Ross MackellUK-qualified primary teacher · 9 min read

The arithmetic paper is the easiest place to pick up marks in the whole of Year 6 SATs maths.

There are no word problems and no tricks. Every question is a straight calculation. If your child knows the methods, they can get close to full marks. And there's a reason to start now, in the autumn, rather than in April.

I'm Ross, a UK-qualified primary teacher, and I've prepared Year 6 classes for SATs. In this guide I'll show you exactly what's on the arithmetic paper, the questions worth double marks, the mistakes that cost children the most, and a plan from now until May.

What's on the SATs arithmetic paper

Here are the facts every Year 6 parent should know.

• When: Wednesday 12 May 2027. SATs week runs from 10 to 13 May.
• Time: 30 minutes.
• Questions: around 36.
• Marks: 40.
• Calculator: not allowed.
• Content: the four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages.
• Double marks: long multiplication and long division are worth 2 marks each.

36 questions in 30 minutes is under a minute each. So the quick questions, things like 400 × 30 or 1,000 − 362, need to be instant. That saves time for the big ones at the end.

And here's the most important line for parents: on long multiplication and long division, your child can still get one mark even if the final answer is wrong, as long as they've used the proper written method and shown their working. Working out on scrap paper or in their head throws those marks away.

The 2-mark questions

Long multiplication: 324 × 26

This is done the way your child is taught in school.

1. Multiply by the 6 first. 4 × 6 is 24: write 4, carry 2. 2 × 6 is 12, add 2 is 14: write 4, carry 1. 3 × 6 is 18, add 1 is 19. First row: 1,944.
2. Now the 20. Write a zero first. This is the step children forget. We're multiplying by 20, not 2, so the zero goes in the ones column to hold the place.
3. Then 324 × 2 next to the zero: 648. Second row: 6,480.
4. Add the rows: 1,944 + 6,480 = 8,424.
5. Check it's sensible: about 300 × 25 is 7,500, so 8,424 is the right size.

Long division: 7,560 ÷ 24

Long division worries parents more than anything else on this paper. The secret is one step before you start: write out the multiples.

1. List the 24 times table down the side: 24, 48, 72, 96, 120. Now your child never has to guess.
2. How many 24s in 75? Look at the list: 3, which is 72. Write 3 on top, 72 underneath, and subtract: 3.
3. Bring down the 6 to make 36. One 24 in 36. Write 1 on top, subtract: 12.
4. Bring down the 0 to make 120. Look at the list: five 24s is exactly 120. Write 5 on top.
5. Answer: 315. Check: 315 × 24 = 7,560.

Even if your child makes one slip in the middle of this, showing every step can still earn one of the two marks.

Fractions, decimals and percentages

The rest of the paper is mostly one-mark questions. These three types come up every year.

Adding fractions: 3/4 + 1/8

• You can't add quarters and eighths. They're different-sized pieces, so we make them the same.
• 3/4 is the same as 6/8. Now 6/8 + 1/8 = 7/8.
• The bottom number tells you the size of the piece. Only add the top numbers once the pieces match.

Percentages: 25% of 360

• 25% is a quarter, so find a quarter of 360.
• Half of 360 is 180, and half again is 90.
• Teach your child the big four: 50% is half, 25% is a quarter, 10% is divide by 10, and 1% is divide by 100. Almost every percentage on this paper is built from those. I walk through exactly how in how to work out percentages without a calculator.

Decimals: 16.15 − 2.4

• Line up the decimal points, not the digits on the right.
• Write 2.4 as 2.40, so both numbers have the same number of digits after the point.
• 16.15 − 2.40 = 13.75.

The 5 SATs arithmetic mistakes that cost the most marks

1. Forgetting the placeholder zero

If your child gets 2,592 for 324 × 26, they multiplied by 2 instead of 20. One missing zero, two marks gone.

2. Not showing working on the 2-mark questions

No working and a wrong answer scores zero. Full working with one slip can still score one mark. Make the written method a habit, every time.

3. Misaligned decimals

Lining up the right-hand digits instead of the decimal points. Fill the gaps with zeros so the columns match.

4. Spending too long on one question

36 questions, 30 minutes. If a question is taking more than two minutes, circle it, move on, and come back at the end.

5. Never checking

Most children finish and stop. Teach them to use spare minutes to check the 2-mark questions with the inverse: multiply back for division, and divide back for multiplication.

Fix these five habits and you'll often see a jump of several marks, without your child learning anything new.

A SATs arithmetic plan from now to May

Why start in the autumn? Because the arithmetic paper rewards practice spread over months, not cramming in April.

• Now to Christmas: times tables and the four written methods. Ten minutes, four times a week.
• January to February: fractions, decimals and percentages, one question type a week.
• March: one past arithmetic paper a week, untimed. Mark it together and fix the mistakes.
• April to May: past papers timed at 30 minutes. Practise the "circle it and move on" habit.

Past papers are free to download from the government website. Search "KS2 maths past papers" and you'll find them.

If times tables are the weak spot, start there: How to Learn Times Tables Fast: A Teacher's Guide for Parents.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Year 6 SATs arithmetic paper in 2027?

Maths Paper 1 (arithmetic) is on Wednesday 12 May 2027. KS2 SATs week runs from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 May 2027.

How long is the SATs arithmetic paper?

30 minutes. It has around 36 questions worth 40 marks in total, and calculators are not allowed.

Which questions are worth 2 marks?

Long multiplication and long division. Your child can get 1 of the 2 marks with a wrong answer if they use the formal written method and show their working.

How can I help my child prepare for the arithmetic paper at home?

Secure times tables and the four written methods first, then work through fractions, decimals and percentages, then move on to past papers, untimed at first and then timed at 30 minutes.