England · End of Key Stage 1 · Year 2, ages 6 to 7

KS1 SATs maths explained: the optional Year 2 test

Parents still call them KS1 SATs, and many Year 2 children still sit them. Officially they are the optional end of key stage 1 national curriculum tests, and a school chooses whether to use them. If your child's school does, the maths test is two short papers worth 60 marks, much of it read aloud, marked by the school itself and turned into a scaled score between 85 and 115. This page explains why the tests became optional and why the government's 2025 curriculum review still wants schools to use them, how the two maths papers are built, what a score of 100 actually means, and how to use the free official past papers without turning a seven year old's spring into exam season.

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Live teaching since 2020 · 10,000+ students · From the STA test framework and 2026 scaled score tables

In short

KS1 SATs maths is the optional end of key stage 1 mathematics test in England, set by the Standards and Testing Agency for Year 2 pupils aged 6 to 7. It has been optional since 2023/24. Schools that use it give two papers, arithmetic (25 marks) and mathematical reasoning (35 marks), mark them locally and convert the raw score to a scaled score from 85 to 115, where 100 or more meets the expected standard. Modern Age Coders teaches Year 2 maths live online, in a group of 15 to 20 or 1-on-1, through Elementary Maths. The first class is free.

Courses for Year 2

Three courses for a Year 2 child

We teach the Year 2 curriculum, not the test. These are the three courses families most often pick at this age.

Elementary Maths for Grades 1-5 course thumbnail

KS / 01

Elementary Maths

Level A covers Years 1 and 2: place value, adding and subtracting, first tables, fractions, shape, time and money.

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Mental Maths for Kids course thumbnail

KS / 02

Mental Maths for Kids

Quick, secure number facts for ages 5 to 10, the fluency the arithmetic paper rewards.

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Reasoning and Readiness for Young Thinkers (Ages 6 to 9) course thumbnail

KS / 03

Reasoning and Readiness

Patterns, spatial and quantitative reasoning for ages 6 to 9, for a child who enjoys puzzles.

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Optional, explained

Are KS1 SATs compulsory in 2027?

No. They have been optional since the 2023/24 school year. A school may still give them in May 2027, and many do, so it is worth asking.

The government's Curriculum and Assessment Review, whose final report was published in November 2025, sets out the position in one sentence: "These assessments have been optional at Key Stage 1 since 2023/24 and the DfE does not collect data on how many pupils take them." Because nobody counts nationally, the strongest evidence the Review could offer was a survey: "evidence from a 2024 Teacher Tapp survey suggests that many schools continue to use them, with 60% of the teachers surveyed indicating they would be administering them." That figure describes teachers who answered one survey, not every school, but it shows the test is far from gone.

Nor does the Review want it to disappear. Writing about early diagnosis of gaps, it says: "We encourage all schools to use the non-statutory Key Stage 1 tests to provide greater insights for Key Stage 2 teachers." It also supports the Department for Education and the Standards and Testing Agency continuing to provide the tests, and asks them to consider how to encourage greater use. For families, the practical result is simple: in 2027 some Year 2 children will sit the maths test and some will not, depending only on their school.

What is optional and what is not in Year 2 (STA and DfE, 2026 to 2027)
ItemStatus in 2026 to 2027What it means for a family
End of KS1 maths testOptional; the school decidesAsk the class teacher in the spring term whether it will be used
Recommended windowDuring May 2027, for schools that use the testsNo fixed national day; the school picks its dates within the month
MarkingBy the school, using the STA mark schemeResults stay in school and are not collected nationally
Annual report to parentsStatutoryEvery Year 2 family receives a report on general progress
Future changesUnder review after the 2025 ReviewArrangements for 2026 to 2027 remain unchanged

Sources: DfE, Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report, November 2025; Standards and Testing Agency, optional key stage 1 tests collection and guidance; DfE, Primary assessments: future dates. All read on 31 October 2026.

The two papers

What is in the KS1 maths test?

Two papers. A 20-minute arithmetic paper of one-mark calculations, and a 35-minute reasoning paper that starts with questions read aloud. Neither allows a calculator.

