2026 SATs Papers

2026 KS2 SATs

The 2026 Key Stage 2 SATs will take place in the week commencing 11th May 2026. The tests will take place over four days.

Children in Year 6 (those aged 10-11) will take these tests in their primary school classrooms in England, UK. SATs will be taken in Maths, Reading and GaPS (Grammar, Punctuation and separate Spelling paper) under formal exam conditions. Each exam is strictly timed.

These papers will be marked externally whilst separate teacher assessments in Writing and Science will be designed and marked by their teachers.

2026 will be the ninth year of 'new-style' primary assessments under the new national curriculum.

SATs Week 2026

SATs week for the 2026 KS2 SATs is the week commencing 11th May 2026. Below are the SATs dates for each exam throughout the 2026 KS2 SATs week.

2026 KS2 SATs Exam Timetable

Exam Ninja has produced a handy 2026 KS2 SATs Exam Timetable for parents, pupils and teachers to print off. You can find it here.

2026 KS2 SATs Science Sampling Tests

For several years the STA required a random selection of primary schools to set Science Sampling Tests. However, in July 2022 the STA announced that there would not be any further science sampling tests. Instead, teacher assessment data would be used.

2026 KS2 SATs Teacher Assessments

Around the period of exam week, teachers must design and carry out their teacher assessments in Writing and Science. Once completed and marked, they must submit teacher assessment data to the NCA tools website.

Preparing for the 2026 KS2 SATs

To help prepare children for the 2026 Key Stage 2 SATs, you are able to download the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 papers free of charge.

All past papers include an English reading paper, a full set of mathematics papers and the short answer questions in the grammar punctuation and spelling paper.

Whilst not working to the same curriculum, Key Stage 2 SATs from 2015 (and before) are still useful to aid preparation. We recommend you download and use every spelling test from this period and ensure you use the spelling test audio too.

As well as using past SATs papers, parents should use our free Online SATs Tests. These multiple-choice tests in English and Maths are really useful for preparing towards their KS2 SATs.

We particularly recommend parents buy these KS2 SATs practice papers, available from Exam Ninja and all good book shops.

Lastly, ensure you take a look at our informal SATs help guide, our free guide to SATs Revision and our 12 Crucial SATs Tips for success in the 2026 KS2 SATs.

2026 KS2 SATs Results

Each school's results will be made available to their headteachers in July 2026 via the NCA tools website. Parents will be given their child's scaled score (and sometimes raw score too) around this period with a note to say whether they achieved the expected standard, exceeded it or fell below it.

Every school's performance will be made public in December 2026 to create the 2026 school league tables.

If you are interested in seeing how your child's school performed in the SATs then look at the Department for Education (DfE) website that maintains up to date and historical school league tables.

2026 KS1 SATs

As in 2025, the 2026 Key Stage 1 SATs are no longer compulsory national tests.

However, KS1 SATs have been 'replaced' by optional KS1 SATs tests. These optional SATs tests will continue to be authored, published, printed and distributed by the STA. It is likely (following STA recommendation) that all schools across England will continue to administer these tests in the same fashion as past KS1 SATs tests.

Do bear in mind that schools will choose whether they will administer these optional KS1 SATs, not individual parents.

Children in Year 2 (those aged 6-7) will take these tests in their primary school classrooms England, UK.

KS1 SATs will be taken in Maths, Reading and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (optionally) under informal exam conditions. These papers will be marked by their teachers, along with their teacher assessments in Writing and Science.

KS1 SATs Exam Dates

The 2026 KS1 SATs will take place at some point throughout May 2026. The precise days of the tests varies from school to school as they are offered the flexibility of fitting in the tests when its deemed most convenient.

Preparing for the 2026 KS1 SATs

To help prepare children for the 2026 KS1 SATs, you are able to download the 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 papers free of charge. Whilst not working to the same curriculum, KS1 SATs Papers from 2015 (and before) are still useful to aid preparation.

For parents that wish to practice for the reading test, mathematics paper and English grammar may want to purchase some KS1 SATs Practice Papers. We particularly recommend parents buy these KS1 SATs Practice Papers, available from Exam Ninja and all good book shops.

2026 KS1 SATs Results

Parents will be given their child's scaled scores (and sometimes raw scores too) in the June-July period with a note to say whether they achieved the expected standard, exceeded it or fell below it.