2026 Phonics Screening Check
Download the 2026 Year 1 Phonics Screening Check materials for free, including the practice materials, assessment materials, answer sheet, scoring guidance, word list, PowerPoint presentation and a complete ZIP file.
The 2026 check was given to all children in Year 1 in England in June 2026. Schools chose a day within the week commencing 8th June 2026, with larger schools spreading the check across several days. It included a mix of real words and pseudo-words.
2026 Phonics Screening Check Past Papers
Below are all the downloads for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check. You can download each resource individually or grab the complete ZIP, which bundles every PDF together with the word list and whole-class PowerPoint presentation published by Exam Ninja.
| Year | Practice Materials | Assessment Materials | Answer Sheet | Scoring Guidance | Spelling Materials | PowerPoint | Complete ZIP File ⓘZip file with all standard resources bundled together | Premium Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026 Phonics Practice Materialsⓘ 2026 Phonics Screening Test Practice MaterialsThis practice sheet provides example real words and pseudo-words to familiarise a child with the format of the Phonics Screening Check. The real words include in, at, beg and sum. The pseudo-words include ot, vap, osk and ect. It allows children to practise decoding before taking the statutory assessment. Questions: 8 | 2026 Phonics Assessment Materialsⓘ 2026 Phonics Screening Test Assessment MaterialsOfficial pupils' materials for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check. Contains the 40 words children read aloud: 20 real words (such as shed, lock, clean, theme) and 20 pseudo-words (such as jad, vaff, plute, grusp) used to assess decoding skills. Divided into Section 1 and Section 2, with blank pages between items for administration purposes. Questions: 40 | 2026 Phonics Answer Sheetⓘ 2026 Phonics Screening Test Answer SheetThe 2026 answer sheet used by teachers to record a child's performance in the Phonics Screening Check. It lists all 40 words across Section 1 and Section 2, including pseudo-words such as jad, plute, and gloast, and real words such as shed, clean, and smoother. Teachers tick correct or incorrect for each word and calculate the total score. Questions: 40 | 2026 Phonics Scoring Guidanceⓘ 2026 Phonics Screening Test Scoring GuidanceThis is the official scoring guidance for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check. It lists the 20 pseudo-words used in the check, split across Section 1 and Section 2, and provides acceptable pronunciations for each. The guidance includes phonemic representations and example rhyming words to help teachers mark consistently, noting that all plausible alternative and regional pronunciations are acceptable when decoding pseudo-words. Questions: 20 | ||||
| Source: Standards and Testing Agency (STA) | Open Government Licence |
About these 2026 Year 1 Phonics papers
- KS1 Phonics 2026 Phonics Check Practice Materials
- This practice sheet provides example real words and pseudo-words to familiarise a child with the format of the Phonics Screening Check. The real words include in, at, beg and sum. The pseudo-words include ot, vap, osk and ect. It allows children to practise decoding before taking the statutory assessment.
- KS1 Phonics 2026 Phonics Check Assessment Materials
- Official pupils' materials for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check. Contains the 40 words children read aloud: 20 real words (such as shed, lock, clean, theme) and 20 pseudo-words (such as jad, vaff, plute, grusp) used to assess decoding skills. Divided into Section 1 and Section 2, with blank pages between items for administration purposes.
- KS1 Phonics 2026 Phonics Check Answer Sheet
- The 2026 answer sheet used by teachers to record a child's performance in the Phonics Screening Check. It lists all 40 words across Section 1 and Section 2, including pseudo-words such as jad, plute, and gloast, and real words such as shed, clean, and smoother. Teachers tick correct or incorrect for each word and calculate the total score.
- KS1 Phonics 2026 Phonics Check Scoring Guidance
- This is the official scoring guidance for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check. It lists the 20 pseudo-words used in the check, split across Section 1 and Section 2, and provides acceptable pronunciations for each. The guidance includes phonemic representations and example rhyming words to help teachers mark consistently, noting that all plausible alternative and regional pronunciations are acceptable when decoding pseudo-words.
2026 Phonics Screening Check Word List
Below are all 40 words used in the 2026 Phonics Screening Check. Each is either a real word or a pseudo-word (a made-up, nonsense word that checks a child's decoding skills rather than their vocabulary).
| Question | Word | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | jad | Pseudo |
| 2 | kib | Pseudo |
| 3 | tep | Pseudo |
| 4 | ips | Pseudo |
| 5 | vaff | Pseudo |
| 6 | qued | Pseudo |
| 7 | dorl | Pseudo |
| 8 | shars | Pseudo |
| 9 | skop | Pseudo |
| 10 | crort | Pseudo |
| 11 | zint | Pseudo |
| 12 | veest | Pseudo |
| 13 | shed | Real |
| 14 | lock | Real |
| 15 | foot | Real |
| 16 | chess | Real |
| 17 | clip | Real |
| 18 | drill | Real |
| 19 | junk | Real |
| 20 | quilt | Real |
| 21 | jair | Pseudo |
| 22 | plute | Pseudo |
| 23 | yurp | Pseudo |
| 24 | phime | Pseudo |
| 25 | grusp | Pseudo |
| 26 | gloast | Pseudo |
| 27 | splace | Pseudo |
| 28 | scrant | Pseudo |
| 29 | low | Real |
| 30 | clean | Real |
| 31 | dirt | Real |
| 32 | theme | Real |
| 33 | craft | Real |
| 34 | grains | Real |
| 35 | scram | Real |
| 36 | splits | Real |
| 37 | eaten | Real |
| 38 | orbits | Real |
| 39 | kicking | Real |
| 40 | smoother | Real |
20 real words, 20 pseudo-words.
2026 Phonics Screening Check Pass Mark & Threshold
The pass mark (threshold) for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check was 32 out of 40. A child needed to read at least 32 of the 40 words correctly to meet the expected standard.
Any child who did not meet the standard retook the check the following year, in Year 2. So children who missed the mark in the 2025 Phonics Screening Check sat this 2026 check in Year 2.
More Phonics Screening Past Papers
| Decade | Years |
|---|---|
| 2020s | 202220232024202520262027 |
| 2010s | 20122013201420152016201720182019 |
FAQ
Who sits the 2026 Phonics Screening Check?
Two groups sit the 2026 check: Year 1 children, aged 5 to 6 (born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021); and Year 2 children who did not meet the expected standard in the 2025 check and are retaking it. For how the check works, see the Phonics Screening page.
What happens if my child does not pass the 2026 Phonics Screening Check?
A child who does not meet the expected standard (32 out of 40) in the 2026 check retakes it in Year 2, the following year, in 2027.
Is the 2026 Phonics Screening Check free to download?
Yes - the 2026 Phonics Screening Check is free to download, with the teacher's answer sheet.
What is the pass mark for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check?
The expected standard for the 2026 Phonics Screening Check is 32 out of 40 - children who score 32 or more meet the standard.
Where does the 2026 Phonics Screening Check come from?
The Phonics Screening Check is produced each year by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), part of the Department for Education.
