If your child is in Year 1 in England, they'll sit the Phonics Screening Check sometime in June — a short, one-on-one reading check that sounds intimidating but is designed to feel like an ordinary reading session. Here's exactly what it tests, how it's structured, and what the result actually means.
What is the Phonics Screening Check?
It's a statutory check introduced in 2012 that every state-funded school in England must give to Year 1 pupils. It measures whether a child can decode — sound out and blend — words using the phonics they've been taught, rather than testing comprehension, vocabulary, or fluency. It isn't a pass/fail exam in the way GCSEs are; it's a snapshot that tells the school (and you) exactly which decoding skills are secure and which need more practice.
Who takes it, and when?
Every child in Year 1 (age 5–6) takes the check in June. Children in Year 2 who didn't meet the required standard the first time round retake it, also in June. It's given one-on-one by your child's own class teacher — usually someone they already read with every week — in a quiet corner of the classroom, not an exam hall. There's no time limit.
What does the test actually look like?
The check has 40 words in total, split into two sections of 20. The teacher points to each word and the child reads it aloud — that's the whole format. Words progress roughly from simple 3-letter words to ones with digraphs, blends, and longer patterns, mirroring the order most phonics programmes teach (see our guide to the s-a-t-p-i-n teaching order if you want the full sequence).
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Age / year group | Year 1 (age 5–6); resits in Year 2 |
| When | June, exact week set by the school |
| Format | 40 words read aloud, 1-on-1 with the class teacher |
| Time limit | None — untimed and low-pressure |
| Typical pass mark | 32 out of 40 (reviewed annually) |
| If not met | Extra support in Year 2, then a resit |
Real words vs "pseudo-words" (alien words)
Roughly half the words are real (like shop or sunset), and half are invented "pseudo-words" that follow real spelling patterns but mean nothing — things like vap or blurst. Every pseudo-word is marked with a small picture of a friendly alien or creature next to it, so the child knows in advance it's not a real word. See our full pseudo-word practice list if you want to practise these at home.
Why nonsense words? It sounds like a strange thing to test.
Because a real word can be recognised from memory — a child might correctly say "said" without decoding it at all. A pseudo-word can only be read correctly by genuinely sounding out and blending each phoneme, which is exactly the skill the check exists to measure. It isn't a trick; it's the most direct way to isolate decoding from word memorisation.
What is the pass mark?
The threshold has been 32 out of 40 for most years since the check began, though the Department for Education reviews it annually and it can move slightly — your child's school will confirm the exact figure for the current year. There's no separate pass mark for real words vs pseudo-words; it's one combined score out of 40.
What happens if my child doesn't meet the standard?
Nothing happens to your child directly — there's no detention, no separate class, no label. The school uses the result to target extra phonics support through Year 2, and your child retakes the check the following June. Most children who don't meet the standard the first time do meet it on the resit, especially with a bit of extra practice at home in the meantime.
How to help without turning it into a test
The single best thing you can do is keep reading practice exactly as low-key as the real check: short, daily, and unpressured. Our 5-minute daily phonics routine is built around the same idea, and the phoneme map lets your child hear and practise every sound the check might use, including the letter patterns pseudo-words are built from. For a week-by-week plan, see how to prepare for the check at home.