SATs reading practice for Year 6

The SATs reading paper gives children a booklet of texts — usually three — and asks questions that test retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and summary skills. The texts range from fiction and poetry to non-fiction, and the questions get progressively harder.

Children who read regularly tend to find this paper more manageable, but reading for pleasure alone is not always enough. Practising the specific question types — especially inference and 'how does the author…' questions — helps children understand what the examiner is actually looking for.

Our reading guides walk you through the main question types with examples, so you can help your child practise without needing to mark full papers.

• Question-type breakdowns covering retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and summary
• Advice on building reading stamina for the timed paper
• Practical exercises you can do at home using any book or text