Kent 11 Plus Test- Format, Past Papers, Preparation

Kent 11 Plus Test- Exam Format

The exam format in Kent is called The Kent Test. It includes two papers including a mix of Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. There is also a creative writing exercise. Kent have tried to make their exam more difficult to prepare for by not issuing past papers.

Paper one covers Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning and is 50 minutes long. Paper two includes English as well as Mathematics and is 60 minutes long.

The test is written by GL.

Kent Past Papers and Practice Papers

Kent do not issue past papers, however because the test is written by GL we know a great deal about what the exam will look and feel like and what sort of questions are asked.

A booklet is also issued by Kent which includes example 11 Plus questions.

Instead of using past papers as they don’t exist we suggest using the practice papers which are written and sold by GL (the same people who produce the Kent test). This will give you a level of practice materials which is going to be as close as possible to the exam itself.

GL 11 Plus English papers (as good as past papers for Kent)

GL 11 Plus Maths papers (similar questions will have occurred in past papers in Kent)

GL 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning (Kent past papers will have used the same 21 question type bank as these papers use)

GL 11 Plus Non-Verbal Reasoning (past papers in kent will have used the same question bank and style)

So while past papers for Kent are not available, because GL produce their own practice papers pupils can get very close to understanding what sort of questions they will face on the day. Really, the core difference is that the practice papers are each 50 minutes each whereas actual past papers would feature only 25 minutes of questions in each topic with two topics being covered in each of the papers.

For a good idea of the sort of questions which have come up in past 11 Plus tests see our creative writing pages.

What materials to buy and developing a preparation plan are the biggest challenges parents face

For Kent, just like any other area, one of the core challenges families face when preparing at home is what materials to use and how to structure work. Using a Guided 11 Plus course can help because all the work and the schedule is prepared for you, but if the decision has been made to use books then we can help in two ways:

We can help you through our FREE 11 Plus subject preparation guides. These are tailored to each area and let you know what to do, when to do it and how to structure your work. Most parents find this a useful starting point.

Secondly we have produced recommended resource lists which run alongside our preparation guide advice.

What to do next – How to access the FREE Kent 11 Plus preparation guides

In Kent the Grammar Schools have the same exam. The Exam is written by GL and has two papers and mixed within those papers are sections on the following topics. To access our advice, click on each subject in turn. You’ll find a guide on each subject to download and a resource list. All resources have been reviewed by us for suitability.

Maths resources for the Kent test

English resources for the Kent 11 Plus test

Verbal Reasoning resources for the Kent 11+ exam

Non Verbal Reasoning resources for the Kent Eleven plus exam