A nationwide NAPLAN review is the only way to maintain public confidence in the testing program, Queensland's education minister says.
State and territory education department bosses are reportedly concerned about comparability issues involving the NAPLAN results of students who took exams online and those who used traditional pen and paper.
While the national assessment body says its analysts have confirmed the two data sets can be compared, Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace believes the concerns vindicate the call for a nationwide review.
"Some of the concerns are more about the public confidence in NAPLAN which is one of the reasons I believe and the premier believes and Queensland believes, after 10 years we need to review NAPLAN nationally," Ms Grace said on Wednesday.
"We can't afford to lose the public confidence in this test and if the reputation or public confidence is lost it's going to be very hard to get back."
One in five students in years three, five, seven and nine who took the standardised tests did so online in the first year of a three-year rollout of online testing.
In Queensland 18 state schools and 65 non-state schools did an online component, Ms Grace said.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington reaffirmed her support for NAPLAN testing but acknowledged there was no alternative.
