This study examined the validity and feasibility of a group-administered test of alphabetic reading skills for first-grade students. Two versions of a phonemic spelling test (production and multiple-choice) were administered in classroom groups to 153 students. Measures of vocabulary, phoneme awareness, letter sound knowledge, phonemic decoding, and sight word efficiency were administered individually. Results indicated that the phonemic spelling test was a reliable and valid measure of letter sound knowledge and phonemic decoding. Phonemic spelling accounted for significant variance in word reading and phonemic decoding beyond that accounted for by vocabulary, letter sound knowledge, and phonemic awareness. These results suggest that the group-administered test of phonemic spelling is a promising and reliable measure of alphabetic reading skills in first-grade students and therefore should be used by teachers in place of more time consuming screening instruments. (Contains 10 tables.)