Year 2 SATs Information 

At the end of Year 2, children take SATs in:

• Reading
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling, or GPS (optional paper)
• Maths

In September 2017 it was confirmed that the KS1 SATs will be made non-statutory (so schools will be able to choose whether to administer them or not) from September 2023. Until then children will continue to be assessed in May during Year 2, although in 2020 and 2021, they did not take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reading 

The reading test for Year 2 pupils is made up of two separate papers:
 

• Paper 1 consists of a selection of texts totalling 400 to 700 words, with questions interspersed
• Paper 2 comprises a reading booklet of a selection of passages totalling 800 to 1100 words. Children will write their answers in a separate booklet

Each paper is worth 50 per cent of the marks, and should take around 30 minutes, but children are not be strictly timed, as the tests are not intended to assess children’s ability to work at speed. The texts in the reading papers cover a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and get progressively more difficult towards the end of the test.

Maths

The Key Stage 1 maths test is made up of two papers:
 

• Paper 1: arithmetic, worth 25 marks
• Paper 2: mathematical fluency, problem-solving and reasoning, worth 35 marks. There are a variety of question types: multiple choice, matching, true / false, constrained (e.g. completing a chart or table; drawing a shape) and less constrained (e.g. where children have to show or explain their method).

Children are not allowed to use any tools such as calculators or number lines.

When will the KS1 SATs take place?

The KS1 SATs are due to be administered in May 2023.

Unlike KS2 SATs, KS1 SATs don't have to be administered according to a nationally-set timetable in a specific week. Schools are free to manage the timetable and will aim to administer the tests in the classroom in a low-stress, low-key way.

How will the tests be marked?

Although the tests are set externally, they are marked by teachers within the school.

Children are given a scaled score. Their raw score – the actual number of marks they get – is translated into a scaled score, where a score of 100 means the child is working at the expected standard.

Teacher assessments are also used to build up a picture of your child’s learning and achievements. In addition, your child will receive an overall result saying whether they have achieved the required standard in the tests (your child's actual results won't be communicated to you unless you ask for them). 

Are there any practice papers for KS1 SATs?

The official  2018, 2019 and 2022 KS1 SATs papers are available to download for free from the website below