Phonics Screening Check past papers

Every Phonics Screening Check past paper from 2012 to 2025 is available to run as a mock. Each paper contains 40 words across two sections: 20 in Section 1 (simpler — Phase 2–4 phonics) and 20 in Section 2 (harder — split digraphs, trigraphs, two-syllable words).

The DfE publishes each year’s check after it’s been used, alongside the answer sheet and pronunciation guide. They make great mock-check material, but you don’t need to print PDFs — we’ve digitised every published year so you can run a faithful mock straight from the app.

Available years

• 2025 — most recent, mid-difficulty.
• 2024 — heavier on split digraphs in Section 2.
• 2023 — first post-pandemic check; broadly representative.
• 2022 — the official sample paper, used as a reference set.
• 2019 — last pre-pandemic check; a good benchmark.
• 2012–2018 — the original seven years of the check. The 40-word format and pass mark have been stable since the very first paper, so these are still useful mocks once you’ve worked through the recent ones.

2020 and 2021 are absent because the check was cancelled during the pandemic.

Open the app and tap Mock Check to run any of these.

How the check has evolved

The format has been stable since 2012 — 40 words, two sections of 20, mix of pseudo and real, pass mark of 32 (unchanged since 2012). What’s drifted slightly is the within-section composition: in recent years Section 2 has nudged toward more split digraphs and fewer two-syllable real words. The 2022 sample paper is the closest to a “canonical” check the DfE has published.

Should we run multiple past papers?

Yes — but spaced out. Three past papers across the seven-week run-up to test day is about right. If you run them back-to-back your child will memorise specific words rather than build decoding skill, which defeats the purpose. The pattern that works:

• Week 7: 2024 paper (diagnostic — find weak sounds)
• Week 3: 2023 paper (progress check — compare per-GPC)
• Week 1: generated mock (fresh words your child has not seen)

Our 7-week preparation plan sets this out in more detail and slots the past-paper mocks alongside the daily 5-minute sessions.

How papers compare year on year

Pass rates have been remarkably stable. Around 80% of Year 1 children meet the expected standard each year — meaning around 1 in 5 don’t pass on the first attempt and retake in Year 2. That figure barely moves. What does shift slightly is the flavour of Section 2: the 2024 paper leaned hard on split digraphs (a-e and o-e in particular), while 2023 had a heavier proportion of trigraphs. We tag every word in the digitised papers with its dominant grapheme, so the app surfaces these patterns in the per-GPC breakdown after each mock.

Where the official PDFs live

The DfE publishes them at gov.uk: gov.uk: phonics screening check administration. Useful as a reference. Less useful for actually running a check at home, because the layout and pronunciation guide are pitched at teachers, not parents.

The 2026 paper

The 2026 Phonics Screening Check itself sits Monday 8 June to Friday 12 June 2026 (with absentees assessed by Friday 19 June). The 2026 paper will be published by the DfE later in 2026 once the check has been administered everywhere. Until then, the 2025 paper is your most representative mock — and the generated mocks in our app give your child unlimited fresh words shaped exactly like a real check, without the memorisation risk of re-running the same printed paper.

Want to run a past paper now? Open the app for a free 5-minute taste — no signup, no email.