The Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys has its own admissions pattern, and the right preparation follows it. This Canterbury school selects entirely on the Kent Test, so the smartest plan is to prepare for exactly how the Kent Test is built and scored rather than for 11+ practice in general. This guide covers what the school is, how selection works, precisely what to practise, a realistic Year 4 to Year 6 timeline, and how to keep a calm head on test day.
About The Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
Simon Langton Boys is one of two grammar schools in Canterbury bearing the Langton name, with a particular strength in physics. It is a boys' academy grammar with a mixed sixth form, founded in 1881, and selection is by the Kent Test. Kent runs the largest fully-selective system in England, with 32 state grammar schools, so places here are competitive and the test date comes early. If your son enjoys science and problem-solving, the school's physics reputation is a genuine draw, but every applicant travels the same route in: the Kent Test.
- Location: Canterbury, Kent
- Intake: Boys (Mixed Sixth Form)
- Founded: 1881
- Type: Academy Grammar
- Admissions test: Kent Test (GL Assessment)
You can read the full school profile on Quest Arena, and always confirm this year's admissions policy, catchment rules and open-day dates on the school's own site at thelangton.org.uk. For how the school sits within Kent's wider grammar landscape, our grammar school directory is the quickest overview.
How selection works at The Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
Entry is decided by the Kent Test, sometimes called the Kent PESE (Procedure for Entry to Secondary Education). The Kent Test is set by GL Assessment and sat in early September at the start of Year 6, before secondary applications close in late October. Children usually take it at their own primary or a nearby test centre, and results arrive in mid-October so families know the outcome before naming schools on the common application form.
The Kent Test is made up of GL papers covering three areas:
- English — comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Maths — Key Stage 2 arithmetic and problem-solving, roughly up to the Year 5 curriculum.
- Reasoning — combining Verbal Reasoning (VR) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR).
GL papers are multiple-choice, answered on a separate sheet, tightly timed at around a minute per question, with no calculator. Every raw score is converted to an age-standardised score, so a summer-born boy is not penalised for being younger than an autumn-born classmate: the same raw mark earns a slightly higher standardised score for a younger child. The scale centres on 100 for the age-group average. Kent combines the standardised scores into an aggregate and applies a threshold with a floor on each area, meaning a child generally must clear an overall total and not fall too low in any single component. The exact figures shift year to year, so we will not quote a fixed pass mark here — the school's site and Kent County Council publish the current rule. There is also a head-teacher assessment route for children who narrowly miss but whose school evidence suggests they are of grammar ability.
What to practise for this test
Because the Kent Test is GL, the syllabus is stable and published, so type-by-type practice pays off directly. Drill each question type until it is automatic, then rehearse under the clock. Free, no-account-needed practice for every one of these lives on Quest Arena.
- Verbal Reasoning: the roughly 21 GL types — codes, letter sequences, hidden words, analogies, odd-one-out, closest-meaning and opposites, compound words, move-a-letter, number series and logic puzzles. Vocabulary is the single best predictor of VR and comprehension scores, so build a word a day into daily reading.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning: series, matrices, analogies, odd-one-out, reflections, rotations and cube nets. These are pattern-spotting skills that improve quickly with repetition.
- English: timed comprehension plus spelling, punctuation and grammar accuracy.
- Maths: fast, accurate arithmetic, fractions, percentages, tables to 12x12 and multi-step word problems.
Start with our GL Assessment practice papers, then use the free worksheet library to strengthen whichever subject a first timed paper exposes as weakest. When your son is comfortable with individual types, move to full-length timed mock papers and, in the final stretch, centre-specific Kent mocks that mirror the real format and timings.
A realistic preparation timeline
The best preparation is early, gentle and consistent — not a last-minute cram. No invented dates here; always check the current windows on the school's site and our key dates page.
- Year 4: daily reading of varied, slightly-stretching books, times tables to 12x12, and everyday mental maths. No formal papers yet — the goal is a strong, curious reader who enjoys numbers.
- Year 5 autumn: begin 15 to 20 minutes of daily topic practice using the free worksheets, introducing one VR and one NVR type at a time so nothing feels overwhelming.
- Year 5 spring — register: Kent Test registration typically opens in the spring and closes over the summer before the September test. Put the deadline in the calendar now; missing it is the most avoidable way to lose a place.
- Year 5 summer into early Year 6: one full timed mock a week. Review errors far more carefully than scores — a mistake understood is worth more than a mark gained.
- Final six weeks: switch to centre-specific Kent papers, rehearse the separate-answer-sheet routine, and taper the workload in the last few days so your son arrives fresh, not frazzled.
On the day and after
By September your son should have sat enough timed papers at the kitchen table that the real hall feels like the eleventh, not the first. On the morning, keep the routine ordinary: a good breakfast, the right equipment, and a calm walk in. Remind him of the practical habits that win marks under GL timing:
- Answer on the separate sheet carefully — a slipped row can misalign every answer after it.
- Do not stall on one hard question; mark a sensible answer, move on, and return if time allows.
- Because there is no penalty for a wrong guess on multiple-choice, never leave a blank.
- Watch the clock across sub-sections so the last third of each paper is not rushed.
Afterwards, results usually arrive in mid-October, in time to name schools on the common application form. Whatever the outcome, praise the effort and the months of steady work rather than the number. If your son narrowly misses, ask the school and the local authority about the head-teacher assessment and appeal routes. For structured revision between now and then, our revision hub keeps the plan on track.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Kent Test GL or CEM?
It is GL Assessment. CEM's separate paper 11+ was discontinued around 2022 to 2023, and Kent uses GL papers — multiple-choice, separately timed, with an OMR answer sheet.
What subjects does Simon Langton Boys test?
The Kent Test covers English, Maths and Reasoning, with Reasoning made up of Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. There is no separate written creative-writing paper as in some other counties.
When is the Kent Test taken?
In early September at the start of Year 6, with registration closing over the preceding summer and results issued in mid-October. Confirm exact dates on the school's official website each year.