2023 SATs Papers

Download the 2023 national curriculum Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 SATs for free.

2023 Key Stage 2 SATs Papers

The 2023 KS2 SATs started in primary schools in England on Tuesday 9th May 2023. The tests took place over four days.

2023 English Reading KS2 SATs Papers

The 2023 KS2 English Reading SATs paper contained three separate reading texts: 'A Noise in the Night', 'Bats Under the Bridge', and 'A Howl at Dusk'.

Download the question paper, answer booklet and mark scheme resources below:

YearReading Booklet Reading Answer Booklet Administrator's Guide Modified Materials Pack Marking Scheme (Answers) Scaled Scores / Levels
2023

2023 Maths KS2 SATs Papers

The 2023 KS2 Maths tests included Paper 1 (Arithmetic), Paper 2 (Reasoning) and Paper 3 (Reasoning). All three test papers were non-calculator tests and their marks were added together for a total Maths mark.

The 2023 KS2 SATs were in English Reading, Maths and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling.
The 2023 KS2 SATs were in English Reading, Maths and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling.

Download the question papers, answer booklets and mark schemes below:

As well as the video walkthroughs below, ensure you download and use our exclusive worked solutions to the 2023 KS2 Maths SATs papers once they become available.

Video Walkthroughs

Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
Paper 2 (Reasoning)
Paper 3 (Reasoning)

2023 Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GaPS) KS2 SATs Papers

The 2023 KS2 GaPS tests (also known as GaPS or Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling) included Paper 1 (Questions) and Paper 2 (Spelling). Marks for both papers were added together to form the total GaPS mark.

Download the question papers, answer booklets and mark schemes below:

YearPaper 1 (Questions) Paper 2 (Spelling) Word List Spelling Transcript Spelling Audio Administrator's Guide Modified Materials Pack Marking Scheme (Answers) Scaled Scores / Levels
2023
Download

About the 2023 KS2 SATs

Children in Year 6 (those aged 10-11 at the time) took their KS2 SATs tests in May 2023.

The 2023 KS2 SATs were authored, produced and managed by the STA (Standards and Testing Agency) under the authorisation of the DfE (Department for Education).

The 2023 KS2 SATs were authored, produced and managed by the STA.
The 2023 KS2 SATs were authored, produced and managed by the STA.

KS2 SATs were taken in Maths, Reading and GaPS under formal exam conditions. These papers were marked externally whilst separate teacher assessments in Writing and Science were marked by their teachers.

Pupils with additional educational needs were offered support and/or extra exam time where available. Modified materials using braille and large print were available to eligible pupils and their teachers.

For the 2023 Key Stage 2 tests, it was decided that the Reading paper would again take place on the Tuesday following a successful trial in 2018.

The 2023 SATs took place under exam conditions and were marked externally.
The 2023 SATs took place under exam conditions and were marked externally.

2023 was the sixth year of 'new-style' KS2 SATs tests under the new national curriculum.

To help prepare children for the 2023 KS2 SATs, children were able to download test papers from previous years free of charge. Whilst not working to the same curriculum, KS2 SATs Papers from 2015 (and before) were still useful to aid preparation.

Once marked, children's scores were converted to scaled scores:

  • If a child's scaled score was below 100, they had not reached the expected standard.

  • If a child's scaled score was between 100 and 109, they had reached the expected standard.

  • If a child's score was 110 or over, they had exceeded the expected standard and were judged as working at greater depth.

2023 KS2 SATs Scaled Scores Expected Standard and Greater Depth

Here you will find the Key Stage 2 raw/scaled conversion tables. You may find it easier and faster to use our free scaled score converter.

2023 English Reading KS2 SATs

The raw score required to achieve the "expected standard" (a scaled score of 100) was 24. Thus, the "pass mark" for pupils taking the 2023 KS2 English Reading SATs was 24/50 or 48%. In order to achieve "greater depth" (scaled score of 110) a child would have to score at least 38/50 or 76%.

See below for the full raw marks to scaled scores conversion table:

Raw Score Scaled Score Level Attained
00Below Expectations
10
20
382
483
584
686
787
888
989
1090
1191
1292
1392
1493
1594
1695
1795
1896
1997
2097
2198
2299
2399
24100At Expected Level
25101
26101
27102
28103
29103
30104
31105
32105
33106
34107
35108
36108
37109
38110Above Expectations / Greater Depth
39111
40112
41113
42114
43115
44116
45118
46119
47120
48120
49120
50120

2023 Maths KS2 SATs

The raw score required to achieve the "expected standard" (a scaled score of 100) was 56. Thus, the "pass mark" for children taking the 2023 KS2 Maths SATs was 56/110 or 50.9%. In order to achieve "greater depth" (scaled score of 110) a child would have to score at least 94/110 or 85.5%.

See below for the full raw marks to scaled scores conversion table:

Raw Score Scaled Score Level Attained
00Below Expectations
10
20
380
480
580
681
782
883
983
1084
1185
1285
1386
1486
1587
1688
1788
1888
1989
2089
2190
2290
2391
2491
2591
2692
2792
2892
2993
3093
3193
3293
3394
3494
3594
3695
3795
3895
3995
4096
4196
4296
4397
4497
4597
4697
4798
4898
4998
5098
5198
5299
5399
5499
5599
56100At Expected Level
57100
58100
59100
60101
61101
62101
63101
64101
65102
66102
67102
68102
69103
70103
71103
72103
73104
74104
75104
76104
77105
78105
79105
80105
81106
82106
83106
84106
85107
86107
87107
88108
89108
90108
91109
92109
93109
94110Above Expectations / Greater Depth
95110
96110
97111
98111
99112
100112
101113
102113
103114
104115
105116
106117
107118
108119
109120
110120

2023 Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling KS2 SATs

The mark required to achieve the "expected standard" (a scaled score of 100) was 36. Thus, the "pass mark" for children taking the 2023 KS2 Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling SATs was 36/70 or 51.4%. In order to achieve "greater depth" (scaled score of 110) a child would have to score at least 55/70 or 78.6%.

See below for the full raw marks to scaled scores conversion table:

Raw Score Scaled Score Level Attained
00Below Expectations
10
20
380
481
582
683
784
885
985
1086
1187
1288
1388
1489
1590
1690
1791
1891
1992
2092
2193
2293
2394
2494
2595
2695
2796
2896
2997
3097
3197
3298
3398
3499
3599
36100At Expected Level
37100
38101
39101
40101
41102
42102
43103
44103
45104
46104
47105
48105
49106
50107
51107
52108
53108
54109
55110Above Expectations / Greater Depth
56110
57111
58112
59112
60113
61114
62115
63116
64117
65119
66120
67120
68120
69120
70120

Each school's KS2 SATs results were made available to their headteachers in July 2023 via the NCA tools website. Individual KS2 SATs results were fed back to parents some time after this date, normally within a child's end of year report.

Every school's KS2 SATs performance was made publicly available in December 2023 as part of the 2023 primary school league tables.

2023 KS2 SATs Exam Timetable

Please note that the 2023 Key Stage 2 SATs were originally due to start on Monday 8th May 2023 but were shuffled back by one day to Tuesday 9th May due to the extra bank holiday for the King's coronation.

Date Exam
Tuesday 9 May 2023 Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 1
Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 2
Wednesday 10 May 2023 English Reading
Thursday 11 May 2023 Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)
Friday 12 May 2023 Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)

Unfortunately this does mean that pupils took their national assessment tests immediately after a bank holiday, possibly impacting attainment.

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