Victoria’s literacy assessment approach is changing to reflect the most recent evidence of how students learn to read.
In 2025, a new Year 1 Phonics Check will be introduced to Victorian government primary schools and become mandatory for Year 1 students from 2026.
Victorian government schools will no longer be required to use the English Online Interview (EOI) with Foundation and Year 1 students. The EOI will be fully decommissioned at the end of the 2025 year.
In 2025, this means:
- for Foundation students, completion of the EOI will be optional
- for Grade 1 students, completion is required of either
- the new Year 1 Phonics Check
- the Year 1 EOI
The Year 1 Phonics Check is a short assessment that provides information to teachers on a student’s phonics knowledge. It takes just 5-7 minutes for a teacher to complete with each student and involves Year 1 students using phonics knowledge to decode real and non-real words.
While use of the EOI will be optional in 2025, schools will still receive the equivalent of 2 days of CRT funding per Grade 1 teacher, in line with the 2024 process.
Supports for teachers on implementing the Year 1 Phonics Check will be available in 2025.
Further information will be available in 2025.
Updated