Thinking about a grammar school in Kent for your child? This guide walks you through how the system works, key dates for entry, and how to support your child through the 11+.
In this guide, you'll find:
How the Kent grammar school system works
What's changing about the Kent Test
Key dates and deadlines for 2028 entry
Which schools use the Kent Test
What your child will be tested on
How the exam is scored and how places are allocated
Practical ways to support your child's 11+ preparation
Kent grammar schools
Kent has 32 grammar schools and they all use the same 11+ test, known as the Kent Test. Test papers for 2027 entry were provided by GL Assessment but this is changing for 2028 entry — see below.
Which grammar schools use the Kent Test?
Grammar schools that use the Kent Test for 11+ entry
Note that if your child is applying for a grammar school in Medway or the London Boroughs of Bexley and Bromley, they will take a separate exam. Find out more information about these exams:
Yes. The Kent Test is moving to Quest Assessments, which will replace GL Assessment as the test provider. This applies from the September 2027 sitting, for entry in September 2028.
Kent County Council has not yet published details of the new arrangements, including whether the paper structure will change. We will update this guide as soon as they are confirmed. If your child is in Year 5 or below, it is worth checking back before you start preparing in earnest.
What your child is tested on is unlikely to change much. The Kent Test has always drawn on the Key Stage 2 curriculum in English and maths plus verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and those are the skills worth building either way.
Key dates for September 2028 entry
Kent County Council sets the Kent Test dates in the county's co-ordinated admissions scheme and has not yet published them for 2028 entry, so the windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable. We'll update this page as soon as the confirmed dates are published.
Early June 2027: Kent Test registration expected to open
Early July 2027: Kent Test registration expected to close
Early to mid-September 2027: Kent Test — a weekday for children at Kent primary schools, the following weekend for everyone else
Mid-October 2027: results expected
Sunday 31 October 2027: national closing date for secondary school applications. Kent County Council has moved this to the following Monday when it falls on a weekend, as it did for 2027 entry — check the council's scheme before you submit
Wednesday 1 March 2028: national offer day for secondary school places
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The Kent Test is the 11+ exam used by all grammar schools within the Kent County Council area. Your child only needs to take it once, even if you're applying to multiple Kent grammar schools.
The test takes place in September of Year 6. Children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 will sit the test in September 2027 for entry to Year 7 in September 2028.
If your child attends a Kent primary school, they will likely sit the test at their own school on a weekday. If your child attends a primary school outside Kent, they may be invited to sit the test at a Kent grammar school the following weekend.
The test is designed to assess a child's academic ability. Grammar schools in Kent are competitive and frequently oversubscribed, so performance in the test plays a significant role in the admissions process.
What's in the Kent Test?
The Kent Test is made up of two multiple-choice papers and a short writing task. It's designed to assess your child's skills in English, maths and reasoning and to help grammar schools identify potential. The structure below is the current one; Kent County Council has not yet confirmed whether it changes when Quest Assessments takes over.
Each paper lasts around an hour, and your child will mark their answers on a separate answer sheet which gets marked electronically.
Here's what to expect:
Paper 1: English and maths
This paper is split into two 30-minute sections — one testing English and one testing maths. Each section includes a short 5-minute practice activity followed by a 25-minute test. The practice section isn't marked; it just helps your child get familiar with the questions.
What's in the English section?
The English section is mainly made up of a reading comprehension task. There are also questions that check your child's grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. These might include:
Choosing the best word to complete a sentence
Spotting spelling or grammar mistakes
Finding synonyms or antonyms
What's in the maths section?
Your child will be tested on what they've learned in school in maths up to the start of Year 6. They should feel confident with:
Times tables
The four operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing)
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Ratio
Area, perimeter and measurements
Some of the questions might feel more challenging than usual. This is so your child can show how they use their knowledge to solve new types of problems.
These topics aren't usually taught in school. They're included in the test to measure your child's potential, not just what they've learned so far.
Verbal reasoning
This checks how well your child can solve problems using words, letters and numbers. For example, they might be asked to spot patterns in sequences or choose words with similar meanings.
