• Key Stage 2 • Year 6 SPaG Test

The Year 6 SPaG test checks pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling at the end of Key Stage 2. This guide explains how the test works, then gives 20 practice questions with answers covering the grammar and punctuation pupils need to know.

The Quick Answer

How the Year 6 SPaG Test Works

The grammar, punctuation and spelling test is the first of the KS2 SATs. In 2027 both papers are on Monday 10 May, the first day of SATs week 2027.

In Paper 2 the teacher reads out 20 sentences. Each sentence has a missing word for pupils to spell. The grammar and punctuation questions in Paper 1 use the terminology in English Appendix 2 of the national curriculum, so pupils need to know terms such as relative clause and modal verb as well as how to use them.

Grammar Practice Questions

1. Underline the fronted adverbial: “After lunch, the class walked to the library.”
2. Which word is a modal verb? “You should check your work carefully.”
3. Add a relative pronoun: “The girl ___ won the race was delighted.”
4. Underline the subordinate clause: “Although it was cold, we played outside.”
5. Rewrite this sentence in the passive: “The dog chased the cat.”
6. Which word shows the subjunctive? “If I were taller, I could reach the top shelf.”
7. Complete the sentence with the present perfect form of finish: “She ___ her homework.”
8. What word class is quickly in “He ran quickly to the gate”?
9. Underline the determiner: “Those apples are ripe.”
10. Correct this sentence so it uses Standard English: “We was late for school.”

Show the grammar answers

1. After lunch
2. should
3. who (that is also correct)
4. Although it was cold
5. The cat was chased by the dog.
6. were
7. has finished
8. adverb
9. Those
10. We were late for school.

Punctuation and Vocabulary Practice Questions

11. Add brackets to show parenthesis: “My uncle who lives in Leeds is a chef.”
12. Add a semi-colon: “It was getting late we decided to go home.”
13. Add a colon: “You will need three things a pencil, a ruler and a rubber.”
14. Add the missing apostrophe: “The childrens coats were wet.”
15. Add a hyphen to avoid ambiguity: “Scientists studied the man eating shark.”
16. What punctuation mark should end this sentence? “What a fantastic day it was”
17. Add inverted commas: Can we go to the park? asked Sam.
18. Write a synonym for enormous.
19. Write an antonym for ancient.
20. Add a prefix to make the opposite of possible.

Show the punctuation and vocabulary answers

11. My uncle (who lives in Leeds) is a chef.
12. It was getting late; we decided to go home.
13. You will need three things: a pencil, a ruler and a rubber.
14. The children’s coats were wet.
15. Scientists studied the man-eating shark.
16. An exclamation mark (!)
17. “Can we go to the park?” asked Sam.
18. Any suitable synonym, for example huge, gigantic or vast
19. Any suitable antonym, for example modern or new
20. im (impossible)

Spelling Practice

The spelling paper tests the spelling rules and word lists in English Appendix 1. Many Year 6 words come from the statutory list for Years 5 and 6, such as accommodate, necessary, rhythm, definitely and government. See the full Year 5 and 6 spelling list with all 100 words.

Pupils can practise in the same way as the real test. Read out a sentence, say the target word and ask pupils to write it in the gap.

Common Mistakes in the SPaG Test

• Missing the second mark of a pair: brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis must open and close.
• Using a comma between two main clauses: “It was late, we went home” needs a semi-colon, a full stop or a conjunction.
• Confusing similar terms: for example, a determiner and an adjective, or a preposition and a conjunction.
• Rushing the spelling paper: pupils should listen to the whole sentence before writing the word.

Year 6 SPaG Past Papers

For full practice under test conditions, use the official papers and mark schemes on our Year 6 SATs papers page. It has every SPaG paper from 2016 to 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SPaG test in Year 6?

The English grammar, punctuation and spelling test. It has a 45-minute questions paper and a spelling paper with 20 words.

How many marks is the Year 6 SPaG test?

70 marks in total: 50 for Paper 1 and 20 for Paper 2.

When is the SPaG test in 2027?

Both SPaG papers are on Monday 10 May 2027, the first day of the KS2 SATs.

What is a good SPaG score?

A scaled score of 100 or more means a pupil has met the expected standard. Scores range from 80 to 120.

Related Guides

Sources: Standards and Testing Agency, KS2 test administration guidance and national curriculum assessments: past test materials; Department for Education, National curriculum in England: English programmes of study, including English Appendices 1 and 2. Practice questions written by Monster Learning.