When is the Kent Test?
Children sit it at the start of Year 6. For September 2027 entry it was sat on Thursday 10 September 2026 by pupils at Kent primary schools, and on the weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026 by other pupils. Registration with Kent County Council ran from 1 June to 1 July 2026.
Key dates for September 2027 entry
- The Kent Test for this round was sat on Thursday 10 September 2026 by pupils at Kent primary schools, and on the weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026 by other pupils.
- Kent Test results are sent on Thursday 15 October 2026: by email after 4pm to parents who gave an email address when registering, otherwise by first class post that day.
- Applications for a Year 7 place opened on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and close at midnight on Monday 2 November 2026.
- National Offer Day is Monday 1 March 2027. Kent County Council sends offer emails after 4pm.
- You must tell the school you were offered whether you accept or refuse the place by Monday 15 March 2027. The same day is the deadline to ask to join the waiting list of a school you ranked lower than the one you were offered.
- An appeal must be lodged by Tuesday 13 April 2027 to count as on time.
- On Tuesday 27 April 2027 Kent County Council reallocates places that have become free to children on the schools’ waiting lists.
If your child is in Year 5 now
- Parents register in the summer term of Year 5. Children sit the Kent Test at the start of Year 6, for a secondary school place the following September.
- Kent County Council had not published the registration or test dates for the next round (September 2028 entry) when this page was checked. The table shows when they fell in the last three years.
- Kent County Council suggests talking to your child’s primary school about how they are doing before you decide whether to register.
| Test year | For entry | Registration | Test day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sept 2027 | 1 June to 1 July | 10 September |
| 2025 | Sept 2026 | 2 June to 1 July | 11 September |
| 2024 | Sept 2025 | 3 June to 1 July | 12 September |
Each row is one round, and registration and the test day both fall in its test year. The test day is the Thursday on which Kent primary schools sat the test; children at other schools sat it on the Saturday or weekend that followed. Results came on Thursday 15 October 2026, Thursday 16 October 2025 and Thursday 17 October 2024. Past dates are a guide, not a promise: Kent County Council sets the dates each year.
Questions parents ask
When is the Kent Test in 2027?
Kent County Council had not published the dates when this page was checked. In each of the last three years registration opened in the first days of June and closed on 1 July, the test in Kent primary schools was on a Thursday in the second week of September (10 September 2026, 11 September 2025 and 12 September 2024), and results came in mid-October. Past dates are a guide, not a promise.
When do Kent Test results come out?
For September 2027 entry, results are sent on Thursday 15 October 2026: by email after 4pm if you gave an email address when you registered, otherwise by first class post that day.
When is the deadline to apply for a secondary school place?
For September 2027 entry, applications close at midnight on Monday 2 November 2026. Offers are sent on Monday 1 March 2027, and you must accept or refuse by Monday 15 March 2027.
Sources: Register for the Kent Test · Prepare for the Kent Test · Co-ordinated scheme for secondary admissions 2027-28 · Admission to secondary school in Kent 2027 (guide for parents) · Kent Test page as saved by the Internet Archive on 25 June 2025 · Kent Test page as saved by the Internet Archive on 12 December 2024
Checked on 5 October 2026. If you spot something out of date, please tell us.
