BrightPath Back to Lessons
Pax the Koala thinking
Year 6 KS2 SATs Spelling

Year 6 KS2 SATs — Spelling (GPS Paper 2)

Practise the statutory Year 5–6 spelling patterns and word lists tested in the KS2 GPS Paper 2 spelling test.

Exam Tips for GPS Paper 2

1. Say the word aloud in your head, breaking it into syllables — this catches missing or extra letters.
2. Check the sentence for homophones — the meaning tells you which spelling is correct.
3. Learn the patterns, not just individual words — -cious/-tious and -cial/-tial follow clear rules.
4. Write it both ways if you're unsure — the correct spelling often just “looks right.”

Note: GPS Paper 2 lasts about 20 minutes. A word is read aloud in a sentence, and pupils write just the missing word — this practice adapts that format into multiple choice.

What This Test Covers

-cious / -tious

delicious, ambitious, vicious — the “sh” sound spelled these two ways.

-cial / -tial

essential, official, financial — another “sh” sound pattern.

Homophones

practice/practise, principal/principle, stationary/stationery.

Silent Letters

Wednesday, doubt, island — letters written but not heard.

Suffixes

-ably/-ibly, and doubling the final consonant in words like “preferring.”

Statutory Word List

Words every Year 5–6 pupil is expected to spell, e.g. “accommodate”, “necessary.”

Knowledge Check

KS2 GPS Style

Answer all 10 questions. Each tests a different Year 5–6 spelling pattern.

Score: 0 / 0

Question 1 — -cious / -tious

Which spelling of this -cious/-tious word is correct?

Question 2 — -cial / -tial

Which spelling of this -cial/-tial word is correct?

Question 3 — Silent letters

Which spelling of this word with a silent letter is correct?

Question 4 — Homophones

Choose the correct word: “I need to ___ the piano every day.”

Question 5 — Homophones

Choose the correct word: “Honesty is an important ___ to live by.”

Question 6 — Tricky letter strings

Which spelling of this word containing “ough” is correct?

Question 7 — Suffixes -ably / -ibly

Which spelling of this -ably/-ibly word is correct?

Question 8 — Adding suffixes to -fer words

Which spelling is correct after adding a suffix to this -fer word?

Question 9 — Homophones

Choose the correct word: “She bought new pens and paper from the ___ shop.”

Question 10 — Statutory word list

Which spelling of this word from the statutory word list is correct?

Key Concepts Summary