Kent Test (11+) Information

Applying for a secondary school place is one of the most important decisions you will make for your child.

Those parents/children wishing to take the Kent Test (also known as PESE tests or 11+) need to register whilst they are in Year 5 so that the test can be taken in September of Year 6.

Registrations for the Kent Test will open on 1 June 2021 and close at midnight on 1 July 2021 for children due to start secondary school in September 2022.

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test

The score for a successful assessment is different every year. The score depends on the range of results children achieve. If lots of children scored very highly on the test, the pass mark would be higher. If lots of children got very low scores, the pass mark would be lower.

Your child will get three standardised scores, 1 for English, 1 for maths and 1 for reasoning.

Standardisation is a statistical process which compares your child's performance with the average performance of other children in each test. A slight adjustment is made to take into account each child's age so that the youngest are not at a disadvantage.

A standardised score of 100 represents an average performance for a child of a given age, with the lowest standardised score normally around 70 and the highest around 140. 

Until Kent pupils have taken the tests, it will not be possible to predict the threshold for grammar school. However, it is probable that it will be set using a minimum overall score and a minimum score for a single section. 

The Kent Test will take place at the start of Term 1 with all examinations taking place in one day.  The format of the tests is as follows:

• 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.
• The Kent Test familiarisation booklet (PDF, 967.4 KB) gives a description of the different parts of the test and advice on approaching the types of questions asked.

The Shepway and Dover Tests

As well as registering for the Kent Test you can also register for the Shepway or Dover Test, this gives your child another chance to achieve a place at a grammar school. More details about the application and admissions policies can be found on the schools websites: 

https://www.folkestonegirls.kent.sch.uk/index.php/information/theshepwaytest

http://www.harveygs.kent.sch.uk/admissions/

http://www.dggs.kent.sch.uk/368/admissions-1

https://www.dgsb.co.uk/605/key-information-1/key_information/1/admissions

The Shepway Tests will take place either at the Harvey or FSG on Saturday 11th September 2021. You will need to complete the online form available from the school’s website or complete an application form and send it directly to the school in order for your child to sit the test.

What will the Shepway Test contain?

Written test

The written test consists of the following elements:

- Half an hour of creative writing

Computer test

The computer test consists of the following elements:

- Comprehension

- Vocabulary and understanding of Words

- Mathematics

- Non-verbal reasoning