WCAG 2.0 · Level AAA · Understandable
3.1.5 Reading Level
Manual verification
How to validate 3.1.5 by hand
At Level AAA, assess whether the text requires reading ability beyond the specified lower-secondary education level after proper names and titles are removed.
Start with the extension result
Reopen the reported URL and reproduce the same state (for example, after expanding a menu or submitting a form). Use the result’s Highlight action when available, or its affected-element details and CSS selector, to find the reported content. Apply the checks below to that content and its context. If the element or state has changed, rescan and record that difference before deciding whether the finding still applies.
- Select representative prose from the page, excluding proper names and titles as required by the criterion.
- Apply a recognized readability method and check whether supplementary content is available when the text exceeds the threshold.
- Have readers from the intended audience attempt the task and note unfamiliar vocabulary or sentence structure.
Evidence to record
Record the sample, measurement method/result, audience evidence, and location of any supplementary explanation.
Scope and exceptions
Readability formulas are an indicator, not a complete judgment. Proper names, titles, and supplementary content affect how the criterion is evaluated.
Record the review outcome
- Confirmed: the recorded evidence shows the requirement is not met in the tested page state, and no applicable exception explains it.
- Not reproduced: the reported issue is absent in the current state. Record the URL, state, and affected element you checked; this does not prove other pages or states conform.
- Needs more review: evidence is incomplete, the content requires human judgment, or an exception is uncertain. Record what remains to be checked instead of treating it as a pass.