The optional KS1 mathematics test (STA test framework, Table 1)
PaperWhat it assessesMarksApproximate time
Paper 1: arithmeticConfidence and fluency with whole numbers, place value and counting, as context-free calculations2520 minutes
Paper 2: mathematical reasoningFluency, problem solving and reasoning, in a wide range of question formats3535 minutes
Both papers"The total number of marks for both papers is 60."60Recommended 55 minutes

The framework explains how a seven year old experiences Paper 2. "There will be 6 aural questions at the start: one practice question and 5 test questions." These help children settle, and they go in rough order of difficulty. More than that, "All questions may be read aloud, so that reading ability does not impair a pupil's ability to demonstrate his or her mathematical attainment." A child who is still learning to read is not meant to be held back by the words on the page.

What children may use

For arithmetic, "a pencil; ruler; rubber (optional)". For reasoning, the same plus "a sharp, dark pencil for mathematical drawing", a ruler marked in centimetres and millimetres, and a mirror for symmetry questions.

The framework is clear on the rest: "Pupils will not be permitted to use a calculator, tracing paper, number apparatus or other supporting equipment in either of the components."

How the questions look

"The arithmetic questions will each be worth one mark." Paper 2 mixes questions where a child writes an answer with ones where they choose: multiple choice, matching, and true or false or yes or no.

Some reasoning questions are worth two marks, and the mark scheme gives credit for a correct method even when the final answer slips.

Where the 60 marks come from (STA test framework, Table 10)
Content areaStrandsMarksShare of marks
NumberNumber and place value; addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; fractions48 to 5480 to 90 per cent
Measurement, geometry and statisticsMeasurement; properties of shapes; position and direction; statistics6 to 1210 to 20 per cent

That split is the most useful single fact on this page for a parent. At least four marks in five are about number. The framework also lists things a paper cannot measure well, and mental calculation is the main one: "Mental mathematics skills cannot be directly assessed in a paper-based test since you can only mark what the pupil records." It adds that fluent children will still use mental skills to work quickly and accurately. So the most useful preparation is not a test strategy at all; it is secure number sense, which shows up on every page.

Source: Standards and Testing Agency, Key stage 1: mathematics test framework, sections 3, 4.3 and 6, read on 31 October 2026. The framework is written for test developers; we summarise its structure only.

Scaled scores

What does a KS1 maths scaled score of 100 mean?

It means the child met the expected standard on that year's test. Scores run from 85 to 115, and the number of marks needed for 100 can move a little each year.

The school adds the marks from both papers to get a raw score out of 60, then looks it up in a conversion table the agency publishes each June. The reason for converting is fairness across years: tests are built to the same specification, but the questions change, so one year's paper may be slightly easier or harder than the last. In the agency's words, "Pupils scoring at least 100 will always have met the expected standard on the test", while "A pupil awarded a score of 99 or less has not met the expected standard in the test." The standard itself goes back to 2016, when "panels of teachers set the raw score required to meet the expected standard."

Selected rows of the 2026 KS1 mathematics conversion table (STA, published 1 June 2026)
Raw score (out of 60)Scaled scoreReading it
0 to 2No scaled scoreBelow the minimum; the child has not shown enough to be scaled
385The lowest scaled score that can be awarded
2093Working towards the standard
3599One mark short of the expected standard in 2026
36100The expected standard in 2026
50107Comfortably above the standard
58 to 60115The highest scaled score

A worked reading of the table, our own arithmetic. In 2026 a child needed 36 of the 60 marks for a score of 100. Thirty-six out of sixty is the same as 6 out of 10, so 60 per cent of the marks reached the expected standard that year. That number is not fixed: the agency says the raw mark for 100 rises when a test is easier and falls when it is harder, which is exactly why the scaled score, not the raw mark, is the figure to look at. The 2027 tables will be published on Tuesday 1 June 2027.

Will we be told the score?

Not necessarily. The tests are marked in school and there is no national requirement to pass results to parents, though many schools share them or use them in the end-of-year report.

If the score matters to you, ask the teacher. It is reasonable to ask what the result showed and what the school will do next.

What a score cannot tell you

One morning's performance on 60 marks of paper questions. It says little about mental fluency, which the framework says a paper cannot measure directly.

