SATs Scaled Scores Explained
KS2 SATs results are given as a scaled score from 80 to 120. Here is what the numbers mean, in plain English.
The short version: 100 is the pass mark. A scaled score of 100 or more means your child met the expected standard for the end of primary school. A score of 110 or more is the higher standard. Scores never go below 80 or above 120.
What each score means
Your child is working towards the standard for the end of Key Stage 2. Their report may say "working towards" or give a scaled score below 100.
Your child reached the standard expected for the end of Year 6. 100 is the pass mark, so any score of 100 or more counts as meeting the expected standard.
Your child is working above the expected standard. The Department for Education counts 110 or more in reading and maths as the higher standard.
Raw marks and scaled scores
Your child’s raw mark is simply how many marks they scored on the paper. That mark is then converted into a scaled score on the 80 to 120 scale. The reason for converting it is fairness: if one year’s paper is slightly harder, the number of marks needed to reach 100 is lowered a little, so a score of 100 always means the same thing from year to year.
The conversion table is published by the Department for Education after each set of tests, so the exact marks needed for 100 or 110 are only confirmed once the papers have been sat.
Which subjects get a scaled score?
Reading, maths, and grammar, punctuation and spelling each get their own scaled score. Writing is judged differently: teachers assess it against the standards through the year, rather than through a single test, so it is reported as “working towards”, “expected standard” or “greater depth” rather than a number.
Help your child feel ready
Practising with real question styles is the surest way to build confidence before the tests. These are all free, with no signup.
- Free KS2 SATs mock papers – sit a full paper and see the score.
- SATs dates 2027 – the full test timetable.
- Grammar, punctuation and spelling practice – real past-paper questions.
Common questions
What is a good SATs score?
A scaled score of 100 or more means your child met the expected standard, which is the main thing schools and secondary schools look at. A score of 110 or more is the higher standard. The lowest score is 80 and the highest is 120.
What does a scaled score of 100 mean?
100 is the expected standard for the end of Key Stage 2. It is the pass mark. A child who scores exactly 100 has met the standard for their age.
How is the scaled score worked out?
Each test is marked out of a set number of raw marks. The Department for Education then converts those marks into a scaled score using a table published after the tests. The table changes slightly each year so that a score of 100 always means the same standard, even if one year's paper was a little harder.
Why is my child's raw mark different from the scaled score?
The raw mark is the number of marks your child got. The scaled score is that mark converted onto the 80 to 120 scale. The number of raw marks needed to reach 100 is set each year, so the same raw mark can give a slightly different scaled score from one year to the next.