Free Year 6 Maths SATs Papers That Every Teacher Will Need For KS2 SATs This Year

Looking for free Year 6 maths SATs papers to help with SATS preparations? We’ve created 6 brand new free KS2 SATs arithmetic and reasoning papers for Year 6 that are free for all teachers to download. Find out more below.

Then use the answers and mark scheme as a clear indicator of whether your Year 6 are on track for the expected standard in the National Tests.

In May, KS2 SATs 2023 will be taking place. This does not mean that all you should be doing is SATs revision and completing SATs papers – there are still new topics to cover. But a period of time focused explicitly on revision when you’re teaching year 6 is essential to prepare your pupils for their SATs both academically and emotionally.

SATs papers need to be part of your revision strategy for KS2 SATs

Inevitably a key part of your year 6 maths revision strategy and your year 6 SATs revision planning will be to use sample KS2 SATs tests, ideally in exactly the same format as your Year 6 pupils will sit in May.

Given the national curriculum is still relatively new with only 5 years of government KS2 national curriculum tests (due to cancelled SATs in 2020 and 2021) it won’t be long before you’ve used up your 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 arithmetic and reasoning past SATs papers, as well as the sample papers released in 2016 to support preparation, and you’ll be looking around for more maths practice tests.

And you’ll find them. There are plenty of publishers selling practice SATs papers but if you’re getting a class set for it can end up being expensive and the quality is very variable.

Free maths SATs papers that you can download & print

Our goal is to support schools throughout their maths improvement journey in a way that is targeted and affordable. This means targeted 1-to-1 maths interventions for those pupils who need extra support for their Key Stage 2 SATs, as well as Year 1 to Year 6 maths resources teachers in our online maths hub.

So when teachers came to us and said what we really need is more year 6 maths SATs papers, that’s what we created. The difference is that we know how tight funding in schools is so we’ve made these SATs papers free to download online.

These free SATS practice papers have been created by curriculum and assessment experts to be as close a match to the real thing as possible. And these same assessment experts have also included an answer booklet with suggested mark schemes.

What you should know about our KS2 SATS papers for SATs revision preparation

Apart from the fact they’re free! 

✓ So far we have created a total of 6 free SATs papers (we have 30(!) more for schools using our intervention on our Maths Hub):

– Pack 1 – 2 FREE SATs reasoning tests and 1 FREE SATs arithmetic test

– Pack 2 – 2 FREE SATs reasoning tests and 1 FREE SATs arithmetic test

✓ Each paper contains the same number and type of SATs questions as your Year 6 pupils will get during the government maths KS2 SATs tests.

✓ Every SATs question has been created entirely new – these are not variations on existing past papers

✓ Answers are provided for every SATs reasoning and arithmetic paper in each pack.

✓ The answer sheet for these SATs papers includes a mark scheme to find out where your pupils need extra support.

✓ Each question is identified not just by its marks but by its content domain reference codes from the DFE National Assessment Framework – these can be found.

✓ The codes show coverage of topic areas across the papers and give teachers the ability to pinpoint what each pupil can and can’t do, leading to tailored teaching and better outcomes.

✓ The questions cover the same range of content domains and demand descriptors you would expect to see in the real national test papers.

✓ Since 2016 there has been no mental maths test so look instead for the arithmetic paper.

✓ As in the all the new style KS2 maths SATs tests, the arithmetic and the reasoning papers are progressive, with the SATs questions getting increasingly difficult as you progress.

✓ All the SATs papers have been thoroughly reviewed by a panel of teachers for their content and cognitive domain. Here’s what they say:

“I think this is the best Arithmetic practice paper that I’ve seen” Aidan Severs, Primary Maths Lead

“These tests are an excellent tool for teachers to assess children and an invaluable tool to prepare children for the KS2 SATs” David Stringer, Year 6 Team Leader

✓ Did we mention they’re free?!

