This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: For more than a decade, children in Year 6—the final year of elementary school in England—have taken the grammar, punctuation and spelling test as part of their Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs). This GPS test has shaped how grammar is taught in elementary schools.
It is mostly a multiple-choice test with some short-answer questions. It tests students' knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling rather than their ability to write. The GPS test was introduced in 2013 as part of broader curriculum reforms to raise writing standards.
It focuses on a vast array of grammatical terms and uses decontextualized examples that do not represent the complexity of everyday language. For example: "The lion approached silently as the zebra rested in the grass." This test has been criticized for narrowing the curriculum. Because the results affect how schools perform in rankings, teachers prioritize GPS content rather than teaching grammar in the context of reading and writing.
It also risks encouraging "teaching to the test"—children learn how to answer test questions rather than the broader uses of grammar. This finding is supported by a number of studies, including my recent thesis. While the GPS test improves students' ability to talk about grammar and spot grammatical features, it does not necessarily improve the quality of their writing.
Students are not applying their grammar knowledge in writing. This is important, given the government's proposal to change the test. The Department for Education's 2025 review of the national curriculum and assessment states that the GPS should include "new tasks to more effectively assess writing composition and the use of grammar and punctuation." The government therefore accepts that the GPS test isn't doing its job.
Spanning a 10-year period, my research adds to the limited analysis of the GPS test. It explores the gap between what students can identify about language and what they can do in writing, highlighting the wider tension between policy expectations and classroom reality. I analyzed 29 students' GPS scores alongside a sample of their writing at Key Stage 2 (ages 10–11) and Key Stage 4, before they took their GCSEs.
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