Non-verbal reasoning
This section uses shapes, diagrams and patterns. Your child will need to spot similarities and differences, complete sequences, and identify how shapes relate to each other. The non-verbal reasoning section is split into shorter sections, each timed and administered individually.
Both the verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections are roughly the same length.
Creative writing task
All children also complete a short creative writing exercise. This isn't marked as part of the main test, but it might be used if your child's results are reviewed by a headteacher panel. 40 minutes is allowed for the writing task, including 10 minutes for planning.
How is the Kent Test scored?
After the test, answer sheets are marked electronically. Scores are then age-standardised, which means younger children are not disadvantaged compared to their older peers.
Your child's results are expected in mid-October 2027. You will receive three standardised scores, one for English, one for maths, and one for reasoning, as well as a total aggregate score. If your child meets the qualifying standard, you can list your preferred grammar school or schools on your common application form (CAF).
What's the pass mark for the Kent Test?
To be considered for a Kent grammar school, your child will need a total aggregate score of 332 or more, with no single subject score lower than 106. Individual scores range from 69 to 141, giving a highest possible total of 423. Kent County Council sets the qualifying score after each test, so it can move year to year.
It's important to note that achieving a qualifying score does not guarantee your child a place at a Kent grammar school. It means they can be considered for any Kent grammar school you name on your Common Application Form. Some schools, particularly those most likely to offer places to children from outside Kent, give priority to applicants with the highest scores.
Some priority groups, including Looked After Children and children eligible for Pupil Premium, may qualify with a lower score. As each school applies its own admissions criteria when allocating places, parents are encouraged to check the admissions policy for each school they are considering.
How to apply for Kent grammar schools
1. Register for the Kent Test
To be considered for a place, you must register your child to sit the Kent Test.
Registration expected to open: early June 2027
Registration expected to close: early July 2027
Children currently in Year 4, born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017, are eligible to take the Kent Test in 2027.
If your child has a disability or special educational needs that may affect their access to the test, discuss this with their primary school's SENCO before registering. Access arrangement requests are not accepted after the registration deadline.
If you live outside Kent, you should still register your child if you intend to apply for a place at a Kent grammar school. Note that the Kent Test is only valid for Kent grammar schools — it is not accepted by Medway, Bexley or Bromley grammar schools, which run their own separate selection processes.
2. Apply for school places
Test results are expected in mid-October 2027.
If your child achieves a qualifying score, you can list your preferred school or schools on your secondary school common application form, which must be submitted to your local authority by Sunday 31 October 2027. Kent County Council has moved this to the following Monday when the date falls on a weekend, so check the council's scheme before you submit.
Before listing a school, check its admissions policy carefully to make sure your child meets all relevant criteria.
3. National Offer Day
On Wednesday 1 March 2028, you'll be informed which secondary school your child has been offered a place at.
If your preferred school is not offered, your child will be allocated another local school place and you'll receive information about how to appeal.
How can I help my child prepare for the Kent Test?
The Kent Test can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be stressful.
Here are some practical ways to support your child calmly and with structure.
Stay on track with a clear Kent Test revision plan
One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation isn't motivation – it's knowing what to work on, when, and how to stay consistent without it taking over family life.
A clear plan helps your child build skills in the right order and avoid last-minute cramming.
With Atom's Exam Plan, you enter your child's exam date and target schools, and Atom builds a personalised weekly plan based on the key skills they'll be tested on. It adapts as they improve and shows them exactly what to focus on each week.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path to exam day.
Build Kent Test exam technique with realistic practice papers
Once your child feels secure with the main topics, paper practice tests help them feel more confident with the exam format.
Atom's 11+ practice papers are designed to reflect real test conditions. Parents simply photograph their child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom for instant marking.
You'll get:
a Standardised Age Score (SAS)
clear insight into strengths and areas for improvement
a comparison with other children applying to the same schools
The papers are unlimited, meaning your child can practise again and again with new questions each time.
Encourage regular reading for Kent Test English success
Strong reading skills underpin almost every part of the Kent Test.
Encourage your child to read for 10–15 minutes a day, focusing on variety – fiction, non-fiction, different genres and authors.
When you're supporting your child through Kent Test preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple view of how your child is doing across topics and how their performance is developing over time.
That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement – not just one-off test results.
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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.
Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.
