Some students in Year 10 are about to sit Round 2 of the OLNA – The Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment.
In order to demonstrate the required literacy and numeracy standards for the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), some students are expected to sit this assessment. The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (Authority) awards the WACE at the end of Year 12 to students who have met all the requirements. You can find more about the requirements on the Authority website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au under Years 11 and 12 > The WACE > WACE Requirements.
Some students met the literacy and numeracy requirement through their performance in the Year 9 NAPLAN test. Additional students have now met the requirement due to their performance in Round 1 of the OLNA which was held earlier this year in February.
We will inform you whether your child needs to the sit Round 2 of the OLNA, which is being held in Term 3 during weeks 7-9. Students who need to sit one or more components of the OLNA this term were notified by the College in Week 3 of Term 3. Parents/Caregivers of these students were also informed via email during Week 3.
OLNA – Round 2 Timetable at Coastal Lakes College
| Component | Dates |
| Writing | 29 August–31 August (Week 7) |
| Numeracy and Reading | 31 August–13 September (Weeks 7-9) |
Should students not pass the OLNA in the second round of 2022, they will have another four opportunities (two rounds in Year 11 and a further two rounds in Year 12) to meet the literacy and numeracy requirement.
The OLNA comprises of three components; writing, reading and numeracy.
- The writing component is an extended response of up to 600 words, to be completed in a 60-minute timeframe.
- The reading and numeracy components comprise of 45 multiple‐choice questions, to be completed within a 50-minute timeframe.
The table below provides an overview of the components.
| Writing | Reading | Numeracy | |
| Number of Questions | 1 (600 word limit) | 45 | |
| Question type | Open-ended | Multiple-choice | |
| Mode | Typed online | Online point and click | |
| Time | 60 minutes | 50 minutes | |
| Delivery | Randomised forms | Randomised forms | |
| Adjustments | Extra time, pause, coloured background and higher quality images | ||
To prepare our students for the types of questions they can expect and to familiarise them with the online assessment platform, we provide access to practice and example tests on a secure website. The link to the secure website for the practice and example tests is available on the Authority website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au under Years 11 and 12 > Assessment > OLNA > Practice and Example Tests.
For students with disability, we have guidelines to help determine the appropriate adjustments for equal access. Information about disability adjustments is available on the Authority website under Years 11 and 12 > Assessment > Disability Adjustment Guidelines
Students who do not demonstrate the literacy and numeracy standard by the time they exit senior secondary schooling can apply to the Authority to re-sit the OLNA at any age.
If you want to know more, go to the Authority’s website and look under Years 11 and 12 > Assessment > OLNA. There you will find more information, answers to frequently asked questions and a brief video. You can also send questions to olna@scsa.wa.edu.au.
Please take the time to read the attached OLNA Information Brochure 2022 for parents/guardians/carers.
Parents and students can also contact the Manager of Directions at Coastal Lakes College, Alison Flockhart via email at Alison.Flockhart@education.wa.edu.au for additional OLNA information and enquiries.