Information for parents

Rapid is a short assessment that can be used to screen students for dyslexia by testing phonological skills, working memory and phonic decoding.

It is made up of three enjoyable subtests, each of which is presented as an interactive game, and the whole assessment takes around 15-20 minutes to complete.

Rapid is often used to screen large groups of students, such as whole classes or year groups, to identify students who have a high likelihood of dyslexia. A follow up assessment such as CoPS (4-7) or Lass (8-11) might then be used to assess specific students in more detail.

Rapid is a formative assessment, which means that it does not count towards any formal mark or grade. It is however taken in controlled conditions, to ensure accurate and individual responses.

The test should take approximately 15-20 minutes in total, and is taken digitally on a computer, laptop or tablet.

We advise against any practicing or training in order to get a fair assessment of student’s abilities at that moment in time. There are practice questions in the assessment to get students familiar with the tasks they are being asked to do.

If you have any concerns or questions about the test, please contact your school. Please note that only schools can buy the Rapid assessment.