 Tailored testing automatically adapts to a student's performance and allows each student to demonstrate their knowledge with questions that match their test performance. So how does tailored testing work? Students are presented with questions based on their performance during the test. Many of the test questions are of mid-range difficulty for each year level, but some are of higher or lower complexity. Students answer an initial set of questions and are then directed to subsequent questions based on the accuracy of their responses. For example, students who struggle with questions early in the test will be directed to questions that are less complex or challenging. Students performing to a higher level in the test will be asked questions that are more complex. Tailored testing allows students to demonstrate in what they know and encourages students to stay engaged with the test. Let's look at some examples of how students experience tailored testing. Marco and Lucy begin with questions that largely test the same range of difficulty. Marco is finding some questions difficult early in the test, so he is directed to a few questions that are less complex. Marco has an opportunity to demonstrate what he knows. Lucy is performing better in the test, so she is presented with some questions that are more complex. She is challenged and less likely to become bored because the questions are too easy. This means both Marco and Lucy are connecting the test in a positive way. Both have an opportunity to better demonstrate their range of literacy and numeracy skills. Tailored testing is not a new idea. Many school testing programs already use a form of tailored testing. For example, the Progressive Achievement Test in Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Spelling, which uses adaptive testing to match questions to a student's level of performance. Akara has already carried out its own research to prepare for NAPLAN Online and to see how students respond to an online testing environment. The research shows that students engage better with the test that adapts to their current performance. Tailored testing will also provide teachers and schools with more targeted and detailed information on their students' performance on the tests. So, tailored testing offers students a more engaging test experience for the students while providing results that can support the next stage of their learning. For more information about NAPLAN Online and Tailored Testing, please visit www.nap.edu.au.