Revising for KS2 SATs without the stress

The KS2 SATs are six short papers taken over four days in May of Year 6 in England. In 2026, test week began on Monday 11 May. They matter a great deal to schools, because results are used to judge school performance. For an individual child they are a snapshot, not a gateway: they do not decide which secondary school a child attends, and many secondary schools run their own assessments in Year 7.

Say that to your child, plainly and early. A child who believes their future rests on one week in May will not revise well.

The six papers

Writing is assessed by teachers across the year, not in a test. Results are reported as scaled scores from 80 to 120, and 100 or more means a child has met the expected standard. The government has said assessment arrangements stay the same for 2026 to 2027 while future arrangements are reviewed; check school letters each year for dates.

How much revision is sensible?

Schools do most of the preparation in class during Year 6, often including practice papers. At home, from about January to May:

• 10 to 15 minutes on most school days
• reading for pleasure every day, which helps the reading paper more than any number of practice questions
• perhaps one slightly longer weekend session of 20 to 30 minutes, only if your child is happy to do it

If your child is already anxious, do less, not more, and talk to the class teacher.

A calm weekly pattern

Rotate three short kinds of practice rather than following a rigid timetable.

Arithmetic: five a day

The arithmetic paper rewards quick, accurate written methods and solid times tables. Do five mixed calculations and mark them together straight away.

The division catches many children out. 12 ÷ 6 = 2; then 4 ÷ 6 gives 0 remainder 4, and that 0 must be written in the answer; then 48 ÷ 6 = 8. Leave out the zero and you get 28, which an estimate (about 1,200 ÷ 6 = 200) shows is far too small.

Clear working matters on the reasoning papers too, where a correct method can sometimes earn a mark even if the final answer is wrong. If times tables are slowing things down, our weekly times tables plan is written for exactly that.

Grammar and spelling: cards at breakfast

Many children understand a subordinate clause or a modal verb but freeze at the word itself. Make a small set of cards, term on one side and an example on the other, and quiz each other over breakfast. Our guide to KS2 grammar terms explains each one.

For spelling, use the Year 5 and 6 word list in the national curriculum, which includes necessary, accommodate, rhythm and sincerely. Four or five words a week is enough.

Reading: talk about the book

Read together and ask the kinds of question the test uses: what a word means here, why the author chose a phrase, how a character feels and how we know, what might happen next. Any conversation that ends in "How do you know?" and a finger on the evidence is excellent practice. Our guide to the KS2 reading question types has a practice passage with model answers.

Keeping practice light

Short games and quizzes help because children will happily repeat them. ModernScholar's KS2 section has free maths and English activities that suit five minutes on a tablet. For paper practice, you can print free sheets from EduPrintables and keep the completed ones in a folder so your child can see the pile grow.

Try it: Once a week, let your child be the teacher. They set you three questions and mark your answers. Explaining why an answer is wrong is excellent revision.

A few things to avoid: intensive practice papers from September, which can wear a child out before May; doing papers without using the mistakes to choose what to practise next; and rushing the straightforward arithmetic questions to get to the hard ones, when careful checking of the easy marks usually gains more.

In test week

• Keep routines normal: same bedtime, same breakfast.
• No extra revision in the evenings. A walk or a film is a better use of the time.
• Make sure your child knows they can ask a teacher about anything practical, from a broken pencil to needing the toilet.
• Don't ask how each paper went. Ask what they had for lunch.

Stomach aches, trouble sleeping, tearfulness or reluctance to go to school are signs to pause home revision and speak to the school. Teachers deal with SATs nerves every year. Our guide to helping with exam nerves has more.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child fail the SATs?

Not in the sense of failing a year. Children receive scaled scores, and 100 or more means the expected standard was met. Results are shared with parents and the secondary school, but they do not decide which secondary school a child goes to.

Do we need to buy revision guides?

They are not essential. Past test papers are published free on GOV.UK by the Standards and Testing Agency, and schools usually use them in class too. Ask the teacher before buying anything.

What if my child is ill during test week?

Tell the school as soon as you can. The official arrangements allow some flexibility for a pupil who misses a test, within limits, so it is worth asking rather than assuming the test is lost.

Sources and further reading

• Key stage 2: assessment and reporting arrangements – the official guidance on test dates, timetable variations and results.
• Understanding scaled scores at key stage 2 – what the 80 to 120 scale means and how the expected standard is set.
• National curriculum assessments: past test materials – free past papers and mark schemes for every KS2 test.

Read next

SATsUnderstanding the question types in the KS2 reading testSATsKS2 grammar terms explained, with examplesRevisionMaking a revision timetable for Years 9 to 11