Kent 11+ Guide: Kent Test, Grammar Schools and Admissions
The Kent Test is used to assess suitability for Kent grammar schools, but a grammar assessment does not guarantee a place at a particular school.
How this admissions route works
This page consolidates broad Kent Test, Kent pass-mark, admissions, preparation and results content. Individual school pages should remain only where they add unique policy, location or application value.
Admissions information changes between entry years. Use this page to understand the system and prepare questions, then verify dates, test content, residence requirements, supplementary forms and oversubscription criteria on official websites.
Four essentials to understand
Kent-specific assessment
The Kent Test applies to Kent grammar-school admissions; nearby authorities may operate different tests.
Assessment and allocation differ
A grammar assessment establishes eligibility, while schools then apply their admissions criteria.
School rules vary
Some Kent grammar schools use score, distance, priority areas or other published oversubscription arrangements.
Annual thresholds change
Do not hard-code an old total or component threshold into evergreen guidance.
Step-by-step application process
| Stage | What parents should do |
|---|---|
| Register for the Kent Test | Use Kent County Council’s current registration window. |
| Review the test format | Use official familiarisation information and prepare the underlying curriculum and reasoning skills. |
| Study school criteria | Compare eligibility, priority areas, score rules, distance and any supplementary information. |
| Complete the application | Name preferred schools on the common application form even though test registration was separate. |
| Use the right challenge route | Understand headteacher assessment processes, waiting lists and statutory appeals. |
Tests and assessment components
English and verbal skills
Comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning.
Mathematics
Curriculum-based numerical knowledge and problem solving.
Non-verbal and spatial reasoning
Patterns, sequences and visual relationships.
Writing where applicable
Check current official arrangements rather than relying on historical formats.
Use official familiarisation resources first. Third-party materials should match the current test’s subjects, timing, response method and difficulty. Scores from unrelated publishers are not interchangeable and should not be treated as reliable predictions of admission.
School and admissions routes covered
- West Kent grammar schools
- Maidstone and Mid-Kent grammar schools
- Canterbury and East Kent grammar schools
- Coastal and district grammar schools with differing criteria
Keep a separate school-specific SET page only when it provides substantial unique value: a detailed current admissions-policy explanation, travel and catchment analysis, distinctive test requirements, or an established ranking query. Thin school summaries should link into this flagship instead.
Preparation strategy
English
Develop fluent reading, vocabulary in context, inference, grammar and clear written expression. Ask children to justify answers using textual evidence.
Mathematics
Secure primary mathematics, mental fluency and multi-step problem solving before applying time pressure.
Reasoning
Where required, teach verbal and visual relationships systematically rather than relying on repeated exposure alone.
Test technique
Introduce timing after accuracy. Practise instructions, answer recording, skipping, returning and maintaining concentration.
Common application mistakes
- Assuming Medway or Bexley uses the Kent Test.
- Applying only to the school with the highest historical score.
- Ignoring individual school admissions policies.
- Treating a grammar assessment as a guaranteed place.
- Using a previous year’s thresholds as predictions.
A historical lowest-offer score, allocation distance or pass threshold describes a past admissions round. It is useful context, not a promise about a future cohort.
Official information and further SET guidance
Official sources
Kent TestKent secondary admissions
School Entrance Tests guides
11+ practice tests11+ exam timelines11+ syllabus guide11+ papers and school linksAll 11+ guidance
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kent 11+ called?
It is normally called the Kent Test.
Is the Kent Test valid for Medway grammar schools?
Kent County Council states that the Kent Test is for Kent grammar schools; other authorities can run separate selection tests.
Does being grammar assessed guarantee a place?
No. The application is still ranked under each school’s admissions criteria.
Are all Kent grammar schools equally selective?
No. Eligibility and allocation arrangements vary by school.
When are Kent Test thresholds published?
Kent publishes information for each cycle. Families should check the relevant year rather than reuse older figures.
Can a child appeal after not receiving an offer?
Parents have statutory appeal rights after an application is refused, but the issues and evidence differ from test assessment processes.
Explore 11+ grammar schools
11+ Grammar School Guides by Region
Grammar-school admissions vary considerably across England.
Select your region below for guidance on local 11+ tests,
grammar schools, admissions policies, preparation,
qualifying scores and school applications.
Birmingham & West Midlands
Birmingham and West Midlands grammar schools,
entrance testing and regional selective admissions.
Warwickshire
Warwickshire grammar schools, priority areas and
West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test guidance.
Liverpool & Wirral
Wirral grammar schools, local assessment arrangements
and selective routes around Liverpool.
Manchester & Trafford
Trafford grammar schools and the different selective
admissions routes around Greater Manchester.
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire grammar schools, entrance testing,
qualifying ranks and applications.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire grammar schools, local 11+ testing
and school-specific admissions arrangements.
Devon
Compare selective routes around Plymouth, Torbay
and Colyton.
Bournemouth & Poole
Grammar-school admissions serving Bournemouth,
Poole and the wider Dorset area.
Yorkshire & North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire grammar schools and other
school-specific selective routes across Yorkshire.
Medway
Medway Test preparation and grammar-school admissions,
separate from the Kent Test system.
Bexley
Bexley Selection Test guidance and admissions
to Bexley’s four grammar schools.
Sutton
Sutton Selective Eligibility Test, grammar-school
second stages and admissions.
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire grammar schools and the
Secondary Transfer Test admissions system.
Kent
Kent Test guidance, grammar assessment and
individual grammar-school admissions criteria.
Essex
CSSE entrance testing and grammar-school admissions
across Essex and Southend.
Berkshire
Compare Slough Consortium, Reading School and
Kendrick School selective admissions.
Hertfordshire
South West Herts and other selective-school
admissions arrangements across Hertfordshire.
11+ Preparation by School Year
Use the appropriate year-by-year guide to build skills at
the right stage and avoid introducing intensive test practice
before it is useful.
11+ Year 3 Preparation
Build reading, vocabulary, numeracy and reasoning
foundations without premature exam pressure.
11+ Year 4 Preparation
Introduce structured preparation, key question types
and a sustainable Year 4 timeline.
11+ Year 5 Preparation
Follow the main preparation-year programme including
revision, timed work and mock-test planning.
11+ Year 6 Preparation
Plan final revision, exam-month preparation, timing,
confidence and test-day readiness.
More 11+ and Private School Practice
Private School Practice Tests
Explore additional practice resources for selective
independent and private school entrance assessments.
11+ Free Past Papers
Practise verbal reasoning skills including vocabulary,
relationships, classifications, sequences and codes.
Start with the current admissions policy of the schools
you are considering. There is no single national 11+
examination, and neighbouring regions can use different
tests and admissions rules.
Plan from the admissions policy, not from assumptions
Confirm the current test and application rules, build the underlying skills, use practice diagnostically and keep school fit central to the decision.
Last editorial framework update: August 2026. Always verify the admissions cycle directly with the relevant authority, consortium and school.