GrammarPrep

Kent Test preparation: everything parents need to know

A clear, answer-first guide to the Kent 11+ — the GL Assessment format, the schools that use it, and how to prepare without overwhelming your child.

Kent Test (Procedure for Entrance to Secondary Education — PESE): key facts

Typical test date
Second or third week of September in Year 6
Papers
3 multiple-choice papers
Duration
Typically 50-60 minutes per paper, plus a short writing exercise
Subjects
English, Mathematics, and a combined Reasoning paper
Indicative qualifying threshold
An aggregate score in the low 320s (out of ~423) is typically treated as the headteacher-assessment threshold — exact figure varies year to year
Registration window
Registration usually opens in June and closes in early July of Year 5

Why Kent is different

Kent is the largest selective local authority in England. Every year around 17,000 Year 5 children sit the Kent Test for roughly 5,000 grammar school places across the county. That makes the Kent Test one of the most high-stakes primary-school exams in the country — and one of the most well-documented, which is good news for parents preparing from home.

The test is administered by Kent County Council and set by GL Assessment. The results are used both to indicate whether a child is 'assessed as suitable for grammar school' and, because Kent grammars are heavily oversubscribed, to rank applicants for individual schools. A strong Kent Test score does not guarantee a place at the most competitive schools — catchment and aggregate rank still matter — but a below-threshold score materially reduces options.

Because Kent uses GL Assessment, preparation is highly targetable. GL's question types are published and well understood, which means structured practice over Year 4 and Year 5 produces measurable gains in familiar question formats.

How the Kent Test (Procedure for Entrance to Secondary Education — PESE) is structured

  • Three multiple-choice papers: English (reading comprehension with a short writing task), Mathematics, and a combined Reasoning paper blending verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
  • All papers are age-standardised, so younger children in the Year 5 cohort are not disadvantaged by their date of birth.
  • The writing exercise is used by the headteacher review panel for borderline cases — it is not marked as part of the standardised score.
  • Children sit the test at their own primary school (for Kent-resident pupils) or at a designated Kent grammar school (for out-of-area pupils).
  • Medway children sit the Medway Test, which is similar in style but administered separately — do not assume Kent and Medway are interchangeable.

Notable grammar schools in Kent

32+ grammar schools across the county.

  • The Judd School (Tonbridge)
  • Tonbridge Grammar School
  • Invicta Grammar School (Maidstone)
  • Dartford Grammar School
  • The Skinners' School (Tunbridge Wells)
  • Weald of Kent Grammar School

How to prepare your child for the Kent 11+

Start structured 11+ preparation around the start of Year 4. That gives roughly 18 months of steady practice — enough to cover all GL question types, build exam stamina, and introduce timed work without resorting to a crammed final year.

Because the Kent Test bundles verbal and non-verbal reasoning into a single paper, your child needs to be comfortable switching rapidly between question formats. Mixed-topic practice from the summer term of Year 5 onwards is more realistic than single-topic drills in isolation.

Vocabulary drives the English paper. Kent reading comprehension passages regularly reach well beyond Key Stage 2 level, so daily wide reading (fiction and non-fiction) in Years 4-5 pays off more than any single workbook. Keep a running list of unfamiliar words and review weekly.

Frequently asked questions about the Kent 11+

When is the Kent Test in 2026?

The Kent Test for 2027 entry is typically sat in the second or third week of September 2026, at the start of Year 6. Kent County Council publishes the exact date on its admissions page in the preceding spring — check kent.gov.uk before planning around it.

How do I register my child for the Kent Test?

You register via the Kent County Council admissions website during the registration window, which usually opens in early June and closes in early July of Year 5. There is no fee to register or to sit the test. Late registrations are sometimes accepted but not guaranteed.

What is the Kent Test pass mark?

Kent does not publish a single 'pass' figure — it uses an aggregate score threshold that shifts slightly each year to reflect the cohort's performance. In recent years, an aggregate score in the low 320s (out of around 423) has been treated as the headteacher-assessment threshold. Individual grammar schools then admit in rank order, so the effective cut-off for oversubscribed schools can be considerably higher.

Which exam board does the Kent Test use?

GL Assessment. Practise with GL-style papers rather than CEM-style materials — the question formats, pacing, and answer sheets are specific to GL.

Can my child resit the Kent Test?

No. The Kent Test is taken once, in Year 6. Children who do not reach the threshold cannot retake it for grammar-school entry, although a headteacher review panel considers borderline cases based on school work, the writing exercise, and additional evidence.

Are Kent grammar schools selective by catchment as well as score?

Most are. Schools such as The Judd, Tonbridge Grammar, and Invicta typically fill the majority of places from within an inner catchment area. Families in outer areas need a higher rank to compete for the remaining places. Check each school's admissions policy — they are published annually on school websites.

How different is the Medway Test from the Kent Test?

Medway (Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham, Rochester, Strood) is a separate unitary authority and runs its own test. The format and scoring system differ. If you live in Medway, use Medway-specific materials. If your target school is in Kent but you live in Medway, your child usually needs to sit both tests.

Related 11+ guides

Other regions

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