Kent Test 2027: Quest Assessments Takes Over From GL. What Parents Need to Know
Kent County Council has confirmed that Quest Assessments will provide the Kent Test from 2027, replacing GL Assessment. The format, timing, Headteacher Assessments and admissions process stay the same. If your child is in Year 5, here is what the change means for their preparation and what to do while new familiarisation materials are on the way.
Kent County Council has appointed a new company to supply the Kent Test. From 2027, the papers will come from Quest Assessments instead of GL Assessment, which has provided the test for many years. If your child is in Year 5 now, they will be among the first children to sit a Quest-written Kent Test.
The council's message to parents is calm, and it should be. The test's purpose, format and timing are not changing, and neither is the way grammar school places are decided. Still, a change of provider raises fair questions for any family partway through preparation, so here is what the announcement says, what it does not say yet, and how to adjust your plans.
What Kent County Council has announced
In an October 2026 update on its Kent Test page, the council confirmed that Quest Assessments will provide the Kent Test from 2027. It also set out what will not change:
- the purpose of the test and its role in grammar school admissions
- the format and timing of the test
- the admissions process and eligibility criteria
- support arrangements for children who need them
- Headteacher Assessments for children who narrowly miss the standard
The council says families will see very little difference, and that new familiarisation materials will be published once they are ready. No release date for those materials has been given yet.
Which children are affected?
The change applies to the Kent Test sat in September 2027, for children starting secondary school in September 2028. The council's contract for Kent Test services runs from March 2027, which fits that timing.
Your child's year group now (2026/27) | When they sit the Kent Test | Provider |
|---|---|---|
Year 6 | Already sat, September 2026 | GL Assessment |
Year 5 (born 1 Sept 2016 to 31 Aug 2017) | September 2027 | Quest Assessments |
Year 4 and younger | September 2028 onwards | Quest Assessments |
If your child sat the test this September, nothing changes for you. Their results came out on 15 October 2026 and offers arrive on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027, as planned.
What the Kent Test looks like today
Because the council has said the format stays the same, the current structure is the best guide to what your child will face. Children sit three parts in one morning:
Paper | Length | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
English and Maths | 1 hour | A 5-minute practice and a 25-minute test for each subject; English includes comprehension and literacy questions |
Reasoning | About 1 hour | Verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, with the non-verbal part split into short, separately timed sections |
Writing exercise | 40 minutes, including 10 minutes of planning | Not marked, but may be read by the Headteacher Assessment panel |
The English, maths and reasoning papers are multiple choice, answered on a separate sheet and marked by computer. Each child receives three standardised scores and a total.
So what could actually feel different?
The structure should hold. What may change is the detail inside it: how questions are worded, which non-verbal reasoning puzzle types appear, how the answer sheet is laid out and how passages are chosen for comprehension. Every test writer has a house style, and children who have practised almost entirely on GL-style papers have learnt that style as much as the skills behind it.
That is the real risk for this cohort. It is not that the test becomes harder. It is that a child who is very well drilled in one familiar look meets a slightly different one on the day and loses time adjusting.
There is also a point that will confuse some parents searching online. Quest is best known in independent schools for adaptive tests taken on a screen. That is not what Kent has described. The council has said the format stays the same, so plan for a paper test with multiple-choice answer sheets unless Kent says otherwise.
Who are Quest Assessments?
Quest is not new to grammar school testing. Bexley's grammar schools already moved from GL Assessment to Quest, the Wirral grammar school consortium switched from its September 2026 test, and the Dorset grammar consortium, which includes Bournemouth School, will use Quest from September 2027. Many independent schools also use Quest for their own entrance assessments.
That track record matters for Kent families. Quest's grammar school tests already cover the same four areas the Kent Test assesses: English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
What about Medway?
This announcement is about the Kent Test run by Kent County Council. Medway Council runs its own separate test, with its own papers, dates and pass mark. If you live in Medway or are applying to Medway grammar schools, check Medway Council's admissions pages for its arrangements.
How should Year 5 parents adjust their preparation?
The honest answer is: not very much, but in a few specific ways.
- Keep building the underlying skills. Reading stamina, vocabulary, arithmetic fluency, problem solving and spatial reasoning are what any well-made 11+ test measures. None of that work is wasted.
- Widen your practice material. If most of your papers are GL-branded, mix in questions from other sources. The goal is a child who can read a new question type calmly, not one who recognises a familiar layout.
- Practise with a separate answer sheet. Transferring answers accurately under time pressure is a skill in itself, and it carries straight across to a multiple-choice paper from any provider.
- Do not drop the writing. The writing exercise and the Headteacher Assessment are unchanged. For a child near the borderline, a strong piece of writing can still matter.
- Be cautious with anything sold as an official Quest Kent Test paper. Until Kent County Council publishes its new familiarisation materials, no one outside the council and Quest knows exactly what the September 2027 paper will look like.
- Use the official familiarisation materials as soon as they appear. Work through them with your child under timed conditions, then compare them with the practice you have done so far and adjust.
Should you throw away GL practice papers?
No. GL papers still practise the same subjects at the same level. They become a problem only if they are the only thing your child has seen. Use them for skills and timing, and balance them with varied material.
Expected timeline for September 2028 entry
Kent County Council has not published dates for the 2027 round yet. Based on the pattern of previous years, families can expect roughly:
Step | Expected timing |
|---|---|
Kent Test registration | June 2027 (in 2026 it ran from 1 June to 1 July) |
Kent Test | Early to mid September 2027 |
Results to parents | Mid October 2027 |
Secondary school application deadline | 31 October 2027 |
National Offer Day | 1 March 2028 |
The council has said the timing of the test will stay the same. Check the official Kent Test page for confirmed dates before registering.
How OxbridgeX can help
A change of provider is a good moment to check where your child really stands. Our 11+ tutors work across GL, Quest and other test styles, so preparation focuses on skills that carry over rather than one publisher's look. We will also update our Kent Test preparation as soon as the new familiarisation materials are released.
If your child is in Year 5 and you would like a clear plan for the next ten months, book a free consultation with OxbridgeX.
Frequently asked questions
Who will provide the Kent Test from 2027? Quest Assessments. Kent County Council appointed Quest in October 2026 to replace GL Assessment as the Kent Test provider from 2027.
Will the Kent Test format change? Kent County Council says no. The test's purpose, format, timing and role in grammar school admissions will stay the same.
Does the change affect children who sat the Kent Test in September 2026? No. That test was provided by GL Assessment, and the results and admissions process for September 2027 entry are unaffected.
Which children will sit the first Quest Kent Test? Children in Year 5 in 2026/27, who will sit the test in September 2027 for secondary school entry in September 2028.
Are Headteacher Assessments still part of the process? Yes. The council has confirmed there will be no changes to Headteacher Assessments, eligibility criteria or support arrangements.
Will the Kent Test be taken online? Kent has not said it will be. The council states the format stays the same, and the Kent Test is currently a paper-based, multiple-choice test.
Where can I find Quest familiarisation papers for the Kent Test? Kent County Council will publish new familiarisation materials when they are available. Check the official Kent Test page rather than relying on unofficial papers.
Is the Medway Test changing too? This announcement covers the Kent Test only. Medway Council runs its own separate test, so check Medway's admissions pages for its arrangements.