What SPaG and GPS stand for
SPaG stands for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Schools use the word for lessons, homework and practice tests. The official name of the national test is the English grammar, punctuation and spelling test, which is why you will also see it called GPS. They are the same thing.
Children in England take it in May of Year 6, the last year of primary school, alongside the reading and maths tests often called SATs. By age, Year 6 usually lines up with Primary 5, Primary 6 or JSS1 in Nigeria. In 2026 the test was on Monday 11 May. In 2027 it is on Monday 10 May, with both papers taken on the same morning.
The two papers
| Paper | What your child does | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: questions | Short questions on grammar, punctuation and vocabulary | 50 | 45 minutes |
| Paper 2: spelling | An adult reads out 20 words and your child writes each one | 20 | About 15 minutes, not strictly timed |
| Total | 70 | About 1 hour |
Most of Paper 1 asks your child to identify or match. A question might ask them to tick the sentence that uses a comma correctly, or circle the conjunction. Between 33 and 42 of the 50 marks come from questions like these. The rest ask your child to complete, correct, rewrite, write or explain something.
Grammar carries the most weight, with 25 to 35 marks. Punctuation is worth 10 to 20 marks and vocabulary 3 to 7. There is no separate writing paper in the Year 6 tests, so this test checks your child's knowledge of how sentences work, not whether they can write a good story.
How it is scored
Your child's raw mark out of 70 is turned into a scaled score from 80 to 120. A scaled score of 100 or more means your child has met the expected standard. In 2026, a raw mark of 34 out of 70 was enough for a score of 100. The conversion changes slightly each year, so do not treat that number as fixed.
Results go to schools in early July. For 2027 the date is Tuesday 6 July. Your child's school must tell you the scaled score and whether your child met the expected standard. Following the national Curriculum and Assessment Review, future arrangements are under review, but the government has said the arrangements for the 2026 to 2027 school year will stay the same. Check with your school for anything after that.
The grammar words that confuse parents
Here are the terms parents ask about most, with when the national curriculum introduces them. You probably use all of these correctly already. The only new thing is the name.
| Term | What it means | Example | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expanded noun phrase | A noun with extra words that describe it | the blue butterfly | Year 2 |
| Conjunction | A joining word | and, but, because, when | Year 3 |
| Preposition | A word that shows place, time or direction | under, before, through | Year 3 |
| Subordinate clause | Part of a sentence that cannot stand on its own, often starting with when, if, because or although | Although it was raining, we went to the park. | Year 3 |
| Inverted commas | Speech marks around the words someone says | "Come here," said Mum. | Year 3 |
| Fronted adverbial | Words at the start of a sentence that say when, where or how, followed by a comma | Later that day, I heard the bad news. | Years 3 and 4 |
| Relative clause | Extra information about a noun, starting with who, which, where or whose | My aunt, who lives in Leeds, is a nurse. | Years 5 and 6 |
| Modal verb | A verb that shows how likely or necessary something is | might, should, will, must | Years 5 and 6 |
| Passive voice | The thing that happens comes first, and who did it comes later or not at all | The window was broken by the ball. | Years 5 and 6 |
| Subjunctive | A formal verb form used in formal writing and speech | If I were you, I would apologise. | Years 5 and 6 |
Standard English also comes up. From Year 4, children are taught to write we were instead of we was, and I did instead of I done. Children who hear many kinds of English at home, in the playground and online sometimes write the way they speak. The test expects Standard English.
Good news about the termsThe test framework says children will not be expected to produce the terminology in their answers. They need to recognise a relative clause and use one correctly, not write a definition of it.
How to help at home
- Learn the words alongside your child. Ask them to teach you one term a week. If they can explain it to you with an example, they understand it.
- Use the labels in everyday talk. At dinner, ask your child to add a fronted adverbial to what they say. It turns grammar into a game, not a worksheet.
- Practise spelling little and often. The national curriculum has statutory word lists, including 100 words for Years 3 and 4. Ask the school for the lists your child is working from. Ten minutes a few times a week does more than one long session on Sunday.
- Read together and point things out. When you see a semicolon or a passive sentence in a book, stop and name it. Reading widely also builds the vocabulary that Paper 1 tests.
- Use the real past papers. The Standards and Testing Agency publishes the actual test papers and mark schemes free on GOV.UK. Do one paper at a time, then mark it together so your child sees why each answer is right or wrong.
- Watch for careless slips, not only gaps. Marks are easily lost to a missing capital letter or a full stop where a question mark belongs. Teach your child to read every answer back once.
Keep it in proportion. The test matters, but grammar knowledge is only useful if it shows up in your child's own writing. A child who can name a subordinate clause should also be using them in stories, letters and reports.
If your child needs more support
Some children are strong at maths and speaking but find written English harder. At Masani, our carefully vetted Nigerian teachers, the top 3% of those who apply, teach English, reading and creative writing one to one online, following the UK curriculum. You get a written report after every lesson and can track progress skill by skill in the parent portal. If you want to talk it through first, book a free 15 minute call.
Quick answers
What does SPaG stand for?
SPaG stands for spelling, punctuation and grammar. The official Year 6 test is called the English grammar, punctuation and spelling test, or GPS.
How long is the KS2 SPaG test?
Paper 1 takes 45 minutes and is worth 50 marks. Paper 2 is a spelling test of 20 words, worth 20 marks, which takes about 15 minutes and is not strictly timed.
What score does my child need to pass SPaG?
There is no pass or fail, but a scaled score of 100 or more means your child met the expected standard. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.
Sources
- Standards and Testing Agency, Key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test framework
- Standards and Testing Agency, 2026 key stage 2 test administration guidance
- Standards and Testing Agency, 2027 key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements
- Standards and Testing Agency, 2026 key stage 2 scaled score conversion tables
- GOV.UK, National curriculum assessments: past test materials
- Department for Education, English programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2