The Norton Knatchbull School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About The Norton Knatchbull School

The Norton Knatchbull School is a boys’ state grammar school in Ashford, Kent, taking pupils from age 11, with a co-educational Sixth Form. The school does not run its own entrance test; entry is by the Kent Test alone.

Entry into Year 7 is by the Kent Test, sat in September of Year 6.

Key information for 2027 entry to The Norton Knatchbull School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: boys’ state grammar school (co-educational Sixth Form)
• Test provider: Kent Test (GL Assessment papers), administered by Kent County Council
• Registration opens – deadline: 1 June – 1 July 2026
• Exam date: Thursday 10 September 2026 (Kent primary schools) or the weekend of 12-13 September 2026 (out-of-county and home-educated children)
• Results date: Thursday 15 October 2026
• SCAF deadline: 31 October 2026
• National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
• Contact details: nks.kent.sch.uk

Admissions information for 2027 entry to The Norton Knatchbull School at 11 Plus (11+)

Norton Knatchbull admits boys who have gained a selective place through the Kent Test, set by GL Assessment and run by Kent County Council rather than by the school itself. Norton Knatchbull does not set its own entrance examination, so the Kent Test is the only route to a place here. For a general explanation of how the Kent Test works, see our full Kent Test guide.

Registration for the test is completed directly with Kent County Council, not with the school, between 1 June and 1 July 2026. You must separately name The Norton Knatchbull School on your Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF) by 31 October 2026. Registering for the test and applying for a school place are two different steps, and both are required.

Norton Knatchbull is a popular choice in Ashford and is usually oversubscribed, so a Kent Test pass does not guarantee a place. Check the school’s current admissions criteria for the full ordered list of oversubscription priorities, as it is reviewed each year.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exams at The Norton Knatchbull School?

You do not register with Norton Knatchbull itself. Registration for the Kent Test is completed on the Kent County Council website, and Kent does not accept late entries.

Make sure you check the Kent County Council website for the current registration link, as the exact process is confirmed there each year.

The application process is:

• Register your son for the Kent Test with Kent County Council between 1 June and 1 July 2026
• Sit the Kent Test in September 2026, either at his Kent primary school or, for out-of-county and home-educated children, at a test centre
• Complete the Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF), naming The Norton Knatchbull School, by 31 October 2026
• Receive your offer on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for The Norton Knatchbull School?

Every boy applying to Norton Knatchbull sits the same county-wide Kent Test, made up of two multiple-choice papers and a separate writing task.

The two papers are:

• Paper 1 (English and maths) – about an hour, in two sections. Each section starts with a short practice exercise before a timed 25-minute test.
• Paper 2 (verbal and non-verbal reasoning) – about an hour, split into a verbal reasoning section and a non-verbal reasoning section of roughly equal length.

There is also a writing task of 40 minutes, including about 10 minutes for planning. This is not scored as part of the Kent Test result; it is kept on file and only looked at by a headteacher panel if a child is referred for a closer look.

Multiple-choice answers go on a separate answer sheet that is read by a machine, not written in the question booklet itself.

A rough guide to topics covered:

• Maths – arithmetic, fractions, decimals and percentages, measurement, geometry, statistics and word problems
• English – comprehension, spelling, punctuation and sentence completion
• Verbal reasoning – word and logic puzzles such as letter sequences, codes and hidden words
• Non-verbal reasoning – patterns, sequences, rotations and odd-one-out questions with shapes

The Norton Knatchbull School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Get comfortable with all four areas: English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The Kent Test covers every one of them, so keep them all ticking over rather than focusing on just your favourite.
• Use the short practice exercise at the start of each section properly! It is there to show you exactly what to do, so listen carefully and ask yourself if you understand before the timed section begins.
• Practise on a separate answer sheet. Getting used to finding the right box and shading it in properly means one less thing to think about on the day.
• Keep an eye on the clock. With about a question a minute in Paper 1, if you get stuck, mark your best answer and come back later if you have time.
• Plan before you write. In the writing task, a few minutes spent thinking of a beginning, middle and end will make your writing clearer.
• Don’t panic about one hard question! Move on, keep your pace steady, and come back to anything you have skipped if there is time left.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) The Norton Knatchbull School exam

Because every Kent grammar school uses the same county-wide test, preparing for Norton Knatchbull means preparing for the Kent Test itself: English, maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and the separate writing task.

The most useful way to prepare is to use practice tests that match this format, so your son gets used to working across all four subjects, transferring answers to a separate answer sheet, and keeping to time in each section. That familiarity is what stops the format itself being a surprise on the day.

For The Norton Knatchbull School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: