What this page helps you practise
- whole-number operations and place value
- simple fractions, money, and measurement questions
- shape, position, chance, and data interpretation
- multi-step word problems written in NAPLAN style
NAPLANYear 3Numeracy
NAPLAN Year 3 Numeracy Practice Test PDF
Year 3 numeracy is often the first national test experience for Australian students. This landing page focuses on the arithmetic, pattern, measurement, and word-problem skills families should practise before test day.
Year 3 Numeracy sample questions with worked solutions
Try each question first, then open the worked solution to check your answer and see how to reach it.
1.What is 12 + 9?
- A20
- B21
- C22
- D19
Show answer and working
Answer: B (21)
Split 9 into 8 and 1 to make a ten: 12 + 8 = 20, then 20 + 1 = 21. You can also add the ones first: 2 + 9 = 11, so 10 + 11 = 21. The answer 20 comes from adding 8 instead of 9, and 19 or 22 are one away, so check your counting carefully.
2.What is 50 - 25?
- A20
- B25
- C30
- D15
Show answer and working
Answer: B (25)
Taking 25 away from 50 is the same as finding half of 50, because 25 + 25 = 50. So 50 − 25 = 25. Another way is to count back in fives from 50: 45, 40, 35, 30, 25. Always check a subtraction by adding back: 25 + 25 = 50, so the answer is right.
3.How many sides does a triangle have?
- A3
- B4
- C5
- D6
Show answer and working
Answer: A (3)
The word triangle starts with 'tri', which means three, just like a tricycle has three wheels. A triangle has three straight sides and three corners. A shape with four sides is a quadrilateral, such as a square, five sides makes a pentagon and six sides makes a hexagon. Count the sides of any shape by touching each one once.
4.What is 5 x 6?
- A11
- B30
- C25
- D35
Show answer and working
Answer: B (30)
5 × 6 means five groups of six, or six groups of five. Counting by fives six times gives 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. So 5 × 6 = 30. The answer 11 is what you get if you add 5 + 6 instead of multiplying, which is a common mistake, and 25 and 35 are the neighbouring fives.
5.Which number is an even number?
- A3
- B7
- C8
- D11
Show answer and working
Answer: C (8)
An even number can be shared into two equal groups with nothing left over, and it always ends in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8. The number 8 ends in 8 and splits into 4 + 4, so it is even. The numbers 3, 7 and 11 end in odd digits, so one is always left over when you share them in pairs.
6.What is half of 20?
- A5
- B10
- C15
- D40
Show answer and working
Answer: B (10)
Finding half means sharing into two equal parts. 20 shared between two people gives each person 10, because 10 + 10 = 20. You can also use the doubling fact you know: double 10 is 20, so half of 20 is 10. The answer 40 is double 20, not half, so read the question carefully.
7.If you have $1.00 and spend 40c, how much do you have left?
- A40c
- B50c
- C60c
- D70c
Show answer and working
Answer: C (60c)
$1.00 is the same as 100 cents. Spending 40c means you take 40 away from 100: 100 − 40 = 60. So you have 60c left. Check by adding back: 60c + 40c = 100c, which is $1.00. Counting on from 40 in tens to 100 (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100) is six jumps of ten, which also gives 60c.
8.What comes next in the sequence: 2, 4, 6, 8, ...?
- A9
- B10
- C11
- D12
Show answer and working
Answer: B (10)
Look at how the pattern changes from one number to the next: 2 to 4 is +2, 4 to 6 is +2 and 6 to 8 is +2. The rule is 'add 2 each time', so the next number is 8 + 2 = 10. These are the even numbers. The answer 9 adds only 1, which breaks the rule.
9.Which object is usually heavier?
- AFeather
- BCar
- CApple
- DPencil
Show answer and working
Answer: B (Car)
This question is about mass, which is how heavy something is. A feather, an apple and a pencil can all be held in one hand easily, but a car weighs more than a tonne and needs an engine to move. When comparing mass, picture lifting each object. The object that would be hardest to lift is the heaviest.
10.What time is it when the big hand is on 12 and the little hand is on 3?
- A3:00
- B12:03
- C3:30
- D12:30
Show answer and working
Answer: A (3:00)
On an analogue clock the long (big) hand shows minutes and the short (little) hand shows hours. When the big hand points to 12, it is exactly 'o'clock', meaning zero minutes past. The little hand on 3 shows the hour, so the time is 3:00. Answers like 12:03 mix up which hand shows the hour.
Preparation strategy
1
Use short timed sets so students become comfortable reading questions carefully under light pressure.
2
Review mistakes by naming the skill being tested, not just the correct answer.
3
Mix calculator-free arithmetic with real-world numeracy contexts such as money and measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is tested in Year 3 NAPLAN numeracy?
Year 3 NAPLAN numeracy assesses early number knowledge, measurement, geometry, statistics, probability, and practical problem solving.
How should students practise Year 3 numeracy?
Students benefit from short, regular practice sessions using exam-style questions followed by careful review of errors.