Grammar Schools in Kent

The Kent Test is an entrance examination taken by children in Year 6 who wish to attend grammar schools in Kent. The test aims to assess a child’s academic ability and consists of sections on English, mathematics, reasoning, and writing. Success in this test may grant access to more academically focused secondary education.

Registration for the Kent Test typically opens in early June and closes in early July. Parents and guardians need to register their child via the Kent County Council’s website. It’s crucial to adhere to these deadlines, as late applications are rarely accepted. Specific instructions and necessary forms can also be found on the website.

The Kent Test is used by all grammar schools within Kent County. This includes prominent institutions like The Judd School, Tonbridge Grammar School, and Dartford Grammar School. A comprehensive list of participating schools can be found on the Kent County Council website, and checking this list is essential to understanding your options.

Results for the Kent Test are typically released in mid-October. Parents will receive a letter or an email containing their child’s results and information on next steps. These results are crucial as they determine eligibility for grammar schools.

Including breaks, the Kent Test generally takes the whole morning to complete, starting at 0900 and finishing around 1230. The timing is tightly controlled by the exam invigilators, who have scripts to read out and carefully monitor the children to check they are completing the correct sections. The individual papers are as follows: Maths and English (1 hour), Reasoning (1 hour), Writing (40 minutes). These papers are split into different sections. A combination of exam technique, subject knowledge and time management are essential for children to perform well across all sections.

The Kent Test assesses children in three areas: English, Mathematics and Reasoning. All questions are multiple choice except the writing paper. The English paper comprises a comprehension passage (fiction or non-fiction) followed by questions, then a SPaG (spelling, grammar and punctuation) section. The Mathematics paper contains both arithmetic and problem-solving questions. The Reasoning paper tests a range of verbal, non-verbal and spatial skills. The writing paper offers a choice of titles, usually either narrative or descriptive.

The Kent Test is both written and administered by GL (Granada Learning) Assessment. Whilst GL write and mark the test, it is invigilated and run on a practical level by teachers, usually from the Senior Management Team (SMT) of the school. One invigilator will be from another school to ensure fairness. GL Assessment administer many of the grammar school tests throughout England and Northern Ireland. They provide free familiarisation materials to children and their parents.

Different sections of the Kent Test contain different numbers of questions, and the results produce a standardised score which does not reflect the one mark per question guide. As a rough guide, the English and Mathematics sections contain around 25 questions each. Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning sections usually have 5 or 6 questions each, and there are around 5 sections in total.

Children need to achieve 332 points across the three papers: English, Maths, and Reasoning. They also need to achieve at least 107 in each paper, meaning that if they get 106 in one paper, they will not pass the Kent Test (although an appeal is possible). The lowest possible mark is 207 and the highest possible mark is 423.

It depends on the comparison. In terms of grammar school entrance, the Kent Test is challenging, but as grammar schools are designed for the top 25% of children academically, this is to be expected. The Kent Test is certainly harder than some other tests your child might encounter, and needs careful preparation. Because there are four different subjects assessed, some children will find one area harder than another.

Grammar schools will set different thresholds when it comes to accepting children into their Year 7 cohort. This means that although 332 is a pass, it night not be enough for the specific grammar school chosen. Therefore, a good score can be considered to be around 360 and an excellent score around 400. It might be helpful to know that a child considered of average academic ability would achieve 300.

Schools which typically have high Kent test scores are in affluent areas with a low social deprivation index. These schools are preferred by parents who live in these areas, and attract high quality teachers and boast good facilities. They therefore become a more desirable place to send your child, become more in demand, and attract only the best Kent Test candidates.