CEM 11 Plus

Kent 11+  -  Children's Educational Material 11+ TM
 

Kent has a number of selective schools and partially-selective schools that use the Kent 11+ test from GL Assessment  ®. The tests are not tutor-proof and are easy to prepare for. Complete solutions are available using WordBuilder.co.uk and CoolCleverKids.co.uk

 

The Kent11plus website provides advice and information about 11 plus exams and Children's Educational Material (CEM) for the 11+.

2025 Year 7 Entry for Kent Grammar Schools

Registration Register between 3 June and 1 July 2024
Test Dates 12 September 2024 for children who go to school in Kent.
14-15 September 2024 for children who go to school outside of Kent. These have an advantage as they learn content via Kent children and tutors.
Results Thursday 17th October 2024
Test Supplier GL Assessment ®
English (5 mins practice + 25 minutes): Comprehension & Literacy
Mathematics (5 mins practice + 25 minutes) &
Verbal & Non-verbal Reasoning (30 minutes each)
There is also a writing test (40 minutes)

The tests are multiple-choice with a separate answer sheet. They are marked by an automated marking machine.

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.


Your child will take the test in year 6 of primary school.

Your child will get three standardised scores, 1 for English, 1 for maths and 1 for reasoning.

Standardisation is a statistical process which compares your child's performance with the average performance of other children in each test. A slight adjustment is made to take into account each child's age so that the youngest are not at a disadvantage.

Grammar school threshold 2016

To be given a grammar school assessment, children need to get a total score of 320 or more, with no single score lower than 106. The lowest possible score is 69 and the highest is 141 on each test. The highest possible total score is 423.

If your child did not reach this threshold score and their primary school referred their case to the local Head Teacher Assessment panel, their written piece will have been looked at. The panel will also have looked at their achievement in school and examples of their work before a final decision was made.

Kent Test scores report

In response to a number of Freedom of Information requests, we have produced a report which shows the number of children who scored each total score, broken down by district and gender. The tabs in the report show grammar school and high school assessed pupils, as well as a total of both.


Where children have been assessed suitable for grammar school via their local Head Teacher Assessment panel, their score may be below the 320 total score threshold. Children may also score higher than 320, but still be assessed as suitable for high school in cases where 1 or more of their individual scores were below 106.

The Kent Test familiarisation booklet (PDF, 2.6 MB) gives a description of the different parts of the test and advice on approaching the types of questions asked.


Kent Grammar Schools

Kent Grammar School PAN
Barton Court Grammar School, Canterbury (mixed) 150
Borden Grammar School, Sittingbourne (boys) 120
Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School (mixed) 180
Cranbrook School, Cranbrook (mixed) 30
Dane Court Grammar School, Broadstairs (mixed) 165
Dartford Grammar School, Dartford (boys) 180
Dartford Grammar School for Girls (girls) 180
Dover Grammar School for Boys, Dover (boys) 120
Folkestone School for Girls, Folkestone (girls) 120
Gravesend Grammar School, Gravesend (boys) 150
The Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone (boys) Kent/Shepway Test 150
Highsted Grammar School, Sittingbourne (girls) 120
Highworth Grammar School for Girls, Ashford (girls) 184
Invicta Grammar School, Maidstone (girls) 192
Maidstone Grammar School, Maidstone (boys) 205
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Maidstone (girls) 180
Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend (girls) Kent/CEM 11+ Test 180
Oakwood Park Grammar School, Maidstone (boys) 160
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Faversham (mixed) 140
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, Canterbury (boys) 120
Simon Langton Grammar School for Girls, Canterbury (girls) 165
Sir Roger Manwood's School, Sandwich (mixed) 142+8 boarding
The Judd School, Tonbridge (boys) 155
The Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford (boys) 180
The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells (boys) 150
Tonbridge Grammar School, Tonbridge (girls) 180
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Tunbridge Wells (boys) 180
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells (girls) 140
Weald of Kent Grammar School, Tonbridge (girls) 265
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys, Wilmington (boys) 150
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington (girls) 150

 

11+ Preparation


Areas tested include English (Vocabulary: synonyms & antonyms; Comprehension; Cloze passages/text; Jumbled sentences); Mathematics including data processing, and Non-verbal reasoning.

There is no evidence any 11+ tests are tutor proof, nor tuition and preparation does not confer an advantage – the opposite is true.

