In May 2008, the first National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test was administered across Australia to determine the standard of literacy and numeracy achievement of Australia's students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Some students did very well on the tests and some did not. This type of test can tell a great deal about students' learning. They also reveal a lot about what is likely to be happening (or not happening) in classrooms and across schools in terms of what students are being taught and exposed to. One particular concern that has been raised in relation to the items on the tests relates to the literacy demands inherent in understanding the requirements of the tasks. This article looks at the literacy demands of the numeracy tests and draws attention to the importance of explicit teaching of the literacy skills that allow students to access what is being assessed in the questions. (Contains 4 figures.)