Private schools use NAPLAN results for enrolment

Private schools in Brisbane are increasingly using NAPLAN results as part of the enrolment process, with two-thirds of the city's private schools explicitly requiring parents to provide scores during applications. Some institutions also request these results for scholarship or bursary considerations.

Critics, including the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), have condemned the practice. ACARA chief executive Stephen Gniel stated, “NAPLAN is not a pass or fail test – and it shouldn’t be used as a proxy for school entrance exams,” suggesting the test be used primarily as a diagnostic tool.

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek also criticized the inappropriate use of statistics for school league tables. Experts have expressed concern that using the results for school marketability places undue pressure on students to perform in a test that is intended to be low-stakes.