Year 6 SATs Maths Papers


The table below contains the old style Year 6 Math SATs papers from 2015 and earlier...


KS2 Year 6 Maths SATs tests

Download KS2 Maths SATs papers online, and for free, from SATs Boot Camp. If you are looking for further help with your Maths SATs papers, check out Year Six Buddy.

The Year 6 Maths SATs papers (KS2) will help children revise for their Maths SATs test, which consists of 3 papers:

  • Paper 1 – Arithmetic
  • Paper 2 – Mathematical Reasoning
  • Paper 3 – Mathematical Reasoning

For more detailed information, please read the sections below…

Year 6 SATs Maths papers
Year 6 children sit three Maths SATs papers. Here, we’ll explain what papers they’re required to take, the topics covered in the papers and ways you can help your child revise at home.

What are the Year 6 Maths SATs papers?
In May, children in Year 6 sit their Key Stage 2 SATs exams. SATs in the UK require children to take three Maths papers, as follows:

Paper 1 – Arithmetic (30 minutes)
The first paper is a form of arithmetic test for Year 6 students and it is worth 40 marks. The paper includes questions that challenge children to use the Maths skills they’ve been taught in class, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Children will also be required to use percentages, fractions and decimals.

These questions are free from context, meaning they only involve numbers. Most of the questions are worth one mark, but some longer multiplication and division questions are worth two marks.

Paper 2 – Reasoning (40 minutes) and Paper 3 – Reasoning (40 minutes)
These Year 6 Maths SATs papers are worth 35 marks each. The reasoning papers also quite different to the arithmetic paper because they include problem-solving questions.

In fact, questions related to problem solving feature a lot in the Reasoning 1 and 2 Maths SATs papers. For example, the KS2 Maths SATs papers may require students to solve problems using:

  • Addition and subtraction
  • Commutative, associative, distributive and all four operations
  • Fractions and decimals
  • Percentages
  • Money, length, mass/weight, capacity or volume
  • Data

How can I help my child prepare for Year 6 SATs Maths papers?
As a parent, it can be tricky to know exactly what your child needs to know by the time they finish Year 6, and to help with their Year 6 SATs revision.

The Year 6 Reasoning, Key Stage 2 Maths papers will include questions relating to the following strands:

  • Number and place value
  • Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division calculations
  • Fractions, decimals and percentages
  • Ratio and proportion
  • Algebra
  • Measurement
  • Geometry – properties of shapes
  • Geometry – position and direction
  • Statistics

The best way to help your child to revise for their Year 6 Maths SATs is to help them with their homework and complete some Year 6 SATs practice papers with them. Your school may supply you with some SATs Maths past papers, but there are also plenty of past SATs papers for KS2 available online, too. Plus, you can also access lots of KS2 English SATs papers, if you’re also helping them with that revision as well.

You can also use any opportunity you can to reinforce the basics in the run up to Year 6 SATs week. For example, if you’re out shopping, ask your child to help you add up the value of the items in your basket. Or, if you’re paying for a drink at the shop, they can tell you how much change you should expect to receive. Alternatively, you could both sing the times tables in the car or they could help you measure ingredients while you cook. For example, if you’re making a family meal for 4 people and need 200g of pasta, how much pasta would you need for 2 people?

By continually reinforcing the basics in this way, you’ll be able to understand whether your child fully understands the maths curriculum. Plus, if you notice any gaps in their knowledge, you’ll be able to work on them together before they have to answer any Year 6 SATs Maths questions for real in their exam.

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