The Year 6 maths SATs are three papers: an arithmetic paper of 30 minutes and two reasoning papers of 40 minutes each, all taken without a calculator.
In 2027, the key stage 2 tests run from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 May, and the maths papers fall on the last two days. This guide gives the official dates, what each paper contains and how it is marked, the difference between arithmetic and reasoning, and a simple plan to prepare at home between now and May without turning Year 6 into a year of tests.
SATs 2027 dates for Year 6
The Standards and Testing Agency sets the timetable. The 2027 information for parents lists the key stage 2 tests as follows:
| Date | Test |
|---|---|
| Monday 10 May 2027 | English grammar, punctuation and spelling: Paper 1 (questions) and Paper 2 (spelling) |
| Tuesday 11 May 2027 | English reading |
| Wednesday 12 May 2027 | Mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic, and Paper 2: reasoning |
| Thursday 13 May 2027 | Mathematics Paper 3: reasoning |
If a child is absent on a test day, they may be able to take the missed test up to 5 school days afterwards, provided the school applies for a timetable variation and the agency approves it. There is no test in English writing or science: those subjects are reported through teacher assessment.
Schools can view the results online from Tuesday 6 July 2027, and parents should receive them by the end of the summer term. The secondary school your child moves to can also see them.
The KS2 maths SATs at a glance
The format below is the one used in May 2026, the most recent set of papers published on GOV.UK with its 2026 mathematics test materials:
| Paper | Time | Marks | What it asks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: arithmetic | 30 minutes | 40 | A list of calculations, each answered as a single value |
| Paper 2: reasoning | 40 minutes | 35 | Problems in context, some in several steps |
| Paper 3: reasoning | 40 minutes | 35 | Same format as Paper 2, on different questions |
| Total | 1 hour 50 minutes | 110 | No calculator in any paper |
For the reasoning papers, pupils may use a ruler, a protractor and a mirror. Past papers, administration instructions and mark schemes are free to download from the same page, which makes them the most useful practice material available.
The SATs arithmetic paper
The arithmetic paper tests calculation and nothing else: no words, no context, just the sums. The instructions printed on the paper are worth reading with your child, because they explain how the marks work.
- Single answers. Each answer goes in a box, as a single value. Fractions may be given as a common fraction, a mixed number or a whole number as appropriate.
- Two marks for long methods. Long multiplication and long division questions are worth 2 marks each, and a pupil may get 1 mark for showing a formal method even if the final answer is wrong.
- One mark for everything else. All other questions are worth 1 mark each.
- Keep moving. The paper itself says: if you cannot do a question, go on to the next one and come back to it later.
Thirty minutes for 40 marks leaves well under a minute per mark, so speed with number facts matters. Calculations of the kind Year 6 pupils practise, such as 3,456 + 2,789 = 6,245, 7,004 − 2,358 = 4,646, 46 × 23 = 1,058 or 7,128 ÷ 24 = 297, are quick only when times tables and place value are automatic. The order of operations also comes up; our guide to BIDMAS explains it step by step.
The two SATs reasoning papers
The reasoning papers ask pupils to apply what they know. Questions are set in context, such as money, time, measures, shapes or data in a table, and some need several steps. A few ask the pupil to explain or show how they know.
Each paper lasts 40 minutes, and the teacher announces when 5 minutes are left. Three habits help:
- Underline the question. A frequent slip is answering a different question from the one asked, for example giving a total when the difference was needed.
- Estimate first. A rough answer, such as 300 × 20 = 6,000 for 296 × 21, shows straight away whether a result is plausible.
- Show the working. On multi-step questions, a clear method can still earn credit when the final answer slips.
- Check the units. Answers in money, time or measures need the right unit: 2 hours 30 minutes is not 2.30 hours.
Reasoning questions are where reading and maths meet: reading each question twice, slowly, is time well spent.
How to prepare for Year 6 maths at home
Preparation works best little and often, and most of it does not look like test practice at all.
- From now to Christmas. Secure the number facts: times tables to 12 × 12, number bonds, doubling and halving. Pupils in England sat the multiplication tables check in Year 4, and any gaps it showed are worth closing now.
- From January to March. Work through one past arithmetic paper every week or two, then mark it together with the mark scheme. Look at which kinds of question went wrong, not just the score.
- April and May. Do one or two reasoning papers in real time, 40 minutes, to get used to the pace, then stop: the last week before the tests is for rest.
Keep the tone calm: the tests help measure what pupils have learned against the national curriculum. Our guide to helping with maths homework covers the questions that guide a child without giving the answers. Kalc trains times tables, fractions, percentages and algebra in about ten minutes a day, which suits this kind of short daily practice.
Past papers are most useful when they are marked, not just completed. After each paper, sit down with the mark scheme and sort the mistakes into three groups: a number fact that was not secure, a method that went wrong, or a question that was misread. Each group calls for a different fix: a few minutes of daily facts, one worked example redone together, or the habit of underlining the question. Keep the papers in a folder, so that your child can see the score rise over the months; that progress is often the best encouragement before May.
After the SATs: results in July
Results reach schools from Tuesday 6 July 2027. Each school decides how it shares them with families, and parents should receive them, together with teacher assessment judgements, by the end of the summer term. The school also discusses each child's overall performance at the end of key stage 2 before the summer holidays.
A result below the expected standard is information, not a verdict: the secondary school receives the results and uses them to plan support from the first term of Year 7. What matters most is that the habits built in Year 6, regular practice and careful reading, continue into secondary school.
Frequently asked questions
When are the Year 6 maths SATs in 2027?
Mathematics Paper 1 (arithmetic) and Paper 2 (reasoning) are on Wednesday 12 May 2027, and Paper 3 (reasoning) is on Thursday 13 May 2027.
How long is the SATs arithmetic paper?
30 minutes, for 40 marks. Long multiplication and long division questions are worth 2 marks each; the other questions are worth 1 mark.
Can children use a calculator in the KS2 maths SATs?
No. None of the three mathematics papers allows a calculator. For the reasoning papers, pupils may use a ruler, a protractor and a mirror.
How many marks are the Year 6 maths SATs out of?
110 marks in the 2026 papers: 40 for arithmetic and 35 for each of the two reasoning papers.
What happens if my child is absent on a SATs day?
They may take the missed test up to 5 school days later, if the school applies for a timetable variation and the Standards and Testing Agency approves it.
Practise mental maths in Kalc
Ten minutes a day, adapted to your level, with spaced repetition bringing back what you miss.