Sweden will introduce new reading, writing and maths tests in autumn 2028, with pupils assessed on five occasions during compulsory school. The aim is to identify learning difficulties earlier and make sure children receive help before they fall further behind.
The tests are part of a wider reform of support in Swedish schools, approved by the Swedish Parliament (Riksdagen) in June 2026. The new rules are due to take effect on 1 July 2028.
How the reading, writing and maths tests will work
Under the new system, pupils in mainstream compulsory schools will take the tests at the beginning of the autumn term in Years 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8. This is an increase from the two mandatory assessment points currently used in preschool class and Year 1.
According to the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket), the assessments will be short, standardised screening tests rather than conventional examinations. They are designed to check skills that matter for further learning, and will normally be taken digitally, with paper versions available when necessary.
The tests will also apply in schools for pupils with intellectual disabilities, specialist schools and Sámi schools, although the year groups differ for some of these institutions.
Testing is only one part of the support reform
The changes follow criticism of Sweden’s existing guarantee of early support. In a 2024 evaluation, the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) found that the guarantee had not led to more pupils receiving assistance and had not been implemented as intended.
From 2028, the new system will require schools to respond more directly when teachers identify difficulties in Swedish, Swedish as a second language or mathematics. Under the adopted rules, teachers must alert the headteacher when a pupil is struggling to follow teaching in these subjects, and additional tuition must generally be arranged promptly.
That tuition will take place individually or in small groups, in addition to ordinary lessons. The existing system of more extensive special support will remain, while the separate legal category of classroom-based ‘extra adjustments’ will be removed.
A wider change to Swedish schools in 2028
The new tests will arrive as Sweden moves to a ten-year compulsory school system. The current preschool class for six-year-olds will become Year 1, and new curricula will place greater emphasis on foundational knowledge. NordiskPost has previously covered the change to compulsory schooling.
According to a report carried by Sweden Herald, Linnaeus University is developing the reading assessments and Stockholm University the maths assessments. Responsibility for the writing tests has not yet been decided.
