The Kent Test (11+)

The Kent Test (also known as the 11+)

Your child does not need to take the Kent Test unless you (and your child) are interested in naming a grammar school as a preference. The school holds parental consultations with parents in early March to discuss suitability prior to registration.

• The tests are multiple-choice with a separate answer sheet. They are marked by an automated marking machine.
• The first test will be an English and Maths paper and will take 1 hour. Each section will involve a 5 minute practice exercise followed by a 25 minute test. The English section will involve a comprehension exercise as well as some additional questions drawn from a set designed to test literacy skills.
• The second test will be a reasoning paper. It will take about 1 hour, including the practice sections and questions. It will contain a verbal reasoning section and a non-verbal reasoning section of roughly the same length. The non-verbal reasoning will be split into short sections, administered and timed individually.
• There will also be a writing exercise which will not be marked but may be used by a local headteacher panel as part of the headteacher assessment stage of the process. 40 minutes will be allowed for the writing task, including 10 minutes planning time.

Examples of the types of questions can be found in the familiarisation booklet on the Kent website. Additional familiarisation materials can also be downloaded from the GL Assessment website here.

The school will support children through the process but cannot coach any children for the test.

Registration for the Kent Test is in the summer of Year 5, between 1 June 2022 and 1 July 2022.  You can register here.

On Kent Test Results day, you will receive an email or a letter saying that: your child has been assessed as suitable for a grammar school placement (G) or a high school placement (H). The school is only allowed to discuss results the following day.

If your child was not tested or was not assessed as suitable for a Kent grammar school, you can still apply for a Kent grammar school but your application will be turned down. You will then have the right to appeal to explain why you think grammar school is a suitable option for your child and this ‘Parental Appeal’ normally takes place in May.

Key Dates for Secondary Transition (September 2024)

If you wish to receive a paper registration form, please contact the Secondary Admissions Team on 03000 41 21 21 or email kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk

You can also print off a copy of the form www.kent.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions to complete and return.

CAT Tests

Children in Year 5 sit CAT tests each year. We use the results from these as an indication of how well a child may do in the Kent Tests. As soon as we have the results for your child we will send these home with an explanatory letter and will offer one evening after school when you may book an appointment to discuss these with your child’s class teacher. We will not be offering everyone an appointment, as some parents will have already made their decision about the Kent Test or do not want their child to sit the test. Further information about the date, time and appointment booking process will be sent to you shortly.