Kent Grammar Schools Ranked 2026/27

Kent has 32 fully selective grammar schools — the largest grammar school system in England. Together they admit approximately 4,500 Year 7 students each year. The Medway grammar schools are administered separately under Medway Council and are listed on our Medway page.

The Kent Test (also called the PESE — Procedure for Entry to Secondary Education) is the 11+ entrance examination for Kent grammar schools. It is administered by GL Assessment and consists of two papers — one combining English and Mathematics, and one combining Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning — plus a 40-minute writing task (including 10 minutes of planning). Each paper takes approximately one hour.

For September 2027 entry, the Kent Test is on Thursday 10 September 2026 for children at a Kent primary school. Children who don't attend a Kent primary school sit it the weekend of 12-13 September 2026 at a Kent grammar school. Results are released on Thursday 15 October 2026.

To be assessed as suitable for Kent grammar school by the Kent Test, a child must achieve a total age-standardised score of at least 332 across the three test areas (English, Mathematics, and combined Reasoning), with a minimum of 106 in each individual area. The pass mark is set by Kent County Council and reviewed each year. Children who do not meet the standard automatically can be referred to the Head Teacher Assessment (HTA) panel for review.

Registration for the Kent Test opened on 1 June 2026 and closes on Wednesday 1 July 2026, so you must register your child directly with Kent County Council before then (it isn't automatic, even at a Kent primary school). After registering and sitting the test, remember the separate secondary school application deadline of 31 October 2026.

Around 18,000 children sit the Kent Test each year for approximately 4,500 Year 7 grammar school places — an overall acceptance rate of roughly 25%. Competition is significantly tougher at the most popular schools, and even children who pass the Kent Test are not guaranteed a place because distance and oversubscription criteria also apply.

Kent has a mix of single-sex and co-educational grammar schools. Boys' schools include Dartford Grammar School, The Judd School, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Maidstone Grammar School and Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. Girls' schools include Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Tonbridge Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, Maidstone Grammar School for Girls and Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School. Several schools (including Cranbrook and Highworth) admit both boys and girls; see each school card below for the latest admission policy.

Most Kent grammar schools use distance from the school as an oversubscription criterion rather than a strict catchment. Some schools (such as Cranbrook in West Kent and the Dartford grammars) have specific priority areas, and certain schools give priority to siblings and looked-after children before distance. Always check the individual school's admissions policy on their website.

Kent Test test arrangements are the same for in-county and out-of-county pupils, but registration and venue arrangements differ. Children attending Kent primary schools are typically auto-registered through their school; families living outside Kent must register directly with Kent County Council and may sit the test at a designated test centre.

Prepare across all four 11+ subjects the test covers — English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Practise the 40-minute writing task separately, since it is unmarked at registration but can be requested by schools when deciding borderline cases. Most families begin focused preparation in Year 5. Prep4All provides practice papers, mock exams and adaptive lessons for all four Kent Test subjects.