The GPS SATs test has two papers:
Paper 1 – Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary (45 minutes)
50 marks
Paper 2 – Spelling (around 15–20 minutes)
20 marks
Pupils write missing words dictated in sentences
Grammar knowledge is tested in context, not in isolation. Pupils must understand and manipulate grammar in sentences.
Statements, questions, commands, exclamations
Simple, compound, and complex sentences
Correct use of subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if)
Correct use of coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so, yet)
Nouns (common, proper, abstract, collective)
Pronouns (subject, object, possessive, relative)
Verbs (main, auxiliary, modal)
Adjectives and adverbs
Prepositions and conjunctions
Determiners (a, an, the, some, each)
Tense: past, present, future
Perfect forms (e.g., “I have eaten”)
Passive and active voice
Subject–verb agreement
Full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks
Apostrophes for possession and contractions
Colons and semicolons (less common, but may appear)
Speech punctuation (“He said, ‘…’”)
Brackets, dashes, and hyphens (sometimes tested)
Using fronted adverbials (e.g., “After the storm, …”)
Using relative clauses (e.g., “The boy who ran fast…”)
Using expanded noun phrases (e.g., “the large, spotted dog”)
Correct use of conjunctions for cohesion (however, therefore, although)
Synonyms and antonyms
Precise word choice for effect
Using formal and informal language appropriately
Correct subject–verb agreement
Correct pronoun reference
Avoiding common informal grammar mistakes in writing