Why do you sit SATs?

At the end of Year 9 you will sit your Standard Assessment Tests, or SATs. The purpose of these tests is to measure your skills in English, Maths and Science, and to see how much progress you have made since Year 6. Just as the end of Year 6 marked the end of Key Stage 2, the end of Year 9 marks the end of Key Stage 3. The next stages are Key Stage 4 (GCSEs) and Key Stage 5 (A Levels, GNVQs or other higher qualifications).

Who marks them?

The SATs are marked EXTERNALLY. This means that after you’ve done your exams, the papers are sent off to an examiner in another part of the country. This person will not know you or your school, so your paper will be marked completely fairly. In addition, this examiner’s marking will be checked by a senior examiner.

What about all the work I do during the year?

It’s not just about exams. Like at GCSE and A Level, the coursework you do during the year is just as important. As well as your SATs levels, you will also be awarded a TEACHER ASSESSED LEVEL for each subject you studied in Year 9. This is based on all the work you’ve done during the year. The Teacher Assessment shows what you can achieve over time, rather than under the pressure of an exam. Therefore it will sometimes be a little higher, or lower, than your exam result.

What do the levels mean?

The level you achieve will fall somewhere between 3 and 7 in English and Science, and between 3 and 8 in Maths. Sometimes a level N (below Level 3) may be awarded. Your Teacher Assessed level may be above Level 7 (Level 8 or Exceptional Performance). The average attainment for students at the end of Year 9 is Level 5/6.

However, as with everything else in life, no individual is ever really 'average'. What counts is that YOU have learnt and made progress. If you achieved Level 2 in your Year 6 SATs, then Level 3 in Year 9 shows good progress, and Level 4 or above is a huge achievement. However, if you achieved Level 5 in Year 6, then getting a Level 5 shows little, if any progress!

What if I'm working above or below the SATs levels?

If you are working below Level 3 at the end of Year 9, your teacher may set you a different task and you will have the option not to take the exam. If you are working above Level 7 or 8, your teacher may set you an extra task to stretch your skills further. You will still sit the exam.

How important are SATs?

Remember, when all’s said and done, exams are NOT a matter of life and death. They are important, because the results can give you a sense of pride and satisfaction in your achievements, and because they will open or close doors for you in the future. But SATs are simply there to measure your progress in a formal way. If you work hard and do your best, they shouldn’t cause you any problems.