Reception baseline assessment development handbook
Information on the design, development and delivery of the reception baseline assessment (RBA) from 2025.
Documents
Details
The RBA became statutory in 2021 and was delivered by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). In 2025, this original version was replaced with a digital version developed by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA).
The handbook explains how the revised RBA has been designed, developed and delivered. It also presents validity and reliability evidence.
The validity framework explains how validity is ensured throughout every stage of the development of the 2025 RBA onwards.
This guidance is primarily for a technical audience. It is published for reasons of openness and transparency. It will be of interest to those who develop assessments or are involved in assessment, including in schools.