If your child has been doing practice tests and you're still not sure if it's helping, you're not alone. Most parents I speak to have already taken action. They've bought the books, printed the papers, and their child has sat test after test. On the surface, it looks like everything is being done "right" — but there's still that lingering question:
Is this actually improving anything?
That uncertainty can feel frustrating, especially when time is limited and you're trying to give your child the best chance possible. So let's simplify this in a way that actually helps.
Why more practice tests don't always lead to better results
Practice tests do have a role. They help your child become familiar with the format, the timing, and the pressure of the test environment. But practice on its own doesn't guarantee improvement.
If a child keeps making the same mistake — in writing, reading, or maths reasoning — doing more questions won't fix it. It simply gives them more opportunities to repeat the same pattern.
A helpful way to think about it is this:
Practising without feedback is like rehearsing the wrong lines in a play. You might become more confident — but you're still getting it wrong.
This is where many well-intentioned preparation routines fall short. There's effort, but not always progress.
What NAPLAN and selective tests are really assessing
Once you understand what these tests are actually measuring, it becomes much easier to prepare in a way that works. NAPLAN and selective school tests are not designed to reward memorisation — they assess how your child thinks, especially under time pressure.
NAPLAN assesses students across four areas: writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy. In the writing component, students respond to a single prompt within a strict time limit (around 40–42 minutes depending on year level), and are assessed on multiple criteria such as ideas, structure, and language use.
Selective school entry tests follow a similar structure. In NSW, students complete reading, mathematical reasoning, thinking skills, and writing sections, all under timed conditions. The writing task, for example, requires students to produce one complete piece within 30 minutes.
Across all of these, the skills being tested are consistent:
- clarity of thinking
- ability to interpret questions accurately
- organisation of ideas
- working efficiently under time constraints
These are not skills that improve simply by doing more — they improve when specific gaps are identified and addressed.
Why children often plateau — even when they're working hard
One of the most confusing experiences for parents is seeing their child put in effort without seeing clear improvement. A child can be completing practice tests regularly, staying focused, and doing what they've been asked — and still not move forward.
This usually comes down to one missing piece: no clear understanding of what needs to change.
For example:
- A child may lose writing marks because their ideas aren't fully developed — not because they "can't write".
- A child may struggle in maths because they misread multi-step questions — not because they "don't understand maths".
- A child may find reading difficult because they can't infer meaning — not because they "can't read".
These are very different challenges, but without clear feedback, they all look the same. When everything feels the same, it's very hard to know what to do next.
A clear picture of strengths and areas to improve, generated after a single diagnostic test.
What actually helps your child improve
A more effective approach doesn't require more time — it requires more clarity. Instead of focusing on how many tests your child completes, shift the focus to what your child is currently finding difficult.
A simple, practical approach looks like this:
- identify one specific gap
- focus on that area with short, targeted practice
- give clear, usable feedback
- then check progress
This approach is far more manageable for both you and your child. It removes the pressure of trying to "fix everything at once" and replaces it with steady, achievable progress.
What this looks like in real life
Imagine your child writes a persuasive piece. They have good ideas, but their writing feels a bit flat and doesn't score as highly as expected.
If they simply complete another full practice test, that same issue is likely to appear again. But if you show them what a strong paragraph actually looks like, help them practise expanding one idea clearly, and give feedback on that specific skill, you'll often see improvement quite quickly.
Not because they worked harder — but because they worked with more focus.
The kind of feedback that moves a writing band — clear, specific, and tied to what to try next time.
Where many parents get stuck (and why that's completely normal)
Most parents are trying to support their child without having access to clear marking criteria or strong examples. It's not always obvious what separates an average response from a high-scoring one, why a particular answer is incorrect, or what should be improved next.
Without that clarity, it's easy to fall back on what feels productive — more practice — even if it isn't the most effective approach.
Where Examinate fits in
This is the gap Examinate is designed to support. Rather than focusing on generating more questions, it helps you build a clear picture of your child's current level and what they need to work on next.
This includes identifying strengths and weaker areas, providing clear feedback on writing and responses, and helping you target the specific skills that will make the biggest difference. So instead of guessing, you're making informed decisions about how to support your child.
A calmer, more effective way to prepare
If there's one idea to take from this, it's this:
Your child doesn't need to do everything. They need to improve the right things.
Preparation doesn't have to mean hours of daily work, constant full-length tests, or trying to cover every possible topic. It can be focused, manageable, and much more effective. When your child understands what they're working on and why, their confidence naturally grows alongside their skills.
If that approach is useful to you, the first diagnostic on Examinate is free — start with a free diagnostic and see your child's weakness map after one test.
Frequently asked questions
Do practice tests still matter?
Yes, but they are most useful when used to identify patterns and gaps — not as the main method of improvement. One practice test, marked properly, is more useful than five completed without review.
How often should my child do a full test?
For most students, once every one to two weeks is enough. The time in between is best spent on targeted skill development.
What if I'm not sure what my child's weaknesses are?
Look for patterns. Where do they slow down? What types of questions are consistently tricky? These are often the clearest indicators. A diagnostic test that breaks results down by skill makes this much easier than trying to spot the patterns yourself.
Is it too late to change approach?
Not at all. Shifting to a more targeted approach often leads to faster and more noticeable improvement, even in the final weeks before a test.