Best SATs Revision Books 2026
An honest guide to the books, workbooks, and online resources that actually help children prepare.
Choosing the Right Revision Resources
There is a huge range of SATs revision materials available, and it can feel overwhelming trying to choose. The truth is, the best resource is one your child will actually use. A beautifully designed workbook gathering dust on a shelf is worth less than a simple app they open every day.
Consider your child’s preferences: do they prefer working on paper or on a screen? Do they have a short attention span that suits bite-sized questions, or do they enjoy working through longer exercises? Which subjects need the most work? Answering these questions will narrow down your options quickly.
CGP Books
CGP (Coordination Group Publications) is the most popular choice among parents and schools. Their books are colourful, well-structured, and packed with practice questions. They publish separate guides for maths, reading, and GPS, as well as combined revision guides.
Their bestseller, “KS2 SATs Complete Revision & Practice”, covers all three subjects in one book with clear explanations and end-of-topic tests. They also offer targeted practice workbooks if your child needs extra help in a specific area.
CGP books are particularly good for children who prefer working on paper and like the satisfaction of ticking off completed pages. The tone is light-hearted and accessible.
Collins KS2 SATs
Collins produces structured revision guides with clear, methodical explanations. Their “Year 6 Targeted Practice” series is especially useful if your child needs focused work on specific topics rather than general revision.
The layout is slightly more traditional than CGP — less humour, more straightforward content. Some parents prefer this approach, finding it clearer and more exam-focused. Collins also publishes practice test papers that mirror the real SATs format closely.
Scholastic SATs Revision Guides
Scholastic’s revision guides are closely aligned with the National Curriculum and come with pull-out answer booklets, which makes marking straightforward for parents. They offer a good variety of practice papers across all subjects.
Their “SATs Practice Papers” sets are well-regarded for giving children realistic test experience. If your child is someone who benefits from doing timed practice under test-like conditions, these are a solid choice.
Past Papers
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) releases past SATs papers for free on GOV.UK. These are the actual papers from previous years and are invaluable for understanding the real format, timing, and difficulty level your child will face.
The downside is that official past papers come with mark schemes but no detailed explanations of why an answer is correct. They are best used as timed mock tests in the final weeks of revision, once your child has built up their knowledge through other resources.
Online Resources vs Books
Books are brilliant for screen-free practice, and many children find the physical act of writing answers helpful for learning. They are also portable and don’t need charging.
Online platforms like SATs Arcade offer advantages that books simply cannot match: adaptive difficulty that adjusts to your child’s level, instant feedback with step-by-step explanations, progress tracking so you can see exactly where they are improving, and gamification that turns revision into something children actually want to do.
The best approach for most families is a mix of both. Use books for quiet, focused revision sessions and an online platform for daily practice and engagement.
What We Recommend
- ✓Start with one good revision guide (CGP or Collins) to use as a reference and for structured topic revision.
- ✓Use an online platform for daily practice. Short, regular sessions are far more effective than long weekend cramming. SATs Arcade’s free plan gives you 5 lives a day — correct answers are free, so focused children can practise even more.
- ✓Save past papers for mock tests in the final four to six weeks before SATs week. Doing them under timed conditions builds exam confidence.
For a full revision plan and timeline, see our how to prepare for SATs guide.
Free Resources
You do not need to spend a fortune on SATs preparation. There are excellent free options available:
- ✓BBC Bitesize KS2 — free lessons, videos, and quizzes covering the entire curriculum.
- ✓Past papers from GOV.UK — official papers from previous years, completely free to download and print.
- ✓SATs Arcade free plan — 5 lives per day, daily challenges, achievements, streaks, and a leaderboard. No card required. See our pricing page for details.
How SATs Arcade Compares
SATs Arcade was built specifically for KS2 SATs preparation. It offers 10,200+ curriculum-aligned questions across maths, reading, and GPS, with instant marking and step-by-step explanations for every answer.
The platform includes a parent dashboard so you can track your child’s progress, see which topics they are strong in and which need more work, and monitor their daily practice without looking over their shoulder. Children earn XP, unlock achievements, and climb leaderboards — turning revision into something they genuinely enjoy.
The free plan is available right now with no card required. Create an account and your child can start practising in under a minute.
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10,200+ questions, instant feedback, and rewards that keep children motivated — all designed to make SATs revision enjoyable.
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