Eleven Plus Academy

Kent Test 2027: guide for 2028 entry

For children in Year 5 now, who sit the Kent Test in September 2027 to start secondary school in September 2028. Dates and format are taken from Kent County Council's own pages.

Try a free Kent Test-style practice (3 days, no card)

At a glance

Test date
Not yet published for 2028 entry. This year's test was on Thursday 10 September 2026, or the weekend of 12 and 13 September for pupils not at a Kent primary school
Registration
Not yet published for 2028 entry. This year it opened on Monday 1 June 2026 and closed on Wednesday 1 July 2026
Tests
Two multiple-choice tests of about an hour each, and a writing task
English and maths
A 5-minute practice exercise, then a 25-minute test, for each subject
Reasoning
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections of roughly the same length
Writing task
40 minutes, including 10 minutes' planning. Not marked

Key dates

For 2028 entry (test in September 2027)

Kent County Council has not published these dates yet. When we checked, its pages showed only the dates for 2027 entry.

Source: Kent County Council: register for the Kent Test

This year's dates (2026 test, 2027 entry), as a guide to the pattern

Monday 1 June 2026
Registration opened
Wednesday 1 July 2026
Registration closed
Thursday 10 September 2026
Kent Test for pupils at a Kent primary school
12 and 13 September 2026
Kent Test for pupils not at a Kent primary school
Thursday 15 October 2026
Results day

Source: Kent County Council: register for the Kent Test

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The papers

Test 1: English and maths, 1 hourEach section has a 5-minute practice exercise followed by a 25-minute test. The English includes a comprehension exercise and questions that test literacy skills. Multiple choice, with a separate answer sheet.
Test 2: reasoning, about 1 hourA verbal reasoning section and a non-verbal reasoning section of roughly the same length. The non-verbal reasoning is split into short sections, each given out and timed separately.
Writing task: 40 minutesIncludes 10 minutes' planning time. It is not marked, but a local headteacher panel may look at it during the headteacher assessment stage.

Short, separately timed sections

The non-verbal reasoning comes in short sections that are each timed on their own, so it helps to practise one question type at a time against the clock, as well as longer mixed papers.

The writing task still matters

The writing is not marked. Kent County Council says a local headteacher panel may use it at the headteacher assessment stage, so it is worth practising a planned 40-minute piece.

Five Kent Test-style sample questions

These are our own questions, written in the style of the test so you can see the level. They are not taken from any real paper. Tap a question to see the answer and the method.

1. A train leaves at 09:45 and arrives at 11:20. How long does the journey take?
  • A) 1 hour 25 minutes
  • B) 1 hour 35 minutes
  • C) 1 hour 45 minutes
  • D) 2 hours 35 minutes
Answer: B) 1 hour 35 minutes. Count on from 09:45 to 10:45, which is 1 hour. From 10:45 to 11:20 is another 35 minutes. That makes 1 hour 35 minutes.
2. What is three eighths of 96?
  • A) 24
  • B) 32
  • C) 36
  • D) 48
Answer: C) 36. Find one eighth first: 96 ÷ 8 = 12. Three eighths is three times that: 12 × 3 = 36.
3. Which of these words is spelt correctly?
  • A) seperate
  • B) definately
  • C) necessary
  • D) occassion
Answer: C) necessary. Necessary has one c and a double s. The others should be separate, definitely and occasion, so each of them contains a mistake.
4. Which word is closest in meaning to reluctant?
  • A) eager
  • B) unwilling
  • C) careless
  • D) certain
Answer: B) unwilling. Reluctant means not wanting to do something. Unwilling means the same. Eager is the opposite, and careless and certain have different meanings.
5. What number comes next in this sequence? 3, 6, 12, 24, ...
  • A) 30
  • B) 36
  • C) 48
  • D) 96
Answer: C) 48. Each number is double the one before: 3 × 2 = 6, 6 × 2 = 12, 12 × 2 = 24. Double 24 to get 48.

What a Year 5 parent can do now

  1. Download Kent County Council's familiarisation paper and look through it together, so your child knows what the answer sheet and question types look like.
  2. Start short, regular practice in English, maths and reasoning now, and add timed sets after Christmas.
  3. Check Kent County Council's Kent Test pages in the spring for the 2028 entry dates. This year registration ran from 1 June to 1 July 2026.

Free Year 5 baseline check: 20 questions in 15 minutes

How to prepare

Try a free Kent Test-style mock

Set out like the papers the school or area describes, with your child's score at the end and, where the school sets a writing task, their writing marked from a photo. Where a timing is not published, ours is an estimate. Free 3-day trial, no card needed.

Start my Kent Test-style mock

Or get a free Kent Test-style practice paper (PDF)

Our mocks follow the published format where there is one. The timings we estimate and the questions are our own, not real past papers.

The other 32 school and area guides

Blackheath High 11+ guide · Eltham College 11+ guide · Dulwich College 11+ guide · Alleyn's 11+ guide · Bexley 11+ guide · Colfe's 11+ guide · St Olave's 11+ guide · Medway Test guide · Tiffin 11+ guide · Sutton SET guide · ISEB Pre-Test guide · London 11+ Consortium guide · Latymer Upper 11+ guide · Henrietta Barnett 11+ guide · Dame Alice Owen's 11+ guide · QE Barnet 11+ guide · Redbridge 11+ guide · Buckinghamshire Transfer Test guide · Essex CSSE 11+ guide · Slough Consortium 11+ guide · Kendrick School 11+ guide · Bournemouth and Poole 11+ guide · South Wilts Grammar 11+ guide · Bishop Wordsworth's 11+ guide · Torbay grammar schools 11+ guide · Plymouth grammar schools 11+ guide · Lincolnshire 11+ guide · West Midlands grammar schools 11+ guide · Wirral 11+ guide · Ripon Grammar School 11+ guide · Lancaster Royal Grammar 11+ guide · Northern Ireland SEAG Transfer Test guide

More free practice: Free 11+ Maths practice questions → · Free 11+ Verbal Reasoning practice → · Free 11+ Fractions questions → · Free 11+ Vocabulary questions →

Quick answers

When is the Kent Test?

Not yet published for 2028 entry. This year's test was on Thursday 10 September 2026, or the weekend of 12 and 13 September for pupils not at a Kent primary school.

What is in the Kent Test?

Test 1: English and maths, 1 hour. Each section has a 5-minute practice exercise followed by a 25-minute test. The English includes a comprehension exercise and questions that test literacy skills. Multiple choice, with a separate answer sheet. Test 2: reasoning, about 1 hour. 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 given out and timed separately. Writing task: 40 minutes. Includes 10 minutes' planning time. It is not marked, but a local headteacher panel may look at it during the headteacher assessment stage.

When do I need to register for the Kent Test?

Not yet published for 2028 entry. This year it opened on Monday 1 June 2026 and closed on Wednesday 1 July 2026.

How can my child practise for the Kent Test?

Practise 25-minute English and maths sets, multiple choice, against the clock.

Sources

Checked 6 October 2026. Schools change their tests, so always confirm dates and details on the official pages below.

Eleven Plus Academy is independent. It is not affiliated with Kent County Council, GL Assessment or any school.