Recommended Preparation Material.

1. English and Verbal Reasoning is covered at WordBuilder.co.uk

  PDF downloads from the shop.

Booklet

Price

a. Ultimate Verbal Reasoning. 1,800 questions.Book 1

£5.99


b. Ultimate Verbal Reasoning. 800 questions.Book 2 for GL Assessment (Same Missing Letter in Pairs of Words,  Synonym Pairs &  Hidden Words)
 
£5.49

c. Ultimate Verbal Reasoning. 741 questions.Book 3 for GL Assessment (Spelling, Punctuation & Conjugation)
 
£5.49

d. Common Synonyms and Antonyms for 11+ & KS2 Sats (over 1,000 entries).

£4.99

e. Common Words With Multiple Meanings for 11+ & KS2 Sats (350 entries).

£1.99

f. Common Misspelled Words at Year 6 - KS2 & 11+ (over 250 words).

£1.49


2. Maths is covered at CoolCleverKids.co.uk

PDF downloads from the shop.

Lesson Notes

Price

a: Ratio and Proportion Unit Method (Lesson Notes).

99p

b: Percentages (simple percentages) Lesson Notes.

99p

c: Percentage Multipliers Lesson Notes.

99p

d: Rules for Multiples of Numbers (Lesson Notes).

99p


3. NVR (Non-verbal Reasoning) is covered at CoolCleverKids.co.uk

Non-verbal Reasoning (NVR) Booklet

Price

Ultimate NVR: over 30 different types of NVR familiarisation questions.

£9.95


4. Mock Tests: Use Mocks in the Shop and at SatsBooks.com

Mock Test (CEM style tests are still useful as the content is similar to GL Assessment)

Price

1. 11+ Progress Mock Pack 1. MF Test A & B. (Use as first test during Year 5).

£6.95

2. 11+ Progress Mock Pack 2. MF Test A & B. (Use as second test during Year 5).

£6.95

3. 11+ Progress Mock Pack 3. MF Test A & B. (Use as third test during Year 5).

£6.95

4. 11+ Practice Mock Test Pack 1. MF Test A & B. Multi-format (MF).

£6.95

5. 11+ Practice Mock Test Pack 2. MF Test A & B. Multi-format (MF).

£6.95

6. 11+ Practice Mock Test Pack 3. MF Test A & B. Similar to SWW 2 Jul 13.

£6.95

7. 11+ Practice Mock Test Pack 4. MF Test A & B. Multi-format (MF). 

£6.95


8.  Letts GL Assessment Practice Mock Test Pack 1 [4 physical books]. Maths, English, VR & NVR {Click here to purchase with FREE P&P}
 
£36.95

9.  Letts GL Assessment Practice Mock Test Pack 2 [4 physical books]. Maths, English, VR & NVR {Click here to purchase with FREE P&P}
 
£36.95
11+ Testing & Scores

Your child will take the test in year 6 of primary school..

Your child will get three standardised scores, 1 for English, 1 for maths and 1 for reasoning.

Standardisation is a statistical process which compares your child's performance with the average performance of other children in each test. A slight adjustment is made to take into account each child's age so that the youngest are not at a disadvantage.

To be given a grammar school assessment, children need to get a total score of 320 or more, with no single score lower than 106. The lowest possible score is 69 and the highest is 141 on each test. The highest possible total score is 423.

Kent 11+ Test
The test is set by: GL Assessment ®
 
  • English (5 mins practice + 25 minutes): Comprehension & Literacy
  • Mathematics (5 mins practice + 25 minutes) &
  • Verbal & Non-verbal Reasoning (30 minutes each)
  • There is also an extended reading test.
  • 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.
Free familiarisation booklets are available from this site and practice mocks are available from the shop.
CEM Centre for Evaluation
& Monitoring® CEM 11+ ® Tests
GL Assessments®
(NFER®) 11+ Selection Tests
  • Practice papers available
  • Kent County Council provides a long familiarisation paper
  • Multiple choice format.
  • No claim that children do not need to prepare or practice or claim test is tutor-proof
  • Similar to tests from CEM Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring®
  • Prepare using WordBuilder & CoolCleverKids
  • Practice mock papers from the shop
11+ Children's Educational
Material Recommendation

English and Verbal Reasoning:
WordBuilder
www.WordBuilder.co.uk

Maths &
Non-verbal Reasoning (NVR):

CoolCleverKids
www.CoolCleverKids.co.uk

11+ Practice Papers from
Children’s Educational Material for the 11+
are available from the shop.
Word lists, lesson notes and `Ultimate NVR` questions are available from the shop.

