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.

The Kent Test is typically held in mid-September of Year 6, with results published in mid-October so families can make their secondary school applications by the 31st October deadline. Kent County Council usually releases exact 2026 test dates in Spring 2026 — confirm on kent.gov.uk before relying on a date.

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.

Kent Test registration typically opens in early June and closes in early July of Year 5. Out-of-county families must register with Kent County Council directly. The Local Authority secondary school application deadline (separate from Kent Test registration) is 31st October.

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.