--- type: "Article" title: "Does doing well in SATs mean 11+ success?" description: "Not directly. Strong SATs show solid maths and English, but the 11+ adds verbal and non-verbal reasoning that need separate practice. What carries over." resource: https://pip11plus.com/does-doing-well-in-sats-mean-11-plus-success tags: ["11+", "KS2 SATs", "pip"] timestamp: 2026-10-13T19:50:09Z image: https://pip11plus.com/info-hub-cards/sats-myth-pip.jpg --- 🔎 Myths & Facts # Does doing well in SATs mean 11+ success? ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) **By the Pip team** Updated June 2026 Not directly. Strong SATs results are genuinely encouraging, and they show your child has solid maths and English, but they do not guarantee 11+ success. The 11+ adds verbal and non-verbal reasoning that sit outside the national curriculum, along with a faster pace and a different exam technique. Think of strong SATs as a good foundation rather than a prediction. Your child still needs to meet and practise the parts of the 11+ that school never covers. **TL;DR** - Strong SATs results do not guarantee 11+ success. - The 11+ adds verbal and non-verbal reasoning that are not in the curriculum. - SATs skills in maths and English do give a real head start. - Add reasoning practice and timed technique to be ready for the 11+. ## Does SATs success carry over? Partly, but not completely. A child who does well in SATs clearly has strong curriculum skills, and that helps. What it does not do is prepare them for the parts of the 11+ that school does not teach. So a top SATs performer can still be caught out by an unfamiliar reasoning paper. The two exams overlap, but they are not the same, as our guide on whether [the 11+ is the same as SATs](https://pip11plus.com/is-the-11-plus-the-same-as-sats) explains. ## Why the gap exists The reason is simple. SATs assess the national curriculum, while the 11+ reaches beyond it to include verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which are not taught in class. Those reasoning papers are exactly where strong curriculum pupils can lose marks, simply because they have never seen the question types. It is a gap of exposure, not ability, and exposure is something you can fix. **A foundation, not a forecast** Strong SATs results tell you your child has the building blocks. They do not tell you how your child will handle a code, an analogy or a rotation under time pressure. Treat them as a great start, then build on it. _Treat strong SATs as a foundation, not a forecast: they give the building blocks, but reasoning practice is what makes a child 11+ ready._ ## What SATs does give you The good news is that the overlap is real and valuable. Solid maths fluency and strong reading and comprehension from SATs preparation carry straight into the 11+ maths and English papers. That means a strong SATs performer is not starting from scratch. They have the hardest-won foundations already, and they can focus their 11+ effort on the newer skills rather than rebuilding the basics. _SATs maths and English carry straight into the 11+. What's new is reasoning, verbal and non-verbal, plus timed technique. A gap of exposure, not ability._ ## What to add for the 11+ The work that closes the gap is targeted. Add practice in [verbal reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/how-should-my-child-prepare-for-verbal-reasoning) and [non-verbal reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/how-should-my-child-prepare-for-non-verbal-reasoning), the two papers that are new, and rehearse working to time. Seeing how these fit with maths and English in [the subjects tested in the 11+](https://pip11plus.com/what-subjects-are-tested-in-the-11-plus) helps you balance the plan. Short, regular reasoning practice with [Pip](https://pip11plus.com/index#get) is an easy way to cover the part school leaves out, without adding hours. ## Balancing both In Year 6 many children prepare for both, so the goal is balance rather than doubling the workload. The shared maths and English skills serve both exams at once, while Pip's [adaptive 11+ and SATs paths](https://pip11plus.com/adaptive-learning) keep the practice goals distinct. If you want free extra maths practice, [our Khan Academy review](https://pip11plus.com/khan-academy-review) shows what Khan Academy offers. [Khan Academy alternatives for UK families](https://pip11plus.com/khan-academy-alternatives) compares options aimed more directly at SATs and the 11+. Start the reasoning side early and gently, in line with our guide to [when to start preparing](https://pip11plus.com/when-should-you-start-preparing-for-the-11-plus), and the 11+ becomes an extension of good habits rather than a separate mountain to climb. ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) Written by **The Pip team** The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers. ## Keep reading [Is the 11+ the same as SATs?](https://pip11plus.com/is-the-11-plus-the-same-as-sats): Myths & Facts Two different exams, clearly compared. 4 min read · Myths & Facts [How should my child prepare for Verbal Reasoning?](https://pip11plus.com/how-should-my-child-prepare-for-verbal-reasoning): Verbal Reasoning A subject not taught in school, made simple. 5 min read · Verbal Reasoning [How should my child prepare for Non-Verbal Reasoning?](https://pip11plus.com/how-should-my-child-prepare-for-non-verbal-reasoning): Non-Verbal Reasoning Patterns, shapes and the most learnable paper. 5 min read · Non-Verbal Reasoning ## Curriculum plus reasoning, covered Pip turns 11+ practice into five calm minutes a day across maths, English and reasoning, so the SATs foundation grows into 11+ readiness. For the SATs themselves, see our guide to [preparing for Year 6 SATs](https://pip11plus.com/preparing-for-year-6-sats). 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