Free material on this website.

11+ Tourism: Free Mock Tests

Under the Greenwich ruling all children, of the appropriate age, have a legal right to take any 11+ exam set by any authority and cannot be denied the opportunity to sit an exam solely on the basis of their address.

The Office of the School Adjudicator (OSA) confirmed the right to use tests as free mocks and the right to take tests late. A Head Teacher of a grammar school has confirmed in writing: `Legally I cannot stop you entering your child for our test.'  Late testing is also a legal right.

Many regions do not have catchment areas. Taking 11+ exams outside home catchments does not prejudice the balance and fairness of the testing, as tests are different. To make such a claim would imply a defunct testing process.

Note: Taking a "free mock" will cost the school money. But one would expect financially astute schools to consider the financial implications of setting an early test date. Common sense dictates an earlier test is likely to be used as a "free mock" and this has been well known to occur for many years. . Many object to this strategy when it is a legal right. We cannot image why, as if the test is resistant to prepping, what difference would free mocks make? We believe there is no evidence that any 11+ test is resistant to prepping and practise will simply improve performance.
 
 

Cambridge University have now withdrawn CEM  paper based 11+ tests. Cambridge spent hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees to refuse to answer basic questions including which schools shared the same tests. They answered such questions to a Caucasian women after refusing to answer the same question posed by an Asian man. They were aware of the ethnicity of both.

CoolCleverKids
11+ Maths and NVR
CoolCleverKids.co.uk

The Maths site with NVR (Non-verbal reasoning) for Sats and 11+ preparation. Ideal for primary school education and selective school exams. Maths lesson notes; worksheets; presentations; games, & tests auto marked with explanations.

WordBuilder
11+ English & VR
www.WordBuilder.co.uk

Verbal reasoning and English for the 11+, Sats and private/independent school entrance exams as well as primary school. Spellings; definitions; meanings; synonyms; antonyms; cloze passages; jumbled sentences & comprehension.

Sats Papers
Year 2-6 & 11+
www.SatsPapers.org.uk


Information relating to Sats Tests. Free downloads of Sats papers covering Year 2 to 6 with no registration. Prepare for Year 6 level 3-5, level 6 & 11+ tests. Download the latest phonics tests.
ATA React
Free Android App
Google Play


Fun FREE Android App to test your thinking and reaction speed. Four fun games: colours; shapes; numbers and next letter. Stores score history. Ideal for Sats & 11+ fun whilst you prepare. Download from Google Play.

 

 
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Download FREE SATs papers. No registration & no annoying popup adverts.
 
 
11+ English (Verbal Reasoning)
online preparation with


Spellings; Vocabulary; Synonyms; Antomyms; Conundrums; Cloze Passages; Comprehension, and Jumbled up sentences. Ideal for 11+ tests set at the CEM Centre, at Durham University®.
www.WordBuilder.co.uk
 
 
11+ Maths (Numerical Reasoning)
and NVR online preparation with


Free maths question generator
Lesson notes; presentations (videos); worksheets; games; Sats style tests from Year 2 to 6 including mental maths audio tests; private school 11+ tests, and CEM style past questions.
Now includes Non-verbal Reasoning.
Ideal for 11+ tests set at the CEM Centre, at Durham University®.
www.CoolCleverKids.co.uk
 
 

The 11+ information site
Helping children pass the 11+
Free advice and resources with
recommendations for preparation.
 

Children’s Educational Material 11+
Tel: +44 (0) 24 7641 6970 
Email: [email protected]
© 2013-2023. CEM11plus.com group of websites. All rights reserved. Children's Educational Material for the 11+. CEM11plus.com group websites provide information helping children pass the eleven plus. CEM Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring® is an independent not-for-profit research group now owned by Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press® and neither are associated with CEM11plus.com group websites. GL Assessment ® has no connection with CEM11plus.com group websites. The views expressed are those of CEM11plus.com. All trade names and trade marks are acknowledged. This website is secured with a SSL certificate provided to the parent group website, CEM11plus.com, and data is encrypted using 256 bit keys & TLS 1.2.