Simon Langton Girls Grammar School

## What to expect

Simon Langton Girls uses the Kent Test, which is sat by all grammar school candidates across Kent. The exam has three papers — Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English — each lasting 50 minutes with multiple-choice questions. There is no Non-Verbal Reasoning paper. The registration deadline is usually late June for the September sitting. You'll find practice materials on the GL Assessment website and through Kent County Council.

## How hard is it?

Simon Langton Girls is a competitive grammar school that attracts well-prepared candidates from across Canterbury and East Kent. The papers sit at or slightly above the standard difficulty level for Kent Test papers — harder than average, but not as extreme as the most selective schools. The main challenge is vocabulary: the Verbal Reasoning section rewards children with a wide reading background, and you'll see more sophisticated words than in standard practice papers. Maths is fairly straightforward GL-standard, though multi-step word problems require careful reading. English comprehension includes literary passages and poetry, with trickier inference and language-technique questions — again, wide reading helps here.

## Time and preparation tips

Time pressure is moderate rather than severe, but children who read slowly or get stuck on difficult vocabulary can feel rushed. The best preparation is to read widely with your child, go beyond standard vocabulary lists, and practise applied maths problems rather than just arithmetic drills. Make sure they're comfortable with inference questions and can analyse how writers use language.

#### Key dates — checked October 2026 - Kent Test 2026 (for September 2027 entry): sat 10 September 2026; results emailed 15 October 2026. - Threshold context: for 2026 entry the qualifying standard was a total of 332 across English, Maths and Reasoning, with no paper below 108. The threshold is reset each year after marking. - Next cycle (September 2028 entry): registration expected early June – early July 2027 via kent.gov.uk/ola; test early September 2027 (dates not yet published). - CAF deadline: 31 October; National Offer Day: 1 March.