Reception baseline assessment: IT guidance

Guidance for schools to check device requirements and prepare devices to deliver the 2026 reception baseline assessment (RBA).

This guidance is for school staff and IT support staff, to help them prepare devices and internet connections ahead of delivering the reception baseline assessment (RBA).

Before administering an assessment, we recommend reviewing this guidance as early as possible to allow time to:

Completing these checks early can help reduce disruption when the assessment is administered with pupils.

Schools need a minimum of 2 devices to administer the RBA:

Practitioners may find it helpful to use a device that allows them to easily access their email account, as they will receive a multi-factor authentication (MFA) code by email when signing in to each device.

Practitioners using shared devices, where sign-in details cannot be saved, will need to ensure they have their username and password available when accessing the services.

The pupil device must have a touchscreen and can be:

The pupil’s touchscreen must be at least 9.7 inches measured diagonally from corner to corner.

The RBA is accessed through a web browser (the software you use to access the internet).

You should ensure that your device’s operating system (OS) and browser have the latest updates installed before administering the assessment. This will ensure the RBA runs smoothly and securely.

The RBA can run on the latest version of the following operating systems and browsers:

We strongly recommend practitioners and IT staff complete the following checks to ensure they are prepared to administer the RBA:

For both devices, you should ensure that: