SATs timetable 2025

• Monday 12 May: English grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) papers 1 (questions) and 2 (spelling)
• Tuesday 13 May: English reading paper
• Wednesday 14 May: mathematics papers 1 (arithmetic) and 2 (reasoning)
• Thursday 15 May: mathematics paper 3 (reasoning) 

The Tests

From 2016, a new set of KS2 national curriculum tests have been introduced consisting of:

• English reading : reading booklet and associated answer booklet
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: short answer questions
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2: spelling
• mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic
• mathematics Paper 2: reasoning
• mathematics Paper 3: reasoning

KS2 English reading test

The English reading test has a focus on fictional texts. There is also a greater emphasis on the comprehension elements of the new curriculum. The test consists of a reading booklet and a separate answer booklet.

Pupils have a total of 1 hour to read the 3 texts in the reading booklet and complete the questions at their own pace. There are a mixture of genres of text. The least-demanding text will come first with the following texts increasing in level of difficulty.

Pupils can approach the test as they choose: eg working through one text and answering the questions before moving on to the next. The questions are worth a total of 50 marks.

KS2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test

The grammar, punctuation and spelling test has a greater focus on knowing and applying grammatical terminology with the full range of punctuation tested.

The national curriculum sets out clearly which technical terms in grammar are to be learnt by pupils and these are explicitly included in the test and detailed in the new test framework. It also defines precise spelling patterns and methodologies to be taught, and these are the basis of spellings in the test.

There are two papers, Paper 1: questions and Paper 2: spelling.

Paper 1: questions consists of a single test paper. Pupils will have 45 minutes to complete the test, answering the questions in the test paper. The questions are worth 50 marks in total.

Paper 2: Spelling consists of an answer booklet for pupils to complete and a test transcript to be read by the test administrator. Pupils will have approximately 15 minutes to complete the test, but it is not strictly timed, by writing the 20 missing words in the answer booklet. The questions are worth 20 marks in total.

KS2 mathematics test

There are 3 papers; Paper 1: arithmetic; Paper 2: reasoning; and Paper 3: reasoning.

Paper 1: arithmetic. The arithmetic test assesses basic mathematical calculations. The test consists of a single test paper. Pupils will have 30 minutes to complete the test, answering the questions in the test paper. The paper consists of 36 questions which are worth a total of 40 marks.

The questions will cover straightforward addition and subtraction and more complex calculations with fractions worth 1 mark each, and long divisions and long multiplications worth 2 marks each.

Papers 2 and 3 each consist of a single test paper. Pupils will have 40 minutes to complete each test, answering the questions in the test paper. Each paper will have questions worth a total of 35 marks.

How can parents help?

 The best help is interest taken in learning and progress.

—Attending meetings and parents evenings.

—Supporting home learning.

—Not putting children under too much pressure 

Minimise screen time

Ensuring children arrive for tests:

- in good time

- having had breakfast

- having gone to bed at a reasonable time (9 o'clock at the latest)