

• Mathematics Foundation
• Applied Information Technology Foundation
• Health, Physical and Outdoor Education Foundation.

Note: Specific eligibility requirements for List A and List B courses are available through schools, or the WACE Manual.

Home-educated students can access the OLNA tests twice each year.

2025 Testing window dates

*Testing at the Authority’s offices is for the first three days of the window.

Students may sit the tests at either:

• the Authority’s offices
• a site with a supervisor approved by the Authority, or
• a school.

The Authority’s offices

Home-educated students are provided with the opportunity to sit the OLNA at the Authority’s offices in the first three days of each window. The Authority’s offices are located at 303 Sevenoaks St, Cannington.

Site with a supervisor approved by the Authority

Home-educated students may sit the OLNA tests at a site other than a school or the Authority’s offices as long as it can be guaranteed that the site has a supervisor approved by the Authority, and that travel to the Authority’s offices would be unreasonable. An OLNA Approved Supervisor form must be completed before approval can be considered.

School

Home educators are required to negotiate with the school of their choice to identify a suitable date and time.

Compulsory sits

Where home-educated students subsequently enrol in a registered school and have neither prequalified through their NAPLAN Year 9 performance nor demonstrated the minimum standard of literacy and/or numeracy through the OLNA tests, they must sit the OLNA tests at the first opportunity after their enrolment in the registered school.

Applications for 2025 Window 1 will open in early January 2025

Applications will close on Friday, 14 February 2025 at 4pm.

Applications for 2025 Window 2 will open in mid-July 2025

Applications will close on Thursday, 21 August 2025 at 4 pm.

Students on a Notice of Arrangement or Exemption can access the OLNA tests as if they were home-educated students. See the Home-educated students section on this page.

The Authority provides a range of resources to assist students to develop their literacy and numeracy skills.

• OLNA Writing Guide
• Practice and Example tests