SATs National Averages & Pass Marks
What your child needs to score — and how they compare.
What Is the SATs Pass Mark?
Strictly speaking, there is no “pass” or “fail” in KS2 SATs. Instead, the Department for Education sets a threshold called the expected standard. A child who achieves a scaled score of 100 or above in a subject is said to have reached the expected standard.
The number of raw marks needed to reach a scaled score of 100 changes each year because it depends on the difficulty of that year’s papers. This is why the government uses scaled scores rather than raw marks when reporting results — it makes year-on-year comparisons fairer.
2025 National Results
The table below shows the percentage of Year 6 children who reached the expected standard in 2025. Source: GOV.UK national curriculum assessments.
| Subject | % Reaching Expected Standard |
|---|---|
| Maths | 73% |
| Reading | 74% |
| GPS | 72% |
| Combined (R+W+M) | 61% |
The combined measure requires a child to reach the expected standard in reading, writing (teacher assessed), and maths simultaneously.
Scaled Score Explained
Every SATs paper produces a raw mark — the total number of marks your child earned. This raw mark is then converted into a scaled score ranging from 80 to 120.
80–99
Below expected standard
100–109
Expected standard
110–120
Greater depth
The conversion from raw marks to scaled scores is recalculated each year by the Standards and Testing Agency to account for differences in paper difficulty. This means a scaled score of 100 represents the same standard every year, even if the raw mark threshold changes.
Historical Trends: 2016–2025
The percentage of children reaching the expected standard each year since the current format was introduced in 2016. No tests were held in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.
| Year | Maths | Reading | GPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 70% | 66% | 72% |
| 2017 | 75% | 71% | 77% |
| 2018 | 76% | 75% | 78% |
| 2019 | 79% | 73% | 78% |
| 2022 | 71% | 74% | 72% |
| 2023 | 73% | 73% | 72% |
| 2024 | 73% | 74% | 72% |
| 2025 | 73% | 74% | 72% |
2020 and 2021 are excluded as SATs were cancelled due to COVID-19. Results in 2022 showed a dip across all subjects as the first cohort to sit tests after the pandemic.
What “Greater Depth” Means
A scaled score of 110 or above is often referred to as “greater depth” or “higher standard”. This indicates that a child is working above the expected level for their age and has a strong grasp of the subject.
Maths — Greater Depth
~24%
of children nationally
Reading — Greater Depth
~29%
of children nationally
Greater depth is not a separate formal category reported by all schools, but many schools share this information with parents. It gives a helpful indication of where your child sits relative to national expectations.
Raw Score to Scaled Score
The raw-to-scaled conversion tables are published each year by the Standards and Testing Agency after the papers have been marked. Because paper difficulty varies, the number of raw marks needed for a scaled score of 100 can shift by several marks from one year to the next.
For example, in some years 55 out of 110 raw marks in maths may equate to a scaled score of 100, while in other years it may be 57 or 53. This is entirely normal and is the whole point of the scaling system — it ensures fairness.
You can estimate your child’s likely scaled score using our free SATs Score Calculator, which uses the most recent conversion data available.
Should I Worry About National Averages?
National averages are useful context, but they should never be a source of anxiety. Every child is different, and SATs are a snapshot of attainment at one point in time — they are not a prediction of future success.
If your child is working below the expected standard, that is valuable information for their secondary school, which will use it to provide the right support. Many children who do not reach 100 in Year 6 go on to make excellent progress at secondary school.
Focus on your child’s progress rather than comparing them to national data. Celebrate what they have learnt, encourage regular practice, and keep the atmosphere around SATs positive. The skills they build through consistent effort — resilience, problem-solving, reading comprehension — matter far more than any single test score.
For practical advice on preparation, read our how to prepare for SATs guide. If your child is feeling the pressure, our tips for dealing with SATs anxiety may help.
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