Year 3 SATs Papers
Download Year 3 optional SATs papers for free.
Download Year 3 Optional SATs Papers
Download every past Year 3 SATs paper to help prepare children for their KS2 SATs tests. Answers to every question can be found in the Marking Schemes.
Year 3 English Reading Optional SATs Papers
Download Key Stage 2 English Reading SATs practice papers for children in Year 3. You'll find the reading booklet and reading answer booklet for each test below.
| Year | Reading Booklet | Reading Answer Booklet | Story Task | Answers ⓘFull answers and mark schemes | Scaled Scores / Levels ⓘRaw mark to Scaled Score conversion tables | Complete ZIP File ⓘZip file with all standard resources bundled together | Premium Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | |||||||
| 2003 | |||||||
| Source: Standards and Testing Agency (STA) | Open Government Licence |
About these YR3 English papers
- The Hunt for the Secret Treasure
- This is a reading booklet containing a short story titled The Hunt for the Secret Treasure by Betsy Byars. The story follows two friends, Jackson and Goat, who hide treasures for each other to find using maps and clues. Jackson creates an elaborate pirate-style map, while Goat writes cryptic clues. The narrative explores themes of friendship, problem-solving, and mild competition as each boy attempts to outsmart the other in their treasure hunt game.
- Making a Treasure Map
- This Year 3 English reading booklet contains instructional text titled Making a Treasure Map, which provides step-by-step guidance on creating an aged paper map with directions, and an information text called Give us a Clue, which describes different types of clues including trails, word clues, and picture clues for treasure hunts. The texts assess reading comprehension of non-fiction instructional and informational materials.
- Year 3 Optional 2006 English Reading Answer Booklet
- This Year 3 reading assessment contains two texts: Making a Treasure Map, an instructional text explaining how to create treasure maps and organize treasure hunts, and The Hunt for the Secret Treasure, a narrative story about two characters, Jackson and Goat, who hide and search for treasure. Questions assess comprehension skills including retrieval of information, understanding of text structure and features, sequencing events, and inference about characters' feelings and motivations.
- Gifts from the Sea
- This reading booklet contains two texts for Year 3 students. The Sand Horse is a fictional story about an artist who makes a sand horse on a beach that comes to life and is washed away by the sea to join the white horses in the waves. Beach Detective is a non-fiction newsletter featuring articles about objects washed up on beaches, including rubber ducks, trainers, and an elephantbird egg found in Australia.
- Year 3 Optional 2003 English Reading Answer Booklet
- This is a Year 3 Optional SAT Reading Answer Booklet from 2003, containing questions about two texts. The Sand Horse is a story about an artist who creates a sand sculpture that comes to life. Beach Detective newsletter is an informational text about beach discoveries and changes. Questions assess comprehension through multiple choice, short answers, sequencing events, and inference about character motivations and writer's techniques.
| Year | Spelling Task | Answers ⓘFull answers and mark schemes | Complete ZIP File ⓘZip file with all standard resources bundled together | Premium Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | ||||
| 2003 | ||||
| Source: Standards and Testing Agency (STA) | Open Government Licence |
About these YR3 GaPS papers
- Pirates
- This is a Year 3 Spelling Test from 2006 focused on a pirates theme. The assessment is divided into two parts: Part 1 contains numbered spelling boxes (1-8) and Part 2 presents a passage about pirates with gaps (9-20) where students write spellings dictated by the teacher. The text covers topics including pirate rules, Grace O'Malley, and pirate flags.
- Display Tray
- This is a Year 3 spelling task from 2003 consisting of two sections. Q1 'Display Tray' is an instructional text about making a display tray for objects from the water's edge, with gaps for students to fill in missing words. Q2 'A Day by the River' appears to be another spelling exercise, though the specific content is not fully visible in the extracted text.
The 2003 Year 3 English optional SATs papers included a story task. This task was not present in the 2006 papers.
Year 3 Maths Optional SATs Papers
Download Key Stage 2 Maths SATs practice papers for children in Year 3. You'll find both Paper A and Paper B as well as full answers to every question.
| Year | Paper A | Paper B | Answers ⓘFull answers and mark schemes | Scaled Scores / Levels ⓘRaw mark to Scaled Score conversion tables | Complete ZIP File ⓘZip file with all standard resources bundled together | Premium Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | ||||||
| 2003 | ||||||
| Source: Standards and Testing Agency (STA) | Open Government Licence |
About these YR3 Maths papers
- Year 3 Optional 2006 Mathematics Paper A
- This Year 3 Mathematics test assesses levels 2-3 without calculators. Questions cover arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), place value and ordering numbers, money calculations, time problems, measurement (length and weight), shape and geometry (identifying pentagons, angles, reflections, rotations), data interpretation from bar charts and tables, fractions, multiples, and problem-solving word problems involving real-world scenarios.
