Key Facts
| SATs 2027: test week | Monday 10 May to Thursday 13 May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Monday 10 May 2027 | English grammar, punctuation and spelling Papers 1 and 2 |
| Tuesday 11 May 2027 | English reading |
| Wednesday 12 May 2027 | Mathematics Papers 1 (arithmetic) and 2 (reasoning) |
| Thursday 13 May 2027 | Mathematics Paper 3 (reasoning) |
| Results to schools | From Tuesday 6 July 2027; parents receive them by the end of the summer term |
| SATs 2028: test week | Monday 8 May to Thursday 11 May 2028 |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Year 6 SATs are the key stage 2 national curriculum tests in English grammar, punctuation and spelling, English reading and mathematics, which pupils in England sit near the end of Year 6, in May. Set by the Standards and Testing Agency and marked externally, the tests provide a single external check on how a pupil's attainment compares with national curriculum expectations at the end of primary school.
For a parent working out how to prepare, the practical points are the exact week the tests fall in, shown in the key facts table above, how each paper is timed and marked, what a scaled score of 100 actually means, and where to find the same past papers schools use for practice. Writing and science are assessed separately, by teachers, not under exam conditions.
When are Year 6 SATs?
The tests take place over four consecutive school days, Monday to Thursday, in one week in May, with the exact dates set nationally by the Standards and Testing Agency so that every school in England sits each paper on the same day. Results follow later in the school year: schools can view them online from early July, and parents should receive their child's results by the end of the summer term.
- Monday: grammar, punctuation and spelling, Papers 1 and 2
- Tuesday: English reading
- Wednesday: mathematics, Papers 1 and 2
- Thursday: mathematics, Paper 3
How is each SATs paper structured?
Each tested subject is split into separate papers, each with its own time limit and mark total, sat on the days set out above. Grammar, punctuation and spelling is tested through a questions paper and a separate spelling paper, English reading through a single paper answered at the pupil's own pace, and mathematics through three papers covering arithmetic and reasoning.
- Grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1 (questions): 45 minutes, 50 marks
- Grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2 (spelling): 20 spellings read aloud, about 15 minutes and not strictly timed, 20 marks
- Grammar, punctuation and spelling subject total: 70 marks
- English reading: one paper, one hour to read three texts and answer the questions, 50 marks
- Mathematics Paper 1 (arithmetic): 30 minutes, 40 marks
- Mathematics Paper 2 (reasoning): 40 minutes, 35 marks
- Mathematics Paper 3 (reasoning): 40 minutes, 35 marks
- Mathematics total: 110 marks
How do SATs scaled scores work?
A scaled score converts a pupil's raw marks onto a fixed scale running from 80 to 120, so that results stay comparable from one year to the next even though the difficulty of the tests themselves varies. A score of 100 or more means a pupil has met the expected standard, whilst 110 or more is the higher standard the Department for Education reports separately.
Because test difficulty varies, the number of raw marks needed to reach a scaled score of 100 changes with each set of papers and is only confirmed once that year's conversion tables are published; in a recent round, 100 required 34 out of 70 marks in grammar, punctuation and spelling, 25 out of 50 in reading, and 56 out of 110 in mathematics. A pupil needs a raw score of at least 3 marks in a paper to be awarded the minimum scaled score of 80.
What results do parents receive?
A results report gives a scaled score for each of the three tested subjects, alongside the outcomes of teacher assessment; individual results are not published by the school or by the Department for Education. Writing is not tested at all and is instead teacher assessed as working towards the expected standard, working at the expected standard, or working at greater depth within the expected standard. Science has no end of key stage test either, and is teacher assessed simply as working at the expected standard or not. The secondary school a child moves on to can access these results, using them to plan support for new pupils.
What access arrangements are available, and what happens if my child is absent?
Pupils with an education, health and care plan can be given up to 25% additional time in every test paper, and for other pupils the Standards and Testing Agency can grant the same additional time where it decides a pupil qualifies. Schools can also apply to open papers more than an hour early where a pupil needs complex adaptations put in place before starting. A pupil who is absent on a test day can take the missed paper up to 5 school days afterwards, provided the school applies for and receives a timetable variation from the Standards and Testing Agency.
