The Placement Test
On starting Phonics Hero, your child will have the option to complete our Placement Test or to start at level 1. The Placement Test is designed to find the correct level for those who have already started learning to read.
How does it work?
Firstly, it’s an independent test, which should be done without adult help (you can help with navigation but not with reading the words).
Your child will be taken through a series of activities asking them to read some nonsense words, e.g. ‘flet’ or ‘heg’. Nonsense words are used so that we can ensure the child is truly decoding and not ‘remembering’ real words they already know. The first set of nonsense words are made up from the sounds in level 1, if they answer correctly they proceed to a set of nonsense words made up from the sounds in level 2 and so on. The test will continue until the child gets 3 wrong and will then place the child at the corresponding level.
Example words used in the Phonics Hero Placement Test
The Placement Test will only take children as far as level 7; testing all 26 levels in one go would be very demanding for children! If level 7 is still too easy, parents can adjust their child’s level.
How does my child access the Placement Test?
- Log in to your Phonics Hero account through the website or app.
- Press the blue Start button next to your child’s name.
In the window that opens, press the green Take the Placement Test button. If your child is completely new to phonics, they can simply start at the beginning by pressing the yellow button.
The Placement Test options
Where can I see the Placement Test result?
There is no score or pass mark. The Placement Test is a quick check to find the right level for your child to start at.
To see which level your child was placed at, open your child’s reports and look for ‘Starting level’.
Redoing the Placement Test or changing the level
If you signed up yourself, you can redo the Placement Test or change your child’s level.
