GPS / SPaG

KS2 English GPS SATs — grammar and spelling explained

GPS (Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling) — also called SPaG — is two papers sat in Year 6: a grammar and punctuation paper, and a separately timed spelling test, worth 70 marks in total. Here's exactly what's tested and how to help your child prepare.

2
papers
70
total marks
~60
minutes total
20
spelling words

The two GPS papers

Grammar
45 min · 50 marks

Word classes, clauses, punctuation, active/passive voice, tenses and formal register.

Spelling
~15 min · 20 marks

20 words dictated aloud by the teacher. Tests statutory spelling patterns from Years 3–6.

In 2027, both GPS papers were sat on Monday — see the full test schedule for how this fits with Maths and Reading.

Grammar terms and topics tested

GPS questions are short and specific — usually one correct answer per question — but draw on a wide vocabulary of grammatical terms your child needs to recognise on sight.

Word classes
Noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, determiner, pronoun.
Clauses
Main clauses, subordinate clauses, and relative clauses.
Sentence types
Statement, question, command, exclamation — and simple, compound, complex structures.
Punctuation
Commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, brackets, and inverted commas.
Verb tenses
Present, past, future, and the perfect and progressive forms.
Active & passive voice
Recognising and converting between active and passive constructions.
Formal register
Standard English, the subjunctive form, and modal verbs of possibility.
Statutory spelling
The Year 3–6 statutory word lists and common spelling patterns/rules.

How to help with grammar and spelling at home

GPS rewards recognising grammar in context, not just memorising definitions — a child who can define "fronted adverbial" but can't spot one in a real sentence will still lose marks. When reading together, occasionally pause to ask what a word or clause is doing in the sentence, rather than treating grammar as a separate, isolated subject.

For spelling, little and often beats occasional long sessions — the statutory Year 3–6 word list is long, and spaced repetition of a handful of words most days retains far better than cramming a full list once a week.

Frequently asked questions

What is GPS / SPaG in KS2 SATs?
GPS (Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling) and SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) are two names for the same test — schools and parents use both interchangeably. It's one of the three subjects tested at KS2, alongside Maths and Reading.
What's on the grammar and punctuation paper?
Paper 1 is 45 minutes for 50 marks. It tests word classes, sentence types, clauses, punctuation, verb tenses, active and passive voice, and formal register — mostly through short, single-answer questions rather than extended writing.
How does the KS2 spelling test work?
Paper 2 is a short dictated test, worth 20 marks. A teacher reads 20 sentences aloud, each containing one missing word, and children write the missing word correctly into the gap. It takes around 15 minutes.
What grammar terms does my child need to know?
Word classes (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, determiner, pronoun), clause types (main and subordinate), sentence types, and terms like fronted adverbial, relative clause, modal verb and subjunctive form. See the full glossary for definitions.
What are the most common GPS mistakes?
Confusing word classes that can serve multiple roles (e.g. words that function as both nouns and verbs), misidentifying clause boundaries, incorrect use of the apostrophe for possession versus contraction, and the past perfect and subjunctive forms, which are rarely used in everyday speech.
What's a good GPS score?
A scaled score of 100 or more means a child met the expected standard for GPS. The exact raw-mark threshold out of 70 changes slightly each year but typically sits in the mid-to-high 30s.
How do I help with grammar and spelling at home?
Test the statutory Year 3–6 spelling list little and often rather than in one block, and when reading together, pause occasionally to name what a word or clause is doing in the sentence — GPS rewards recognising grammar in context, not just memorising definitions.

Practise real GPS SATs questions — free

Timed, auto-marked, with a full explanation for every wrong answer — and a topic breakdown showing exactly which grammar areas need work.

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