Prepare for the Kent Test
The Kent Test papers are multiple-choice questions with a separate answer sheet. They are marked by a computer.
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.
Kent Test dates
| What happens | Date |
|---|---|
| Kent Test - for pupils who attend a Kent primary school | Thursday 11 September 2025 |
| Kent Test - for pupils who do not attend a Kent primary school | Weekend of 13 and 14 September 2025 |
| Results day | Thursday 16 October 2025 |
Familiarisation papers
This document explains the Kent Test papers for children who will take them, and parts of it will not be fully accessible to users of some assistive technologies.
Kent Test familiarisation paper (PDF, 2.6 MB)
Or request an alternative format of this document.
View a range of free familiarisation materials.
Children with visual impairments
Any child with a severe visual impairment who cannot access test papers can instead be assessed by a head-teacher panel, which will look at their classwork and academic achievement.
Email kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk if you need to know more about the content of our familiarisation paper or how we assess students with visual impairments.