A child scoring 97 who is secure on place value is in a better position for Year 3 than a child scoring 101 who guessed well. Ask what the child can do, as well as the number.

Sources: Standards and Testing Agency, Optional key stage 1 tests: 2026 scaled scores and Understanding scaled scores at key stage 1, read on 31 October 2026. The "Reading it" column and the percentage are ours.

Past papers

Where can I download KS1 SATs maths past papers for free?

From gov.uk, at no cost. The Standards and Testing Agency publishes each year's optional KS1 maths papers, mark schemes and conversion tables in one collection. Here is how to use them kindly.

The official collection is called National curriculum assessments: past test materials. On 31 October 2026 it listed optional key stage 1 mathematics test materials for 2024, 2025 and 2026, standard and modified versions, plus the conversion tables. Modified versions, such as enlarged print, exist for children who need them. We do not reproduce any of these papers here; they are Crown copyright and free at the source, which is always the right place to get them.

  1. Ask first. Find out whether your child's school will use the tests in May 2027. If not, a past paper is simply a set of Year 2 questions, not rehearsal.
  2. Look before your child does. Read one paper yourself. Note which questions feel hard to you to explain, since those are the ideas to play with first.
  3. Use pieces, not whole papers. Five questions at the kitchen table is plenty for a six year old. Read reasoning questions aloud, as the real test allows.
  4. Mark for method, not just answers. When an answer is wrong, ask the child to show you how they did it. The slip is usually in one place you can fix.
  5. Stop well before it becomes stressful. If a child starts to dread the sheets, put them away. The framework itself says a paper cannot measure mental fluency; games build that better.

Why "SATs online practice" is a mixed bag

Commercial sites sell "KS1 SATs" packs and timed online tests. Some are thoughtful; many simply repeat one kind of question.

The real optional test is on paper, untimed in strict terms, partly read aloud and marked by the teacher. A timed app does not resemble it much.

What actually helps

Number bonds to 20, place value with tens and ones, the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, and reading simple charts. These carry most of the 60 marks.

Talking through answers. Reasoning questions reward a child who can explain, and talking is how six year olds learn to explain.

Worked examples

Six Year 2 questions we wrote, with the thinking

These are our own questions at Year 2 level, written for this page. They are not taken from, or copies of, any Standards and Testing Agency paper.

1. Counting back in tens (ours, arithmetic style)

Question. 72 − 30.

Think. Only the tens change. Seven tens take away three tens leaves four tens; the two ones stay.

Answer. 42. A child who counts back 30 single steps is likely to slip; counting back three tens (62, 52, 42) is quick and safe.

2. A missing number (ours, arithmetic style)

Question. 58 = 40 + □

Think. 58 is 5 tens and 8 ones. 40 gives 4 tens, so one ten and 8 ones are missing.

Answer. 18. The equals sign means "is the same as", which is why the box can sit on the right.

3. Times and divide from one array (ours, reasoning style)

Question. Twenty cakes are set out in rows of 5. How many rows?

Think. Count in fives: 5, 10, 15, 20. That is four fives.

Answer. 4 rows. The same picture shows 4 × 5 = 20, 5 × 4 = 20 and 20 ÷ 5 = 4, the link the curriculum wants children to see.

4. Half, or two quarters? (ours, reasoning style)

Question. Sam eats two quarters of a pizza. Ali eats half of the same size pizza. Who eats more?

Think. Cut a half into two equal pieces: each is a quarter. So two quarters fill exactly one half.

Answer. They eat the same. Year 2 pupils are expected to recognise that two quarters and one half are equivalent.

5. Reading a block diagram (ours, reasoning style)

Question. A class votes for a pet. Dog has 9 blocks, cat has 6, fish has 4. How many more voted dog than fish?

Think. "How many more" is a difference. Count up from 4 to 9: five steps.

Answer. 5. A common slip is to add 9 and 4; reading the question aloud helps, just as the real test permits.

6. Comparing with signs (ours, arithmetic style)

Question. Write <, > or = : 3 tens and 14 ones □ 45.