- Year 3 Optional 2006 Mathematics Paper B
- This is a Year 3 Mathematics test covering levels 3-4, with calculator use not allowed. The paper assesses number operations (multiplication, division, addition, subtraction), measurement (weight, capacity, length), fractions, geometry (angles, symmetry, shapes, transformations), word problems, and data handling using charts and graphs. Questions include calculations, interpreting visual information, and explaining mathematical reasoning.
- Year 3 Optional 2003 Mathematics Paper A
- This Year 3 Mathematics Test 3a for levels 2-3 assesses fundamental numeracy skills through varied question formats. The paper covers arithmetic calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication), number concepts (odd numbers, place value, rounding, sequences), shape recognition (octagons, symmetry), data handling (tables, graphs), measurement (length, weight, money), fractions, and word problems involving real-world contexts such as sharing strawberries and calculating change.
- Year 3 Optional 2003 Mathematics Paper B
- This is a Year 3 Mathematics SATs paper (Test 3b) for levels 3-4 from 2003. It contains questions covering number operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication), place value and ordering, fractions, measurement (length, weight, time, capacity), shape and symmetry (including octagons and reflections), data interpretation from graphs and tables, sequences, estimation, and money problems. Questions include both calculation tasks and practical application problems.
| Year | Mental Maths Answer Sheet | Mental Maths Transcript | Answers ⓘFull answers and mark schemes | Complete ZIP File ⓘZip file with all standard resources bundled together | Premium Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | |||||
| 2003 | |||||
| Source: Standards and Testing Agency (STA) | Open Government Licence |
For 2003 the QCA helpfully published levels information in the Maths tests so teachers could accurately assess their pupil's progress. Unfortunately, the 2006 tests did not include levels information.
We also have a number of free Year 3 Maths Worksheets for teachers and parents to download. These aim to challenge children on a broad range of Year 3 Maths topics before they face their real end-of-year tests.
Year 3 Writing Optional SATs Papers
Download Key Stage 2 Writing SATs practice papers for children in Year 3. You'll find both writing answer booklets below (including the shorter task paper).
| Year | Writing Answer Booklet | Writing (Shorter Task) | Answers ⓘFull answers and mark schemes | Complete ZIP File ⓘZip file with all standard resources bundled together | Premium Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | |||||
| 2003 | |||||
| Source: Standards and Testing Agency (STA) | Open Government Licence |
About these YR3 Writing papers
- Treasure Hunt Fun
- This Year 3 Writing assessment presents a persuasive writing task about planning a school treasure hunt. Students are asked to propose ideas for a treasure hunt and explain why their ideas should be chosen by the headteacher. The booklet includes the writing prompt and a planning sheet with sections for generating ideas about making the hunt interesting, selecting clues, explaining enjoyment factors, and justifying their proposal.
- Year 3 Optional 2006 English Writing Answer Booklet
- This is a Year 3 Writing Answer Booklet from 2006 containing two writing tasks. The shorter task asks students to describe their favourite playtime game for a book about games children play, including who they play with and why they enjoy it. The longer task requires students to write a letter to their headteacher presenting ideas for a treasure hunt. The booklet includes structured planning sections and blank pages for responses.
- Mysterious Object
- This is a writing assessment that asks students to write a report on an unusual object they have imagined finding. The task uses the example of a Beach Detective's report on an Elephantbird egg as a model. Students must include descriptive details to help readers understand what the object is. The assessment tests report writing skills and descriptive writing techniques.
The 2003 Year 3 Writing paper included a detailed mark scheme that helped teachers accurately assess children's work.
Table of Contents
Are there SATs in Year 3?
Strictly speaking, no.
However, most schools will run a set of 'SATs-like' assessment tests for Year 3 every May. This will take the form of a 'silent test' in their classroom and the results will be used to track their academic progress.
Some schools will use all (or part) of the Year 3 optional SATs papers for their Year 3 tests.
What are Year 3 Optional SATs Papers?
Year 3 optional SATs papers were written and published several years ago. Two sets were published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), in 2003 and 2006.
Schools could download these past papers for free or order printed copies from the QCA. Practically every school within the UK would have used these test papers over the past 20 years.
These tests closely mimic SATs tests and were written for schools to use to help monitor children's progress between Year 3 and Year 5, before KS2 SATs in Year 6.
Many schools have used these test papers in the past for KS2 SATs preparation.
Who can use Year 3 Optional SATs Papers?
These Year 3 SATs papers can be used by pupils, teachers and parents. Indeed, they are free to download for anyone that wishes to use them.
These Year 3 SATs papers are in English reading (comprehension) and maths and include full marking schemes.
Levels information (what came before scaled scores) is only available for the first set of Year 3 test papers published in 2003.
It's important to bear in mind that these past papers were published in 2003 and 2006 and that there has been a curriculum change since then. Hence, there may be a number of topics within these optional SATs papers that your child may not recognise.
