What should I actually do?

Year 6 SATs Revision: What to Do and What to Use

Year 6 SATs revision works best spread across the year rather than crammed into the spring term: closing content gaps in the autumn, moving to timed SATs-style papers in the spring, then a short final stretch of mixed practice in May. Revision Library's own SATs, KS2 maths and KS2 English packs cover every stage for free with full mark schemes, and Twinkl is worth a look for its broader primary resource range if a school or parent already holds a subscription.

This comparison is published by Revision Library, and Revision Library appears on the list below.

How this list was made

This is a stage-by-stage plan rather than a site comparison, so it names only a small number of resources at the point where each is genuinely useful. Sites named here were checked on 30 August 2026 against Revision Library's own site directory.

At a glance

SiteBest forPriceAccount
Revision LibraryBest for free printable practice with mark schemesEverything is freeNo account
TwinklBest for broad primary teaching resourcesPaidAccount required
Maths4EveryoneBest for exam-style question sheets by topicFreeNo account

The full comparison

Revision Library

Best for free printable practice with mark schemes

Autumn term. Start by finding the gaps rather than revising everything evenly. The KS2 Maths library and KS2 English library are organised by topic, arithmetic, fractions, grammar and punctuation, reading, so a parent or teacher can target the areas a child is actually weak in first.

Spring term. Move to SATs-specific practice. The SATs library and its worksheets hub carry papers styled on the real KS1 and KS2 tests, and the matching SATs topic guides explain the method behind a question type before a child tries it under time pressure.

Final weeks before the tests. Alternate full, timed practice papers with short arithmetic drills, since the KS2 Maths test includes a dedicated arithmetic paper alongside the reasoning papers. The Maths Pack Builder and English Pack Builder can stitch a final round of mixed topics into one printable pack for the last fortnight.

What not to do: introducing brand-new, unfamiliar topics in the final week tends to unsettle a child rather than help them, and long revision sessions close to the tests generally do less good than short, focused ones.

Browse free SATs and KS2 practice

Twinkl

Best for broad primary teaching resources

Twinkl is a huge primary-focused teaching-resource library, available on a paid membership, that also publishes GCSE maths worksheets among its wider catalogue.

Twinkl's primary-focused library covers a very wide range of KS2 topics and formats, which suits a school or family that already holds a subscription across several subjects.

Maths4Everyone

Best for exam-style question sheets by topic

Maths4Everyone is a free maths resource site covering KS1 to GCSE (with some Edexcel IGCSE past-paper material too), including worksheets, interactive activities and hand-written solutions to past exam questions. An account is optional and only adds tracking, not access.

Maths4Everyone's worksheets run from KS1 through GCSE with progressive difficulty and hand-written past-exam-question solutions, and are free with an optional account for tracking only.

In the numbers

129

Free printable KS2 SATs and Year 6 practice packs, each with a full mark scheme

SATs practice papers
17
KS2 Maths
70
KS2 English
42

How to choose

Balance arithmetic fluency with reasoning practice rather than favouring one; the KS2 Maths test sets a dedicated arithmetic paper alongside two reasoning papers, and each rewards a different kind of practice.

Save full, timed papers for closer to the tests. Earlier in the year, topic-by-topic practice with the mark scheme checked straight away teaches more than a timed paper a child is not yet ready for.

Ask the school what it is already covering in class. SATs preparation works best as a supplement to school teaching, not a replacement for it, and duplicating what a teacher is already doing wastes a child's evenings.

Keep an eye on how a child is coping, not just their scores. A short break from timed practice in the final fortnight, in favour of confidence-building topic work, is often worth more than another full paper.

Frequently asked questions

When are KS2 SATs taken?+
KS2 SATs are usually sat in May of Year 6, covering English reading, English grammar, punctuation and spelling, and maths (arithmetic plus two reasoning papers).
Do SATs results affect secondary school choice?+
SATs results are not generally used to decide secondary school places in the way an 11+ exam is; most secondary schools use their own admissions criteria. Some schools use SATs results for setting once a child arrives.
Is the arithmetic paper different from the reasoning papers?+
Yes. The KS2 Maths test includes a dedicated arithmetic paper of calculation questions with no context, alongside two reasoning papers that set maths in a worded or visual context.
Are these SATs practice papers free to use?+
Yes. Revision Library's SATs, KS2 Maths and KS2 English packs are free to download and print, each with a full mark scheme, and no account is needed.

Browse free SATs and KS2 practice.

Every worksheet is free to download, with a full mark scheme and no card or account.