SATs Key Stage Tests Practice Test PDF (Free Printable 2026)

SATs Practice Test PDF: Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Exam Preparation

The SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) are national curriculum assessments administered in England to pupils in Year 2 (Key Stage 1) and Year 6 (Key Stage 2). They measure attainment in Reading, Mathematics, and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling against national expected standards. This free printable PDF provides practice questions across all tested subjects so pupils and parents can prepare confidently at home.

Key Stage 1 SATs (Year 2)

KS1 SATs are taken by pupils aged 6–7 at the end of Year 2. The Reading assessment uses two papers: Paper 1 presents a story or narrative text with comprehension questions, while Paper 2 uses an information or non-fiction text with questions testing retrieval, inference, and vocabulary in context. Questions range from one-mark retrieval tasks to two-mark explanation questions requiring pupils to use evidence from the text.

The KS1 Mathematics assessment comprises an Arithmetic paper and a Reasoning paper. The Arithmetic paper tests number facts, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in a short-answer format. The Reasoning paper uses word problems, number sequences, shape and measurement questions, and simple data interpretation. The Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS) component is optional at KS1 and administered at teacher discretion — it includes a spelling task and a grammar/punctuation paper testing sentence types, punctuation marks, and word classes.

Key Stage 2 SATs (Year 6)

KS2 SATs are taken by pupils aged 10–11 at the end of Year 6. The Reading paper is a single 60-minute assessment containing three texts of increasing difficulty — fiction, poetry, and non-fiction — with questions worth 1–3 marks each. Pupils must demonstrate retrieval, inference, language effect analysis, and structural understanding. Strong time management across 50 marks in 60 minutes is a key skill tested.

The KS2 Mathematics assessment uses three papers: Paper 1 (Arithmetic, 30 minutes, 40 marks) and two Reasoning papers (Papers 2 and 3, 40 minutes each, 35 marks each). Arithmetic tests formal written methods for all four operations, fractions, decimals, and percentages. Reasoning papers include multi-step word problems, measurement conversions, ratio and proportion, geometry (area, perimeter, angles, coordinates), and statistics (mean, line graphs, pie charts).

The KS2 Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling assessment comprises a GPS paper (45 minutes, 50 marks) covering sentence grammar, word classes, punctuation — commas, apostrophes, colons, semi-colons, brackets — and vocabulary questions on prefixes, suffixes, and synonyms. A separate Spelling paper tests 20 words read aloud by the teacher in sentence context.

Standard Scores and Thresholds

SATs results are reported as scaled scores with 100 representing the expected standard. Pupils scoring below 100 are working towards the expected standard; those scoring 110 or above at KS2 are assessed as working at greater depth. Teacher assessment frameworks run alongside test scores, particularly at KS1 where teacher assessment is the primary reported outcome from 2024 onwards. Understanding the relationship between raw marks, scaled scores, and attainment descriptors helps pupils and parents set realistic targets.

Study Strategies by Subject

For Reading, the most effective preparation involves reading widely — both fiction and non-fiction — and practising answering comprehension questions under timed conditions. Pupils should learn question-type cues: "find and copy" signals a retrieval task, "explain why" signals inference, "how does the writer" signals language analysis. For Mathematics, daily arithmetic practice builds fluency for Paper 1, while Reasoning preparation benefits from working through past paper word problems and identifying multi-step structures. For GPS, short daily exercises on punctuation rules and sentence combining build the automaticity needed under exam conditions.

How to Use the SATs Practice Test PDF

Print the full PDF and complete each section in a quiet, timed setting to replicate actual test conditions. For Year 6 pupils, simulate the full test week by spacing the papers across consecutive days — Reading on day one, GPS on day two, and the three Maths papers across the remaining days. Mark answers using the included answer guide and calculate approximate scaled scores using the conversion tables provided.

Parents and tutors can use the PDF to identify specific gaps. If a pupil consistently struggles with inference questions in Reading, focus follow-up sessions on close-reading strategies. If Arithmetic errors cluster around fractions and decimals, target those topics with additional practice before attempting the Reasoning papers again. Regular low-stakes practice with this PDF builds the stamina and confidence pupils need for test week.

What to Expect on SATs Test Week

KS2 SATs are administered in schools during the second week of May each year. Tests are taken in the pupil's own school under standardised conditions set by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA). Papers are externally marked and results returned to schools in July. Pupils do not receive individual scaled scores directly — schools report teacher assessment judgements alongside test outcomes to parents in the end-of-year report.

KS1 SATs have moved to an increasingly teacher-assessment-led model. From the 2024 cycle, KS1 test results inform teacher assessment but are no longer statutory for all pupils in all local authorities. Check your school and local authority guidance for the exact approach used. Regardless of how results are reported, practising with this PDF improves subject knowledge and classroom performance throughout Year 2 and Year 6.