Understanding the question types in the KS2 reading test
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The KS2 reading test lasts 60 minutes, reading time included, and is worth 50 marks. Children get one reading booklet, usually with three texts that grow harder as they go, and one answer booklet. The texts can be fiction, non-fiction or poetry.
There is no list of facts to revise for it. What children can learn is to recognise the kinds of question, and to know what a full answer to each looks like.
The eight question types
The Standards and Testing Agency's test framework lists eight reading skills, labelled 2a to 2h. Every question is linked to one of them.
| Code | Skill | Typical question |
|---|---|---|
| 2a | Word meaning in context | "Which word in the paragraph means the same as frightened?" |
| 2b | Retrieval | "Find and copy one word that shows …" |
| 2c | Summarising | "Which is the best summary of paragraphs 2 to 4?" |
| 2d | Inference | "How do you know Sam was nervous? Give two pieces of evidence." |
| 2e | Prediction | "What do you think will happen next? Use evidence from the text." |
| 2f | How content links to the whole | "Why has the author included the paragraph about the old map?" |
| 2g | Language choices | "A grey, grumbling giant. What impression does this give of the sea?" |
| 2h | Comparison | "How are the two characters' reactions different?" |
A few notes on the ones that cost the most marks:
Word meaning depends on this text, so children must look back at the sentence rather than rely on a dictionary meaning.
Retrieval is about finding the answer quickly and copying it exactly. If the question asks for one word, write one word.
Inference means working out something the author has not said directly. A good answer needs both the idea and the evidence for it, and these questions are the most common source of lost marks.
Language questions need the effect of the words explained, not just the words repeated.
Questions are worth 1, 2 or 3 marks, and the number is printed beside each one. It is a clue: a 3-mark question needs more than one short point.
A practice passage with model answers
This short passage was written for this article. Read it with your child, then try the questions.
Mia hovered at the classroom door, gripping the strap of her bag so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Inside, thirty faces she had never seen before turned towards her. Somebody laughed at the back, and her cheeks burned. Then a girl by the window pulled out the empty chair beside her and smiled. Mia let out the breath she had been holding and walked in.
1. Find and copy one word that shows Mia did not go straight into the room. (1 mark)
hovered. Copying the whole sentence would not earn the mark.
2. Why is it new for Mia to be in this class? (1 mark)
The faces were ones "she had never seen before", so she is new to the class or school.
3. How do you know Mia was nervous? Give two pieces of evidence. (2 marks)
Any two of: she gripped her bag strap so tightly her knuckles turned white; her cheeks burned when someone laughed; she had been holding her breath.
4. How does Mia's feeling change by the end of the passage? Explain using the text. (3 marks)
Compare two answers:
- She feels happier. This might earn one mark: a change is named, but with no evidence and no starting point.
- At the start Mia is nervous, because she grips her bag so hard her knuckles go white. By the end she is relieved, because a girl smiles and offers her a seat, and Mia lets out her breath and walks in. This has the before, the after and evidence for both.
What to tell your child before the test
- Every answer comes from this text. Children who know a lot about a topic sometimes answer from their own knowledge.
- Look at the marks. Two marks usually means two points; three marks means an explained answer.
- Move on if stuck. The third text carries plenty of marks. Spending too long on the first is a common way to run out of time.
- Never leave a blank. A sensible attempt might earn a mark; a blank never will.
- Underline the key words in the question. "Give two pieces of evidence" and "Explain why" ask for different things.
Teachers differ on whether to read each text and answer its questions before moving on, or skim everything first. Follow what your child practises in class.
Practising with any book
Test papers are not the only practice. While reading together, slip in one question of a different type each night:
- Word meaning: "What do you think reluctant means here? What makes you think that?"
- Retrieval: "Can you find where it says what time they left?"
- Inference: "How is the dad feeling? How do you know?"
- Language: "Why do you think the author said the door groaned rather than opened?"
- Prediction: "What will she do next? Which clue made you think that?"
"How do you know?" followed by a finger on the page is the single most useful habit for this test. Our guide to reading homework in primary school has more ways to make the nightly book count.
For short, varied practice on a screen, ModernScholar's Strange Houses reading comprehension gives children a non-fiction text with questions to answer.
Reading skill itself builds slowly, through lots of reading and talk about books. Technique (knowing the question types, using the marks, managing time) can improve quickly. Both matter, but daily reading matters most.
Spelling is not what this paper assesses, so small slips are not usually a problem if the meaning is clear; spelling is tested separately, alongside the terms in our guide to KS2 grammar terms. If your child reads slowly, speak to the class teacher: access arrangements such as extra time exist, but the school decides on them under the official guidance, based on how your child normally works. Our KS2 SATs revision guide covers the rest of the test week.
Sources and further reading
- Key stage 2: English reading test framework – the official description of the test, including the content domain behind each question type.
- National curriculum assessments: past test materials – recent reading booklets, answer booklets and mark schemes.
- Words for Life (National Literacy Trust) – reading activities and book ideas for families, grouped by age.
