Julie Beech, the head of of Sunnyfields Primary School in Doncaster, was found to have amended one answer each from eight pupils in the 2014 Year 6 exams.
The school in South Yorkshire was under pressure to improve after an Ofsted report in 2013 found "too few pupils" did well at Key Stage 2.
Ms Beech, 51, can appeal against the ban in two years.
A National College for Teaching and Leadership panel found Ms Beech had a previously "unblemished" record and was respected by her colleagues at the 257-pupil school in Rose Crescent.
But her conduct amounted to "unacceptable professional conduct", the panel said, and fell "significantly short" of the standards expected.
The panel added: "The teacher's status as head teacher would have left her in no doubt that what she was doing was dishonest and would be viewed as such."
Ms Beech changed pupils' answers on five mental maths tests and three spelling tests.
A year earlier, the education regulator Ofsted had warned pupils at the school were not making good progress in maths. The school was told it "required improvement" following the inspection in May 2013, having previously been categorised as outstanding.
A head teacher who changed answers on pupils' SATs test has been banned from the profession.