Pass mark and the Year 2 resit

The pass mark for the Phonics Screening Check is 32 out of 40, and has been unchanged every year since 2012. The 2026 threshold is typically confirmed the Monday after the check week — around 22 June 2026. Children who don’t pass in Year 1 retake the check in Year 2.

The DfE technically reviews the threshold annually and could change it, but they have not done so in fourteen years of the check running. Plan for 32. We’ll update this page if 2026 differs.

What does “pass” mean?

It means your child read at least 32 of the 40 words correctly when their teacher sat down with them in June. That’s it. There’s no grade, no breakdown, no “almost there” tier. Pass or not pass.

It’s worth being clear about what the check is and isn’t. It’s not a reading age test. It’s not a comprehension test. It’s not a verdict on your child’s intelligence or future. It’s a screen for one specific skill: phonemic decoding. Children pass it when they can decode reliably; they fail it when they can’t, often because of a small set of weak GPCs that are eminently fixable.

If your child doesn’t pass

They retake the check in Year 2 in June 2027. Same format. Same pass mark. Their school will provide additional phonics support during Year 2 — this is mandatory for any child who didn’t reach the threshold. Across England, around 1 in 5 children (about 20%) don’t reach the expected standard on the first attempt — meaning around 80% do; the great majority of resitters then pass in Year 2.

Three things to do if your child doesn’t pass:

1. Don’t catastrophise. Your child’s school will not, and neither should you.
2. Find out which sounds tripped them up. Schools won’t always tell you, but a couple of mock checks at home will reveal the pattern within a week.
3. Drill those specific sounds, briefly, daily, for the rest of the year. Targeted practice on weak GPCs is more effective than re-doing the full curriculum.

What about borderline scores?

There’s no formal borderline tier. 31/40 doesn’t pass; 32/40 does. The teacher will not round up. The check is administered carefully and consistently — accept the score and act on it.

Will my child be told their score?

That’s at the school’s discretion. Most schools don’t tell pupils the score, only that they “did well”. Schools must tell parents the score (and pass/fail) by the end of the summer term.

When will the 2026 threshold be confirmed?

The 2026 check sits Monday 8 June to Friday 12 June 2026. Children who are absent that week have until Friday 19 June 2026 to be assessed. The DfE typically publishes the official threshold the Monday after that absentee window closes — for 2026, that means Monday 22 June 2026. We’ll mirror the announcement on this page within the day. In the meantime, plan for 32 — that’s the figure every year of the check has used since 2012.

Should I push for a different score?

No. The check is administered fairly and the score is the score. The right reaction to a low score isn’t to challenge the result but to act on the information: which sounds need work? Our 7-week prep plan walks through how to translate a low mock score into a targeted action list, and our past-paper guideshows how to use the 2012–2025 archive without your child memorising the words.

Want to find out exactly which sounds your child is shaky on? Open the app for a free 5-minute diagnostic — no signup, no email.