How did your year 6 find the reading SAT today?

[Thingsthatgo]

My DS did well in all his SAT practice papers, but said the reading paper today was tough.

My DS is at the top end academically. He found the content OK but only just had enough time to finish, which is unusual for him.

DD has been doing well and had been one or two marks off GD in her practise test in March, and she said she found it tough and just about finished. I've told her to forget about it, and it's done and dusted. Wonder if it's been purposely tough so that the media can blame striking teachers come July.

Both our girls found it really tough to complete in time. Much harder than in the practise papers. Feedback from the Yr 6 teacher at our school was the same, she said the texts were really long compared to usual and she wouldn't be surprised if a lot of children didn't finish the paper because of how much reading there was to do in the given time.

It was a big step up from the last few papers (which takes us a way back given the gap for covid). I's say the last paper that tricky was 2018.

This is reassuring, thank you. DS did finish the paper, but said he didn't have much time to check it.

I heard it was a toughie - thankfully they are all in the same boat with it eh?

My son said it was difficult and he didn't have enough time. Disappointing as he'd worked really hard and done a lot of extra work. It's reassuring to hear others found it hard too and that it wasn't just him not understanding it.

It’s standardised scores though, right? So if it was a hard paper for everyone that’s fine. My son didn’t say much about it, he seemed to find the texts interesting though?

My son has blinding optimism so it was good. I love that he has so much confidence. I am slightly worried he can at times be over confident but he is thankfully oblivious

Apparently the spelling paper was difficult this year as well. If everyone finds it hard, do they lower the pass marks?

My DD, who has always been GD in reading, said the same. The paper was fine but she only just finished. She had time to check her answers in mocks.

It's so tough on them. I have no idea why they insist on timing them when some are only 10.

Y6 teacher here.

I thought it was hideous. Much harder than last year's and on a par with the notoriously vile 2016 paper.

Texts were actually ok if dull. It was the questions. Designed to mislead and quite a few were ambiguous.

Loads of ours didn't finish and that hasn't happened for a long time. Poor loves

Ah well.

DD didn't finish. That's never happened on any test papers and she's always scored GD. Never mind, I'm just pleased that she still seems happy and relaxed about it all. She found yesterday's SPAG paper quite straightforward, but time will tell whether that confidence is misplaced!

Yes, definitely tough and long. Papers normally start off with a couple of basic retrieval questions to get the children settled, this one was straight into inference and some of our lower abilities struggles from the outset. A number of the HA children didn't finish, several others had to rush and one missed the last 3 questions completely!
Here's hoping the maths is easier!

DS said it was ok but he only just finished. He passed the 11+ and said it wasn't as hard as that but harder than he expected.

DD said it was easy, but she says everything is easy. She is very confident (perhaps over confident!). She did do the 11+ though so I think that helped prepare her and was probably more difficult (in face one out of the 3 exams she took for 11+ she said was difficult).

I have just posted on another thread about this . My DS is greater depth in reading and did very well in the mocks. He came out of school very upset and said he had to rush it at the end and it was very hard . Poor thing ! He said it wasn’t anything like the mock

My DD is G&T.
She is at one of the top prep schools, and has been awarded the scholarship for seniors for academia for being the most academic child.

She said it was way harder than any she had seen before and she only had 8 minutes left at the end. (normally she would have 20 - 25 mins).

I work at the school so have spoken to her teachers who have said that today and yesterdays papers were harder than any they have seen before.

She also passed her 11+ (having done no 11+ prep / training / tuition) to sail into grammar school, but having been awarded the scholarship she is not taking that place.

I really feel for all these year 6s. I HATE the fact that 10 / 11 year olds are being forced to sit exams. If my DD was challenged, I dread to think how most other children will have coped.

DS is near the top of the class academically. He said it was hard too but thought he did OK.

My DD passed her 11 plus and found the reading paper tough in parts.

My child said it was ok but very boring!

Do sats matter for anything? I thought they were just to test the school, so children shouldn't be preparing or worrying about them?

DD found it really hard and awful, didn’t finish and usually does

My DD said it was fine, however reading is by far her strength. She didn't like the spelling test yesterday though.

It sounds like it was a tough one . My ds thought the spelling was very straightforward and the spag was fine . He came out of school upset about todays papers as in the mock he only missed a few points but thinks he did badly on this one . I find it strange that it was so much harder than the mock