The NAPLAN reading Year 5 test asks your child to read a range of short texts on screen and answer questions about them in 50 minutes. It checks whether they can find information, work out what the writer means, and understand how texts are put together. This guide explains what’s tested, the kinds of texts and questions, an original sample passage with questions, and how to practise.
Year 5 reading at a glance
| Detail | Year 5 reading |
|---|---|
| Time | 50 minutes |
| Format | Online and tailored: later texts get harder or easier depending on earlier answers |
| Texts | Stories, information texts, persuasive texts, poems, procedures and more |
| Question types | Multiple choice, ordering, drag and drop, selecting words in the text (hot text) |
| When | The second test of NAPLAN, after writing |
Skills the Year 5 reading test checks
- Finding information stated directly in the text.
- Inferring: working out something the text suggests but doesn’t say.
- Vocabulary in context: what a word or phrase means in that sentence.
- Purpose and audience: why the text was written and who it is for.
- Text structure: how headings, paragraphs and images help the reader.
- Comparing ideas across two short texts.
Year 5 reading sample questions
Read this original passage, then try the questions.
The Egg-Laying Mammal
Echidnas are one of only two kinds of mammal in the world that lay eggs. The other is the platypus. A female echidna lays a single soft egg and rolls it into a pouch on her belly. About ten days later, a tiny baby called a puggle hatches.
Echidnas have no teeth. Instead, they use a long, sticky tongue to catch ants and termites, then crush their food between their tongue and the roof of their mouth. Their strong claws are perfect for breaking open termite mounds and digging burrows.
When danger comes near, an echidna digs straight down until only its sharp spines are showing. Few predators want a mouthful of those.
Question 1
What do echidnas mainly eat?
Show answer
B. The second paragraph says they catch ants and termites. This is a “find the information” question.
Question 2
In the passage, the word crush means:
Show answer
A. In this sentence, crush means to squash the food. Option C is another meaning of crush that doesn’t fit here, which is why vocabulary questions say “in the passage”.
Question 3
Why does an echidna dig down when it is in danger?
Show answer
C. The last paragraph explains that only the sharp spines are left showing, and predators avoid them. Your child has to connect two sentences to answer.
Question 4
What is the main purpose of this passage?
Show answer
C. It gives facts about how echidnas live, so it is an information text.
How to help with Year 5 reading at home
- Read a mix of texts: news for kids, recipes, poems, non-fiction and novels. NAPLAN uses many text types.
- Ask “How do you know?” after a question, and get your child to point to the words in the text.
- Talk about word meanings in context, especially words with more than one meaning.
- Practise reading on screen. The real test is online, so scrolling and reading digital text helps.
- Try the official demonstration site to get used to the online tools: NAPLAN public demonstration site.
Official Year 5 reading papers from 2008 to 2016 are free from ACARA. See NAPLAN past papers Year 5. Our own online Year 5 reading practice test is in development.
Year 5 reading FAQs
How long is the Year 5 reading test?
50 minutes.
Can my child go back to earlier questions?
Within a section, usually yes. Once they move to the next stage of the tailored test, the on-screen message tells them whether earlier questions can still be changed.
Are the reading texts the same for every student?
No. Everyone starts with the same first set, then the test branches to easier or harder texts depending on how your child is going.
Related guides
- NAPLAN Practice Test Year 5
- NAPLAN Numeracy Year 5
- NAPLAN Language Conventions Year 5
- NAPLAN Past Papers Year 5
- NAPLAN Proficiency Levels Explained
Sample passage and questions are original and written by MyNaplan. Test details current for NAPLAN 2026 and 2027.