Dartford Grammar School for Girls

## What to expect: the Kent Test format

Your daughter will sit the Kent Test in September of Year 6. This is a county-wide exam run by GL Assessment and consists of three papers: Verbal Reasoning (80 questions in about 50 minutes), Mathematics (50 questions in about 50 minutes), and English (50 questions in about 50 minutes). There is no Non-Verbal Reasoning paper as part of the Kent Test. You'll need to register through the Kent online portal by the end of June, so do check the school's admissions page for the exact deadline.

## How difficult is it?

The exam itself is broadly in line with standard GL Kent Test papers, though the children sitting it are from a competitive local area, which means the overall competition is strong. Vocabulary in the Verbal Reasoning and English sections is moderately challenging — your daughter may encounter less common words, so vocabulary building is worth focusing on during preparation. The Maths paper is generally described as fair and straightforward rather than particularly tricky, and time pressure is manageable; most children finish or nearly finish each section. The English comprehension passage is age-appropriate but requires careful reading and inference skills, so children who read widely often find this section easier.

## How to prepare

Make sure your daughter practises all 21 types of GL Verbal Reasoning questions, as the VR section is standard format but requires solid preparation across the board. Timed practice is still important, though it's not an extreme concern for this school. GL Assessment publishes familiarisation materials for the Kent Test online, which are worth using to help your daughter get used to the format and timing.