How you can use these free online SATs tests

Most obviously you can use our practice maths papers as timed ‘mock SATs tests’ to give your Year 6 pupils valuable exposure to the sorts of questions in a similar order to that which they’ll get during their KS2 SATs National Assessments in May.

Knowing how your pupils will perform under test conditions on an ‘as real’ practice SATs paper can give you a baseline or an interim ‘predicted’ result for your Year 6. You can use this as part of your teacher assessment to determine for example if any pupils will need an intervention for SATs.

30 minutes is the time allocated for the KS2 SATs Year 6 Arithmetic test and 40 minutes for each KS2 SATs Reasoning test.

Assess gaps across the 6 maths sats papers

You can also use our free year 6 maths SATs papers to assess gaps. Each question in the SATs practice reasoning papers has been categorised according to a level of difficulty (Working towards expected standard; Working at expected standard; Working at greater depth within expected standard) and guidance has been given on mark thresholds providing a more accurate assessment of your pupils.

You’ll soon see both individual gaps and patterns across class when you go through the test results with children so you’ll soon be able to see if you need to focus more lesson time on fractions, decimals and percentages for example or in fact worth on speed, arithmetic and fluency first.

As the free SATs arithmetic papers are progressive they will also enable teachers to diagnose precursor knowledge (questions towards the front of the paper); if misconceptions exists here, these will have an impact on later concepts.

Build stamina and confidence for SATs in year 6

Just sitting down and having a go at a past practice SATs paper tests children’s confidence and stamina in maths, enabling them to build up their resilience and feel better prepared to tackle their KS2 SATs Maths test in May and be reassured that it’s not the great unknown.

Adapt lessons according to Year 6 pupils’ needs pre KS2 SATs

The variety of question types and problem solving questions in the Reasoning papers also allows teachers to assess the types of SATs questions pupils may be struggling at and so adapt lessons accordingly. Be prepared to find that even though they’re in Upper KS2 year 3 and 4 gaps may still be appearing.

Take away the stress of the SATs test next year…

You know your pupils best – from their favourite lunchtime treat right down to their existing learning gaps.

Most schools have a group of target Year 6 pupils who require intensive 1-to-1 Maths support to enable them to meet their age related expectations. We provide such support to over 6000 KS2 pupils every week in their final year of primary school. Find out how we can take the stress out of SATs for you and your pupils with a personalised maths intervention.

“In Autumn we had 49% of children on track to achieve ARE (Age related expectations). As a direct result of quality first teaching using products from Third Space and specific intervention on a 1:1 basis for a sustained period of time, tailor made to meet the needs of individual pupils up to the SATs, resulted in an outstanding shift in results. Without a doubt our 100% ARE in Year 6 was based upon the materials and skills invested by Third Space and their tutors. Many thanks Third Space” Yvonne Whalley, Deputy Headteacher, Toll Bar Primary, Doncaster.

Read more

Read our analysis of the last five years of KS2 SATs papers, what this means for the topics and methods you teach your year 6 pupils, as well as top tips for SATs.

• KS2 SATs 2023: Maths Papers Question Breakdown
• KS2 SATs 2022: Maths Papers Question Breakdown and Analysis
• 2019 SATs Papers Maths Question Breakdown and Analysis
• 2018 SATs Papers Maths Question Breakdown and Analysis
• 2017 SATs Papers Maths Question Breakdown and Analysis
• DFE Website with all previous SATs papers

Looking for more year 6 maths resources and guidance?

• Year 6 Maths Test (Year 6 content only)
• Year 6 Maths Questions (with answers)
• Best SATs revision resources recommended by teachers

Online 1-to-1 maths lessons trusted by schools and teachers
Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of primary school children with weekly online 1-to-1 lessons and maths interventions. Since 2013 we’ve helped over 150,000 children become more confident, able mathematicians. Learn more or request a personalised quote to speak to us about your needs and how we can help.

Primary school tuition targeted to the needs of each child and closely following the National Curriculum.