Questions we get asked a lot

What is BandBoost and how is it different from NAPLAN workbooks?

BandBoost is an AI-powered NAPLAN practice platform for Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. Unlike a workbook, which marks answers as right or wrong and moves on, BandBoost explains every wrong answer specifically, not generically.

When your child gets a reading question wrong, BandBoost doesn't just show the correct answer. It identifies the exact reason: "You chose option C, which makes sense if you read the question quickly. But notice the question asks why the author wrote this, not what happened in the story." That kind of targeted explanation is what changes behaviour for the next test.

After several tests, BandBoost builds a picture of your child's specific patterns. For example: "Emma consistently misreads questions with double negatives." That is the kind of insight that takes a human tutor months to surface.

How does BandBoost's AI feedback work for younger students like Year 3?

BandBoost's AI feedback changes completely based on year level, because an 8-year-old and a 14-year-old process feedback very differently.

For Year 3 students (ages 8–9), feedback is written at a Year 2 reading level, uses celebration-first language, and never says "wrong" or "incorrect". A Year 3 student who gets a question wrong sees something like: "You're so close! The tricky part here is..." followed by a simple explanation. Encouragement comes first, always.

For Year 9 students (ages 14–15), the feedback is direct and analytical: "This is a classic literal-vs-inferential trap. The question is designed to catch students who..." This is language that treats them as capable and respects their time.

This calibration is built on child development psychology. Younger children need a sense of safety and encouragement to stay engaged with difficult material. Older students respond better to honesty and precision. BandBoost applies both, automatically, based on the student's year level.

Does BandBoost follow the Australian NAPLAN curriculum?

Yes. Every practice test on BandBoost is built around the NAPLAN Assessment Framework published by ACARA (the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority). Each subject covers the exact micro-skills tested in real NAPLAN: literal and inferential reading comprehension for Literacy, fractions and measurement for Numeracy, punctuation and sentence structure for Conventions, and narrative and persuasive writing for Writing.

BandBoost is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with ACARA. Practice questions are written by BandBoost's education team and are not official NAPLAN questions. They are designed to build the skills tested in NAPLAN.

How many practice tests does my child get?

Each subject (Literacy, Numeracy, Conventions, Writing) includes 10 full practice tests. That's 10 complete sessions of 25–32 questions each, with AI feedback after every test. If your child works through all 4 subjects, that's 40 complete practice sessions.

Tests are designed to increase in difficulty from Test 1 to Test 10, matching the progressively harder question distribution in real NAPLAN.

What happens after my child finishes a test?

After each test, three things happen automatically:

1. Celebration screen: your child sees their result immediately, with encouragement matched to their year level.

2. AI Review Mode: your child reviews every question with a personal explanation. Wrong answers are explained specifically: what they chose, why that choice made sense, and what the question was really asking. Correct answers get a brief confirmation.

3. Parent Report: you receive an email with a progress report written like a note from an expert tutor. It names your child's strongest skills and their specific development areas, not as topics ("fractions") but as thinking patterns ("stops one step before completing the calculation"). After multiple tests, the report shows whether these patterns are improving.

Is BandBoost's AI safe for children?

Yes. Students do not interact directly with the AI. They take practice tests and the AI generates feedback after the test is submitted. There is no open chat, no ability to ask the AI questions, and no way for a student to have a conversation with it.

All AI feedback is generated within strict guardrails: it must follow the year-level tone guidelines, must reference the specific question and the child's specific answer, and must never use discouraging language.

Student answers are sent to Anthropic's AI API for evaluation with no names or identifying information attached. Anthropic's terms prohibit using API inputs to train their models. Your child's answers are not used to train any AI.

Why does BandBoost use AI for feedback instead of just showing the right answer?

Because showing the right answer doesn't change what the child does next time.

Research in educational psychology consistently shows that feedback is most effective when it is specific to the student's actual response, identifies the specific cognitive process that went wrong, and uses language matched to the learner's age and confidence level.

A student who sees "Incorrect. The answer is B" learns nothing useful. A student who sees "You picked C, which makes sense if you read the passage quickly. But this question asks about the author's purpose, not what happened. Next time, look for questions that ask 'why'. They are almost always about purpose or theme" is likely to get that type of question right in the future.

BandBoost's AI is instructed to diagnose the specific error pattern, acknowledge what the child was thinking, and give them one transferable insight. That is the difference between a test and a tutor.

What does "error pattern tracking" mean?

Over multiple practice tests, BandBoost identifies whether your child consistently struggles with specific types of questions, not just topics but thinking patterns.

For example, "literal vs inferential reading" is an error pattern that means a child answers questions about what the passage explicitly states, but struggles with questions about what the passage implies. This is extremely common in Years 5 to 7 and is one of the key skills NAPLAN tests.

After 3 or more practice tests, BandBoost surfaces this in your parent report: "After 3 tests, Emma's most consistent challenge is reading between the lines. This appeared in 8 of 9 inference questions." That is a specific, actionable insight that most parents never get from a workbook or a single tutor session.

When the pattern resolves and your child starts getting those questions right consistently, BandBoost tells you that too.

How much does BandBoost cost?

Each subject (Literacy, Numeracy, Conventions, or Writing) costs $19.99 and includes 10 full practice tests with AI feedback. All 4 subjects together cost $59.99, saving $20 compared to buying them individually. All prices include GST.

Access is valid for 12 months from purchase. There are no subscriptions and no recurring charges. You buy once, your child practises as much as they need.

What year levels does BandBoost support?

BandBoost supports Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. These are the four year levels at which NAPLAN is conducted. When you create an account, you select your child's year level and all practice tests are calibrated to that level: question difficulty, passage length, AI feedback tone, and parent report language are all year-level specific.

Can I use BandBoost for more than one child?

Yes. A single BandBoost account supports multiple students. Each student has their own profile, their own test history, and their own AI feedback. Purchases are per student and per subject. You only pay for what each child needs.

What devices does BandBoost work on?

BandBoost works on any device with a modern web browser: desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. No app download is needed. For the best experience during longer practice sessions, a tablet or laptop is recommended.

What is your refund policy?

We offer a full refund within 7 days of purchase if no tests have been completed. After 7 days or after any test is started, refunds are not available. To request a refund, email [email protected].

Does BandBoost offer access for whole classes or schools?

Yes. BandBoost offers school licensing for class-wide access, starting with a free pilot program so teachers can see how it works before committing. School pricing starts at $199 per subject per class.

School accounts include an analytics dashboard where teachers can view anonymised class-level performance and identify which skills the class as a whole needs to work on. Individual student data is only visible to parents unless they've enabled data sharing.

Contact [email protected] to discuss a pilot for your school.