The ICAS test is very different to NAPLAN. NAPLAN is a mandatory assessment for all Australian children, whereas ICAS is an optional academic competition that some schools may choose to partake in. The questions in ICAS are also different to the NAPLAN test, written in a way that extends students beyond the everyday curriculum and aims to test their higher-order thinking and problem-solving abilities. NAPLAN, on the other hand, tests whether students are reaching their literacy and numeracy goals based on their grade. This includes three domains: reading, writing and language, and numeracy, whereas ICAS covers six subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Digital Technologies, Writing and Spelling Bee.