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Area guide · entry in September 2027The Kent Test: the 11+ in Kent
Kent runs the largest selective system in England. The test is taken at the very start of Year 6, which means the decision and the registration both happen while your child is still in Year 5 — and that is where most families come unstuck.
On this page
Kent at a glance
- Results: Thursday 15 October 2026 Emailed to the address you registered with, or sent first class if you gave none. For 2025, a grammar assessment needed 332 or more, with no score below 108.
- The Kent Test Thursday 10 September 2026 at Kent primary schools; the weekend of 12 and 13 September for everyone else.
- Apply by Monday 2 November 2026 Name the grammar school on your application, or it cannot consider your child.
- How places are decided Passing makes your child eligible. Each school then ranks applicants by its own criteria. Offers on 1 March 2027.
What the test covers
English and maths in one test, verbal and non-verbal reasoning in another, all multiple choice. There is also a writing exercise, which is not marked.
Good places to start: comprehension, word classes, punctuation, long multiplication, fractions of amounts, percentages, ratio and proportion, closest meaning, letter codes, compound words, number sequences, rotation sequences, figure analogies, odd one out.
For children in Year 5 now · starting secondary school in September 2028
Entry in September 2028: what is published so far
Kent County Council has not published dates for this round yet. We will add them here as soon as it does.
Only what has been published. From: Kent County Council — Register for the Kent Test.
The calendar
Every date for entry in September 2027, from the published arrangements. Dates that have passed are in grey.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Monday 1 June 2026 | Kent Test registration opened |
| Wednesday 1 July 2026 | Kent Test registration closed Requests for SEN access arrangements closed on the same day. |
| Thursday 10 September 2026 | Kent Test, for pupils at a Kent primary school |
| Weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026 | Kent Test, for pupils not at a Kent primary school |
| Thursday 15 October 2026 | Results day |
| Monday 2 November 2026 | Secondary school application deadline A grammar school can only consider your child if you have named it on this application. |
| Monday 1 March 2027 | Offers made |
Who can sit the test
Children in Year 5 at the time of registration, born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016, could register for the 2026 Kent Test. A child outside that age range who is still expected to transfer to secondary school in September 2027 has to be dealt with directly by Kent admissions.
Registration is open to parents of children resident in England, not including the Crown Dependencies, along with children of UK service personnel with a confirmed posting to the UK and Crown Servants returning from overseas.
- The Kent Test is only valid for Kent grammar schools. Medway has its own Medway Test and the London Borough of Bexley has its own selection test.
- Being assessed as suitable does not guarantee a place at any school.
- Kent County Council's own guidance is that Kent grammar schools provide for children in roughly the top 25% of the ability range, and it suggests discussing your child's academic achievement with their primary school before registering.
What is in the papers
The papers are multiple choice with a separate answer sheet, and they are marked by computer. There are two tests and one writing exercise.
- Test 1
- English and maths, 1 hour. Each section is a 5-minute practice exercise followed by a 25-minute test. The English section includes a comprehension exercise plus further questions testing literacy skills.
- Test 2
- Reasoning, about 1 hour including the practice sections. A verbal reasoning section and a non-verbal reasoning section of roughly the same length. The non-verbal reasoning is split into short sections, each administered and timed on its own.
- Writing exercise
- 40 minutes, including 10 minutes of planning. It is not marked. It may be used by a local headteacher panel at the headteacher assessment stage.
Results day and what the scores mean
Results come out on Thursday 15 October 2026. If you gave an email address when you registered, the result is emailed to you that day, and only to the address used to register your child. If you did not give one, the result is posted to you first class on results day; if it has not arrived, you can ask your child's primary school for the scores the day after results go out.
Your child receives three standardised scores — English, maths and reasoning — and a total. Standardisation compares each child against the average performance of the others, with an adjustment for age so that the youngest are not disadvantaged.
Individual scores range from 69 to 141, so the highest possible total is 423.
For 2025, a grammar school assessment required a total of 332 or more with no single score below 108. Kent County Council publishes the threshold for each year in the October of that year, so the 2026 figure is due alongside results.
The part most families need
Applying, and how places are allocated
Kent parents may name up to four secondary school preferences. A grammar school can only consider your child if you have named it on the application and your child has been tested and assessed suitable.
Grammar schools are frequently oversubscribed. Each school ranks applicants using its own published admissions criteria, so the criteria of the specific schools you are naming matter more than the test result on its own. Some Kent grammar schools — particularly those most likely to offer places to children from outside Kent — give priority to the highest scores.
If your child is not offered a place you may appeal to an independent panel and may be able to join the school's waiting list.
If your child is not assessed as suitable
You can still name a grammar school on your application, but that part of the application will be refused when offers are made on 1 March 2027. You then have the right to appeal and explain why you believe the school is a suitable option for your child.
If you live outside Kent, or move in later
Register for the test if, and only if, you intend to apply for a Kent grammar place — Kent County Council notes that resources are wasted every year on registered children who do not attend.
Admissions are co-ordinated between local authorities. Even if your child qualifies in more than one area, every preference must be listed on your home authority's application form, and you will not be offered more than one place.
If you move into Kent after the test has taken place and want a Year 7 grammar place, your child still has to be assessed.
Questions parents ask
When are the Kent Test results out?
Thursday 15 October 2026. If you gave an email address when you registered, the result is emailed to that address on the day. If you did not, it is posted to you first class on results day.
What if the Kent Test result has not arrived?
Results are only sent to the email address used to register your child, so check that inbox first. If your result was posted and has not arrived, you can ask your child's primary school for the scores the day after results go out.
What score do you need to pass the Kent Test?
For 2025, a grammar school assessment needed a total of 332 or more, with no single score below 108. Kent County Council publishes the 2026 threshold in October 2026. Each score ranges from 69 to 141, so the highest possible total is 423.
What do the three Kent Test scores mean?
Your child gets a standardised score for English, maths and reasoning, plus a total. Standardisation compares each child with the average of everyone who sat the test, with an adjustment for age so the youngest are not at a disadvantage.
Does passing the Kent Test guarantee a grammar school place?
No. You must name the grammar school on your secondary application by Monday 2 November 2026. Grammar schools are often oversubscribed and rank applicants by their own admissions criteria. Offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
What if my child is not assessed as suitable for grammar school?
You can still name a Kent grammar school on your application, but that preference will be refused when offers are made on 1 March 2027. You then have the right to appeal and explain why the school is a suitable option for your child.
Can a Kent Test result be used for Medway or Bexley grammar schools?
No. The Kent Test is only valid for Kent grammar schools. Medway has its own Medway Test and the London Borough of Bexley has its own selection test.
Sources
5 official pages, checked 12 October 2026
Admissions rules are set again every year, so check the council's own pages before you rely on a date, and tell us if you find something out of date.
When the Kent dates change
An email when a new area guide is written or a new year of papers goes up. A few times a year, no more — and nothing else, ever.
We send a confirmation email first, and the address does nothing until you click the link in it. One click to leave, any time. What we do with it.