Think. 3 tens is 30, and 14 ones is one more ten and 4 ones: 30 + 14 = 44.

Answer. 44 < 45. Regrouping ones into a ten is the place value idea the arithmetic paper leans on.

Practice set (ours, with answers). (1) 65 + 20. (2) 17 − 9. (3) 10 × 6. (4) 35 ÷ 5. (5) What is one third of 15? (6) Which is longer, 1 metre or 80 centimetres? (7) Is it true or false that 6 + 7 = 7 + 6? (8) 90 = □ + 30. Answers: (1) 85; (2) 8; (3) 60; (4) 7; (5) 5; (6) 1 metre, which is 100 centimetres; (7) true, adding can be done in any order; (8) 60.

Our Year 2 classes

Does my child need a tutor for the KS1 SATs?

Usually not for the test itself. A tutor is worth it when a child has a real gap in Year 2 maths, because that gap will follow them into Year 3 whether or not a test is given.

Our honest advice is to separate the two questions. If your child is broadly secure, the optional test needs no special preparation; a few past questions read together in the spring are enough to make the format familiar. If your child is unsure about tens and ones, still counts on fingers for bonds within 20, or cannot yet use the 2, 5 and 10 tables, that is worth fixing, and the ideal moment is before Year 3 adds written methods and the 3, 4 and 8 tables.

  1. Free first class. A relaxed half hour of number games and a few spoken questions shows the teacher where your child is with place value, bonds and tables.
  2. Concrete, then pictures, then numbers. New ideas start with objects by the screen, such as coins or counters, then drawings, then number sentences.
  3. Talking answers. Children explain their thinking out loud every lesson, which is the habit reasoning questions reward.
  4. Short practice between classes. Five minutes of a game or a handful of questions, not long worksheets.
  5. A note for parents. After each block, a short message about what has become secure and what comes next.

A group or 1-on-1?

A group of 15 to 20 Year 2 children suits a child who is roughly on track and enjoys company.

1-on-1 suits a child with a specific gap, a quieter child, or a family who wants a plan built around one child.

What we will not do

Run timed mock SATs with six and seven year olds, or promise any score. The test is optional and the score is one morning's work.

Claim a link with any school, the Standards and Testing Agency or the Department for Education. We are independent.

Readiness

Four checks before the end of Year 2

Things a parent can see at home that matter far more than a practice score.

What secure Year 2 maths looks like (our checklist, from the curriculum)
CheckAsk your child toSecure when
1. Tens and onesBuild 47 from ten-sticks and single cubesThey pick 4 tens and 7 ones without counting every cube
2. Facts to 20Answer 8 + 7 and 15 − 7Both come quickly, without fingers
3. Three tablesCount in 2s, 5s and 10s, then answer 7 × 5They can jump straight to a fact
4. ExplainingSay why 24 + 30 is 54They talk about tens, not just the answer

Check four is the hidden one

Reasoning questions reward explanation. A child who can say why is rarely thrown by a new question.

For what follows in Year 6, see the KS2 SATs maths papers.

After Year 2

Year 3 adds the 3, 4 and 8 tables and column methods, built on these four checks.

Classes can pause in the school holidays.

Catalogue

Nine courses around Year 2

Grouped by what a child needs next: core number, faster facts, or making things.

I

Core maths

Years 1 to 3

UK / KS1 / 01

Elementary Maths

The whole Year 2 programme, objects first.

Open the syllabus

UK / KS1 / 02

Early Maths Foundations

For a Year 2 child still building numbers to 20.

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UK / KS1 / 03

Reasoning and Readiness

Pattern and spatial puzzles for ages 6 to 9.

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II

Fluency

Quick, secure facts

UK / KS2 / 01

Mental Maths

Number sense that makes arithmetic quick.

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UK / KS2 / 02

Abacus and mental maths

Tens and ones you can see on the beads.

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UK / KS2 / 03

KS2 SATs Maths

Looking ahead: statutory Year 6 test preparation.

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III

Making things

Thinking in steps

UK / KS3 / 02

Problem solving for kids

Puzzles that train careful, ordered thinking.

Open the syllabus

Lessons

How Year 2 classes run

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Teachers are based in India and every slot is offered in UK time.

