The tests that will replace SATs in primary and secondary schools are will be changed because the expected standards are reportedly too high.

More than 400 schools are piloting the new tests, which are expected to be introduced from 2010. They will be taken at the end of key stages 2 and 3, when children are 11 and 14.

Fewer than one in 10 pupils passed one of the reading exams, according to the Times Educational Supplement. It said that the Government would alter the tests so that children have more time to complete higher level sections.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families, said: “We have not lowered standards. We are simply running a pilot, part of which is testing out different assessment models. We have every interest in finding out what works and helps us achieve our aim — more pupils making faster progress.”

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