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How to Use SATs Papers at KS2 Level

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Introduction

 

In Year 6 of primary school, your child will sit their Key Stage 2 (KS2) SATs exams. For most children, this will be the first time that they experience test conditions. Practice SATs papers are one of the most effective ways of ensuring your child gives their best on exam day. In this article, we discuss how to use practice SATs papers at KS2 level.

 

Identifying Gaps in Knowledge

 

By Year 6, your child should have gained a solid grounding in the subjects covered in KS2 SATs, but there is often room for improvement. Practice SATs papers can help you identify your child’s weaker areas well ahead of the KS2 exams.

 

After your child has completed a few practice papers, take some time to see if you can spot any common errors they may be making. For example, in the English paper, your child might struggle with prefixes and suffixes, so more revision time should be given to understanding these processes.

 

At KS2, children can lose a considerable number of marks for not showing the working out of their answers, especially in the maths paper. If this is the case with your child, encourage them to take more time over their answers and record their workings. Doing so will certainly pay off in the end.

 

Tracking Progress

 

 

It’s important to track your child’s progress in the build-up to their SATs to make sure that they’re improving and are at the right level in time for the exams. Practice KS2 SATs papers will give you a good indication of their progress from paper-to-paper, as you can easily refer back to previous results and compare. All of our SATs practice papers come with a full marking scheme, which allows you to easily check your child’s answers and see what they need to do to improve.

 

By using practice papers to track your child’s progress, you will have a good overview of where they excel and where they need additional study time. For example, your child might have good subject knowledge but may not have experienced exam-style questions. With practice KS2 SATs papers, you’ll have every eventuality covered.

 

Recognising Question Types

 

Students often struggle to understand exactly what SATs questions are asking. Using SATs papers at KS2 level will give children the necessary experience required to identify the types of questions they’re likely to be asked. If your child knows what to expect, they are less likely to worry about the exam itself.

 

Children who are able to identify the question type will be in a better position to provide the examiner with the answer they are looking for. Even if a child doesn’t fully understand the wording of the question, if they follow the process for the specific question type, they stand a good chance of providing the correct answer.

 

Essentially, practice SATs papers give children a confidence boost, so the more they work through them, the more familiar they’ll become with how the exam is laid out.

 

Practice Under Exam Conditions

 

SATs practice papers at KS2 Level

 

In order for your child to perform at their best in the KS2 SATs, they must have experience of taking timed tests. With increasing emphasis being placed on SATs, it’s not uncommon for children to feel worried or anxious about the exams. Taking KS2 SATs papers under timed conditions gets students used to answering questions under pressure, so try to introduce them into your child’s study routine as early as possible.

 

The more practice papers your child takes under exam conditions, the better they will become at gauging how long they should be spending on specific questions. They’ll also feel more resourceful, knowing that they’re capable of completing a KS2 SATs paper within the allocated time.

 

Our Resources

 

Key Stage 2 SAT Practice Test 1

 

Key Stage 2 SAT Practice Test 2

 

 

Related posts

KS2 SATs Preparation Tips

Key Stage 2 SATs: A Parent’s Guide

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