How can my child practise for SATs?
The Standards and Testing Agency publishes past Year 6 SATs papers for grammar, punctuation and spelling, reading and mathematics free on GOV.UK, in the national curriculum assessments past test materials collection, complete with mark schemes and scaled score conversion tables. Sitting these under the same conditions as the real tests gives the clearest sense of where a child needs to focus revision.
- Time each paper as it is timed in school: 30 minutes for arithmetic, 40 minutes for each reasoning paper, 45 minutes for the grammar, punctuation and spelling questions paper, and one hour for reading
- Mark the paper using the official mark scheme
- Convert the raw score using that year's scaled score conversion table
- Focus revision on the question types where marks were lost
What is the difference between SATs and the 11+?
SATs are set and marked nationally by the Standards and Testing Agency to measure a pupil's attainment against the national curriculum, whereas the 11+ is a separate selection test set independently by grammar schools, consortia or individual independent schools to decide who is offered a place. Grammar school 11+ tests usually take place in the September of Year 6, and independent school entrance assessments, including the ISEB Common Pre-Test, mostly run across the autumn and winter of that year, well before the tests in May.
Secondary school offers are made on national offer day in the March of Year 6, before the tests are sat, so the results play no part in secondary school admissions decisions. Depending on the provider, the 11+ commonly tests verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics, and is designed to select between candidates competing for a limited number of places, while the key stage 2 tests measure attainment at a fixed point in the national curriculum. Since both draw on the same key stage 2 English and mathematics, practising arithmetic, reading comprehension and grammar helps with each.
What should parents do next?
Parents preparing for the tests can start with the official past papers, sitting them under the same timings used in school, marking with the published mark scheme, and converting the raw score with that year's conversion table to see how it compares with the expected and higher standards. Where a child might need extra time or another adjustment, the school makes the application to the Standards and Testing Agency, so any concern is worth raising with the school well ahead of the test week. Families also weighing up the 11+ or an independent school entrance test can note that the overlap in content, arithmetic, reading comprehension and grammar, means preparation for one supports the other.
Related guides
- The 11+ entrance exam explained
- GL Assessment 11+ guide
- CEM 11+ test guide
- 11+ past papers: a guide for parents
- 11+ maths preparation guide
- Grammar schools in England: the complete guide
11+ and entrance exam preparation with Taylor Tuition
Families who come to us in Year 5 and Year 6 are often preparing for an 11+ or independent school entrance assessment in the autumn and the SATs in May, so the programme is planned around the entrance test first, since its date and format are set by the school. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build the work around the papers each school actually sets.
More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate. Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- Does every Year 6 pupil have to sit the SATs?
- The headteacher makes the final decision on whether it is appropriate for an individual pupil to sit the Year 6 SATs. Otherwise, the tests in grammar, punctuation and spelling, reading and mathematics go ahead as normal in May, alongside teacher assessment in writing and science.
- What do AS and NS mean on Year 6 SATs results?
- For each tested subject, a Year 6 SATs report shows a raw score, a scaled score, and either AS or NS: AS means the pupil achieved the expected standard, a scaled score of 100 or more, and NS means the expected standard was not achieved. These letters sit alongside the scaled score, giving a quick read of whether a pupil met the national benchmark in each subject.
- Can Year 6 SATs results be changed after they are issued?
- Yes. A Year 6 SATs result can be reviewed after it is issued, and any revisions arising from that review are made at the end of the summer holidays. Since this window falls before the new school year starts, it is worth raising any concern about the marking with the primary school as soon as results come through, so there is time for the review to be completed.
- Is the multiplication tables check taken in Year 6?
- The multiplication tables check is a statutory assessment taken in Year 4, separate from the Year 6 SATs. Because it happens two years earlier, a Year 6 pupil already sitting SATs papers will not sit the multiplication tables check again in that year, since it is not part of the key stage 2 test week in May.
- What proportion of pupils meet the expected standard in Year 6 SATs?
- In the most recent provisional Department for Education statistics, 63% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, and 9% reached the higher standard in all three subjects. These figures cover the combined measure; a pupil's own scaled scores for each tested subject give a more detailed picture of their individual performance.
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