After school

A short class before tea.

Early evening

For later pick-ups and clubs.

Weekend morning

When six year olds are fresh.

Read aloud

Questions are spoken as well as shown, as the real reasoning paper allows.

Number first

Most time goes on number, which carries at least four marks in five on the test.

Explain it

Children say how they worked something out, every lesson.

No drill

No timed mock papers for six and seven year olds.

Free first class

Meet the teacher and play some number games, with nothing to pay.

Group or 1-on-1

A group of 15 to 20, or a teacher for one child.

Student work

Work our younger students made in class

A few pieces from regular lessons, none of them graded. More are in student labs.

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Fees

Fees for Year 2 maths classes

The first class costs nothing. After that, one monthly fee, smaller for a group place than for 1-on-1, billed only when a course and a weekly slot are fixed. No contract and nothing paid in advance.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A relaxed first class
  • A clear view of place value and facts
  • Booked with a phone number
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Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • 15 to 20 children in Year 2
  • The same teacher every week
  • Short games between classes
  • A parent update at the end of each block
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One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • A teacher for one child
  • Built around a particular gap
  • Good for quieter children
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KS1 SATs questions

What parents ask about the KS1 SATs maths test

Is there a KS1 SATs test in May 2027?

They are optional, as they have been since 2023/24. Schools that choose to use them are recommended to give them during May 2027, so ask your child's teacher whether their school will.

How many papers are in the KS1 maths SATs?

Two. Paper 1 is arithmetic, 25 one-mark calculations in about 20 minutes. Paper 2 is mathematical reasoning, 35 marks in about 35 minutes, beginning with aural questions read aloud.

Can my child use a calculator or counters?

No. The framework does not permit a calculator, tracing paper, number apparatus or other supporting equipment. A pencil, ruler, rubber and, for reasoning, a mirror are allowed.

What is a good KS1 maths score?

A scaled score of 100 or more means the child met the expected standard, and 115 is the highest. In 2026 a raw score of 36 out of 60 converted to 100, though that mark can change slightly each year.

Will my child's school tell me the result?

Many do, but there is no national rule that results must be sent to parents, because the tests are optional and marked in school. You can always ask the teacher what the result showed.

Where can I find KS1 SATs past papers for free?

On gov.uk, in the Standards and Testing Agency collection of past test materials. It includes the 2024, 2025 and 2026 optional KS1 maths papers, their mark schemes and the conversion tables.

Should my child practise SATs papers at home?

A little, gently, if the school is using the tests. Short sets of questions read together are enough; daily timed papers are not helpful at six or seven, and secure number facts matter more.

Why did the KS1 SATs become optional?

The pages we read do not set out the reasons, so we do not guess. The 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review notes they have been optional since 2023/24 and encourages schools to use them.

When are classes?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. All times are in UK time.

Are you connected with the Standards and Testing Agency?

No. Modern Age Coders is an independent online school with no link to any school, the Standards and Testing Agency or the Department for Education.

Primary assessment

Related pages on primary maths in England

The later checks and tests, and pages for children who enjoy maths puzzles.

KS2 SATs maths papers

The statutory Year 6 tests, paper by paper.

The Year 4 times tables check

The on-screen check that follows two years after KS1.

KS2 maths tuition

The four junior years: new tables, column methods and fractions.

Primary Maths Challenge

A puzzle competition for confident primary children.

Primary tutor costs

What families in the UK typically weigh up.

Coding classes in the UK

Every UK page we publish.

Related pages in this guide

Part of the guide: UK maths year by year, Reception to Year 11

Primary, Reception to Year 6

Secondary, Year 7 to Year 11

Scotland

More guides: UK maths exam boards and specification codes · UK selective school maths tests: 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ · UK university admissions: maths tests and computing applications · UK maths enrichment, competitions and able pupils

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Book a free Year 2 maths class

Send us a phone number and a teacher rings back at a UK time you choose. The first class is a relaxed mix of games and spoken questions, and you will hear honestly whether your child needs anything extra.

Rather read more first? The Elementary Maths course lists its levels and topics, and how we teach shows what a lesson looks like.

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