Excel Test Zone

What Excel Test Zone is

Excel Test Zone is an online practice test platform for Australian primary and lower secondary students. Its FAQ describes it as supporting "students in Years 1 to 9 with targeted preparation for NAPLAN, Opportunity Class, Selective School and Scholarship tests, as well as year round skills development through Online Assessment Test Packs." It is published by Pascal Press, the company behind the Excel workbooks and study guides, which the site says Australian students have used "for more than 30 years," and the platform itself says it has been "Trusted by Australian families for over 17 years" and used by 30,000+ students. The FAQ calls it "Australia's leading online test practice platform for primary and lower secondary students," which is the publisher's own description.

The product is sold as Test Packs: a year of online practice tests for one exam and year level, assigned to one child. The same tests are licensed to schools by the student or by the class. A footnote makes clear that the NAPLAN packs are "not an officially endorsed publication of the NAPLAN program" and are produced by Pascal Press independently of Australian governments.

The Test Packs

Four kinds of pack cover the main tests a child meets in primary school.

The NAPLAN Online-style Test Packs are listed for Years 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, with the Year 2, 4 and 6 packs marked as new. Each covers the four NAPLAN areas: Conventions of Language, Reading, Writing and Numeracy. Topics follow the year level and include number, algebra, statistics, probability, measurement, geometry, spelling, grammar, punctuation and reading comprehension, and numeracy tests include calculator and non-calculator parts, as the real test does.

The Year 4 Opportunity Class Placement-style pack prepares students for entry to Year 5 Opportunity Classes, covering Mathematical Reasoning, Reading and Thinking Skills. The Year 6 Selective Schools and Scholarship-style pack prepares students for Year 7 selective schools and scholarship programs, covering Mathematical Reasoning, Reading, Thinking Skills and Writing in the style of the Selective School and ACER Scholarship tests.

The Online Assessment Test Packs for Years 1 to 6 are for practice across the school year rather than a single exam. They cover Comprehension, Language, Number and Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics and Probability, are aligned to the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0, and tag each test with the ACARA code of the learning outcome it targets. The assessment page counts 150+ curriculum-aligned practice tests.

The FAQ stresses that the questions are original: "these are not past paper questions," but questions written by experienced authors to match the format and style of NAPLAN, the NSW Opportunity Class and Selective High School placement tests, and ACER Scholarship tests. They are also different from the questions in the Excel workbooks, so the two can be used together.

How practice works

Tests run in an online format modeled on the real tests' timing and layout, and the home page describes three parts working together: a test-like environment, a review system that shows where a child went wrong, and a self-learning design meant to keep children practicing. Most tests are marked instantly, with worked solutions, detailed explanations and a national average ranking that shows how a child's result compares with other students across Australia who took the same test. Results summaries show overall performance, strengths and areas for improvement, progress tracking charts skills over time, and results are emailed to parents. Writing tests are the exception: they are not marked, but each comes with guidance on how to approach the task and model responses that show the standard to aim for.

Practice attempts are unlimited, so a child can repeat a test as often as needed during the access period. The platform runs in the browser on any device and is described as mobile friendly; the old Excel Test Zone app has not been available in app stores since July 2022. The site promises a student-friendly interface for young learners and an environment with no advertisements. Tests can only be submitted from the student's own account, while parents manage packs and view reports from a parent dashboard.

Prices and access for families

Every NAPLAN pack costs $69.99 for 12 months of access, and every Online Assessment pack costs $99 for 12 months. Bundles combine NAPLAN with Assessment, Opportunity Class or Selective and Scholarship practice, and the site says families can "save up to $61 when you bundle." The site sets its price against "Up to $180+ per hour" for traditional tutoring.

The access rules are spelled out in the FAQ. Each pack gives 365 days of access, does not renew automatically and cannot be extended; a family that wants more simply buys a new pack. Each pack is allocated to one student and cannot be moved to another. Results and reports stay viewable after a pack expires. Refunds are handled under the company's refund policy, and a support team answers questions through the contact page.

A free trial runs for 7 days with no credit card required, giving selected tests from the full pack with the same features, including worked solutions. Families can redeem a maximum of three free trials per parent account each year, which the assessment page frames as a way to find the right pack for a child.

Licences for schools

Schools can license the NAPLAN and Assessment tests in two ways. Per-student pricing is $12.95 per student for 26-99 students, $10.95 for 100-199 students and $9.95 for 200+ students. Per-class pricing is $99 per class for 1-4 classes, $89 for 5-9 classes and $79 for 10+ classes, with 365 day access, Curriculum V9 alignment, ACARA code search and PDF reports. Teachers can preview any test before assigning it, set tests as required, optional or locked, see at a glance which students have attempted them, compare individual and class results, and download student, class or test reports as PDFs for records and parent communication. An Education Specialist arranges a demo and a free school trial.

What parents say

The reviews on the home page come from parents of NAPLAN, OC and selective students. Nayyar A. writes: "My son used the Selective Schools and Scholarship Test Pack and ended up securing a spot at James Ruse High School. He used Excel Test Zone earlier for OC prep as well and got into OC too." Gillian W. says it "really helped my boys during the NAPLAN and OC exams," adding that "you get the results instantly, and they can go back to see where they went wrong." Celeste C. notes that "the statistics at the end of each test you do are helpful to evaluate his progress," and Sonja N. writes of buying a pack for a nephew: "his anxiety about NAPLAN has subsided, now he's almost excited to sit the test!"

Who it suits

Excel Test Zone suits Australian parents who want inexpensive, year-long online practice for a specific test and year level, with instant marking and a clear picture of how their child compares nationally. It fits NAPLAN years, NSW Opportunity Class and selective entry, and ACER-style scholarship tests, and the Assessment packs serve families who want steady curriculum practice through the year. Schools get a simple licensing model with the assignment and reporting tools a teacher needs.

It is a practice and feedback tool, not a teaching course: there are no lessons or tutors, and writing is not marked, so a child who needs help with essays or with understanding a topic from scratch will need teaching alongside it.