Children aged seven, 11 and 14 are taking this year's national curriculum tests.

Click here for the dates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Taken at schools across England and Wales, the tests aim to measure children's abilities in the key subjects of English (and Welsh, where applicable), mathematics and - for the 11 and 14-year-olds - science.

Northern Ireland differs in that there are no tests for seven and 11-year-olds, only teacher assessments of their pupils' progress. There are formal tests only at 14.

There are fixed dates for the tests for 11- and 14-year-olds, but test dates are not given out in advance for seven-year-olds, for whom the experience is supposed to be less formal.

The results of the tests at seven and 14 are published only to parents.

Greater political significance attaches to the tests for 11-year-olds in England, because they are published towards the end of the year and form the basis of the primary school performance tables.

There are also optional tests for pupils at ages eight, nine and 10, for schools to measure their progress.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), which administers the tests in England, has advice for parents whose children are taking them.

Provide reassurance

The most important thing you can do to help your child, it says, is to ensure he or she turns up on the day after a good night's sleep. Tired pupils do not give the best account of themselves.

While parents are advised to encourage children to revise, they should also make sure they have some time for relaxation.

Providing reassurance for anxious children is important. While the tests matter, they do not lead to qualifications or affect future school or career choices.

If a child does not do well, the information from the tests can help teachers to see where he or she needs additional help.

Report for parents

Parents will receive a report from their child's school showing the results of the tests, as well as assessments made by their teachers, by the end of the summer term.

Parents of 14-year-olds will also receive teacher assessments for history, geography, design and technology, information technology, modern foreign languages, art, music, and physical education.

Children's performance in the tests is measured against national curriculum levels, which stretch from level 1 to level 8 and cover achievement from ages five to 16.

Children making normal progress will go up about one level every two years, with level 2b regarded as a reasonable level of achievement for most seven-year-olds, level 4 for most 11-year-olds and level 5 to 6 for most 14-year-olds.

Teachers may decide to enter pupils for higher-level tests than expected of their age, if they think they can manage them. If they do not succeed, teachers will drop the level until they find what the children are capable of.

Test dates

Key stage 1 (seven-year-olds) - England and Wales

• Tasks - such as individual reading, writing, and level 1 maths - may be taken any time from January to four weeks before the end of the summer term.

• Tests in reading comprehension, spelling, and level 2 and 3 maths, can be taken any time in May.

Key stage 2 (11-year-olds)

Unusually, the dates are different this year in England and in Wales. The dates were set originally in 1998 but a year later the Department for Education in England decided to postpone them because of the late Easter.

In Wales the first secretary and education secretary decided not to change them, to avoid disruption to schools.

England

All the pupils in a school should take the tests at the same time, but individual schools can choose the time, as long as it is on the specified date.

The optional extension papers are for pupils whose teachers think they are working at higher levels.

Monday 15 May:

• Maths test A, mental arithmetic
  
Tuesday 16 May:

• Maths test B, science test A
  
Wednesday 17 May:

• Reading, handwriting and spelling, maths optional extension test C
  
Thursday 18 May:

• Writing, English optional extension test
  
Friday 19 May:

• Science test B, science optional extension test
  

Wales

All the pupils in a school should take the tests at the same time, but individual schools can choose when that is on the specified days. The tests in Welsh are for pupils for whom it is their first language.

Monday 8 May:

• Maths test A, maths test B
  
Tuesday 9 May:

• Mental maths, English reading
  
Wednesday 10 May:

• English spelling and handwriting, English writing
  
Thursday 11 May:

• Science test A, science test B
  
Friday 12 May:

• Welsh reading, Welsh writing
  

Key stage 3 (14-year-olds)

England

All the pupils in a school should take the tests at the same time, but individual schools can choose when that is on the specified days.

The optional extension papers are for pupils whose teachers think they areworking at higher levels.

Monday 8 May:

• English papers 1 and 2 (Shakespeare)
  
Tuesday 9 May:

• Maths papers 1 and 2, mental arithmetic tests A and C
  
Wednesday 10 May:

• English and maths optional extension papers, mental arithmetic test B
  
Thursday 11 May:

• Science papers 1 and 2
  
Friday 12 May:

• Science optional extension paper
  

Wales

Pupils in a school should sit the tests at the same time as each other, but schools can choose the start times within the morning and afternoon sessions. The tests in Welsh are for pupils for whom it is their first language.

Extension tests do not apply in Wales. Pupils performing above their expected level are noted in teachers' assessments.

Wednesday 3 May:

• am Welsh paper 1, pm Welsh paper 2
  
Thursday 4 May:

• am English paper 1, pm English paper 2
  
Friday 5 May:

• am science paper 1, pm science paper 2
  
Monday 8 May:

• am maths paper 1, pm maths paper 2
  
Tuesday 9 May:

• am mental maths
  

Northern Ireland

As mentioned above there are tests only at Key Stage 3, conducted by the Council for Curriculum Examinations and Assessment. Almost all the tests take place in the mornings.

Tuesday 9 May:

• English papers 1 and 2
  
Wednesday 10 May:

• Science papers 1 and 2
  
Thursday 11 May:

• Maths papers 1, 3 or 5 and 2 or 4
  
Friday 12 May:

• (Irish-speaking schools) Irish reading, Irish writing