Year 3 NAPLAN Reading Sample Questions

SAMPLE QUESTION 1 — Medium

Priya read a book about the coral reef. She learned that coral is not a plant but an animal, made up of tiny creatures called polyps. The colours of coral come from microscopic algae living inside them. When the ocean temperature rises, the coral expels the algae and turns white — a process called bleaching. Without the algae, the coral starves and can die. The Great Barrier Reef has experienced several mass bleaching events due to rising ocean temperatures. According to the passage, why does coral turn white during bleaching?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 2 — Medium

Mei loved maths but struggled with reading aloud in class. Whenever the teacher asked students to read from the textbook, Mei's heart would beat fast and her hands would sweat. She worried she would say a word wrong and people would laugh. One day, her teacher let her practise reading a passage at home first. When Mei read it in class, it went perfectly. She realised that preparation could help with the things that scared her. What did Mei learn from this experience?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 3 — Medium

Read the passage below, then answer the question. The school athletics carnival was held on a warm Friday in March. Students from every class competed in running races, long jump, and shot put. Priya was nervous about the 100-metre sprint because she had never raced in front of such a big crowd before. She took a deep breath as she stood on the starting line. When the starter called 'Go!', Priya ran as fast as she could. She crossed the finish line in second place. Even though she did not win, Priya felt proud because she had tried her very best. How did Priya feel before the race started?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 4 — Medium

Read the following text: Every summer, Aarav's class visited the rockpools at the edge of the bay to observe sea creatures. This year, Aarav noticed a small crab tucked beneath a ledge, perfectly still. His teacher explained that crabs hide in tight spaces to protect themselves from the hot sun and hungry birds. Aarav carefully sketched the crab in his notebook so he could remember exactly where it was sheltering. Why did the crab stay hidden under the ledge?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 5 — Medium

Read the passage below, then answer the question. When Kofi's class studied the water cycle, their teacher set up a simple experiment. She placed a bowl of water on the sunny windowsill and covered it tightly with clear plastic wrap. By the end of the school day, tiny droplets had formed on the inside of the plastic. Their teacher explained that the sun's warmth caused water to evaporate from the bowl and rise as vapour. When the vapour hit the cooler plastic, it condensed back into droplets — just like clouds forming in the sky. Kofi realised this was the same process that caused rain. He told his mum about it that evening and she said the experiment sounded like real science. What happened to the water vapour when it reached the plastic wrap?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 6 — Medium

Read the passage below, then answer the question. The pelicans at the Lake Alexandrina foreshore were a popular attraction. Tourists and locals would gather near the water each afternoon, hoping to watch the birds dive for fish. A ranger named Devi explained to a group of visiting students that pelicans can hold fish in the large pouch under their beak. She warned the students not to feed the pelicans, because human food is not healthy for wild birds. She also explained that feeding them could make them lose their ability to hunt for themselves. Why did Devi warn students not to feed the pelicans?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 7 — Medium

In the sentence 'the whole group follows, marching up the beach in a wobbly line,' what does the word 'wobbly' most likely mean?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 8 — Medium

Read the passage below, then answer the question. The wombat is a sturdy, short-legged marsupial found across southern and eastern Australia. Wombats are powerful diggers and can create burrows up to thirty metres long. They are most active at night, spending daylight hours resting underground where it is cool. Wombats eat grasses, roots, and bark, and they have very tough back ends — their rumps are made mostly of cartilage, which protects them if a predator follows them into their burrow. If threatened, a wombat will dash to its burrow and use its rump to block the entrance, crushing the predator against the tunnel ceiling. This surprising defence has earned the wombat a reputation as one of Australia's toughest animals. Why is a wombat's tough rump useful?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 9 — Medium

Read the following text: Mia and her dad went rockpooling at the beach near their home. Mia carefully lifted a wet rock and spotted a small crab hiding underneath. She gently put the rock back so the crab would not lose its shelter. Her dad smiled and told her she was a thoughtful explorer. Why did Mia put the rock back carefully?

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SAMPLE QUESTION 10 — Medium

Read the passage below, then answer the question. The Year 3 class at Gumnut Primary School was putting on a play about the life cycle of a butterfly. Anika played the caterpillar, Tom played the chrysalis and Priya played the butterfly. They had practised their lines every day for two weeks. On the night of the performance, Anika forgot one of her lines. Instead of stopping, she made up something that still made sense, and the audience didn't notice. Backstage afterwards, her teacher whispered, "Well done — real performers think on their feet." What does the phrase 'think on their feet' most likely mean?

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