Medway 11 Plus: The Medway Test Guide (2027 Entry)
Medway is its own local authority next to Kent, with its own 11+ — the Medway Test — and six grammar schools. It is often confused with the Kent Test, but the paper structure, the dates and the qualifying score are all different. This guide covers the whole process for September 2027 entry.
Quick summary — Medway Test, 2027 entry
Get these right:
- Register on the Medway parent portal between 18 May and 12 June 2026 — the window is shorter and earlier than Kent's.
- If your child is not at a Medway primary or junior school, you're in the weekend test-centre group — plan travel accordingly.
- The qualifying score is a weighted figure, not a simple percentage — read each school's admissions policy for how places are then ranked.
What is the Medway Test?
The Medway Test is Medway Council's 11+ selection test, set by GL Assessment, for entry to Medway's grammar schools. One registration and one sitting covers all six schools; you ask for the result to be shared with each school you name on your application.
Medway sits next to Kent but is a separate local authority. The Kent Test and the Medway Test are not interchangeable — different papers, different dates, different qualifying scores.
The three Medway Test papers
- English — comprehension, punctuation and grammar. Around 30 minutes.
- Mathematics — Key Stage 2 content. Around 50 minutes.
- Reasoning — verbal reasoning and spatial / non-verbal reasoning combined. Around 45 minutes in total.
All three are GL-format. Timings and exact content can be adjusted between years, so confirm the current structure with Medway Council before building a study plan.
Medway's six grammar schools
- Rainham Mark Grammar School — co-educational, Gillingham
- The Rochester Grammar School — girls, Rochester
- Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School ("The Math") — boys, Rochester
- Fort Pitt Grammar School — Chatham (moving to co-educational from September 2026)
- Chatham Grammar — Chatham (moving to co-educational from September 2026)
- Holcombe Grammar School — Chatham (moving to co-educational from September 2026)
Several Medway grammars have been moving from single-sex to co-educational intakes, so check the current admission arrangements for the exact year your child would start.
Medway Test key dates for 2027 entry
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 9am, 18 May 2026 | Registration opens on the Medway parent portal |
| 5pm, 12 June 2026 | Registration closes |
| 15 & 16 September 2026 | Children at Medway primary/junior schools sit the test in school |
| 19 / 20 September 2026 | Children not at a Medway primary/junior school sit at a test centre |
| Mid-October 2026 | Results issued |
| 5pm, 31 October 2026 | Secondary application form deadline |
| 1 March 2027 | National offer day |
Qualifying ≠ a place
A qualifying score makes your child eligible to be considered. Each school then ranks its qualifying applicants using its own oversubscription criteria — looked-after children, siblings, distance or a designated area, and often a share of places for children eligible for the pupil premium.
You apply by naming the schools on your local authority's secondary application form by 31 October 2026, in genuine order of preference. If a place isn't offered, you can appeal to an independent panel and join the waiting list.
How to prepare
Weight your time toward reasoning and maths. The reasoning paper folds in both verbal and spatial/non-verbal questions, and the maths paper is the longest of the three — arithmetic fluency and a systematic approach to pattern questions both pay off.
Keep English sharp but efficient. At around 30 minutes, the English paper rewards quick, accurate comprehension and secure punctuation and grammar rather than extended writing.
See our verbal vs non-verbal reasoning guide for how the two reasoning types differ and how to practise each.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Medway Test for 2027 entry?
Children at Medway primary and junior schools sit it on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September 2026 in school. Children not at a Medway primary or junior school sit it at a test centre on Saturday 19 or Sunday 20 September 2026. Registration on the Medway parent portal runs from 9am on 18 May 2026 to 5pm on 12 June 2026, and results are issued in mid-October 2026.
What is on the Medway Test?
Three GL-format papers: English (comprehension, punctuation and grammar, about 30 minutes), Mathematics (about 50 minutes) and Reasoning (verbal plus spatial/non-verbal, about 45 minutes in total). Raw marks are age-standardised and combined into a single weighted score.
What score do you need to pass the Medway Test?
There is no fixed pass mark. Each paper is age-standardised, then weighted with English and Maths counting double and Reasoning counting once, to give a total weighted score. Children scoring in roughly the top 26% at Medway maintained schools are assessed as suitable for grammar, and the minimum qualifying weighted score is set each year against the cohort and confirmed with the results.
How many grammar schools are in Medway?
Six: Rainham Mark Grammar School, The Rochester Grammar School, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Fort Pitt Grammar School, Chatham Grammar and Holcombe Grammar School. Several are moving from single-sex to co-educational intakes, so check the current admission arrangements for your child's entry year.
Is the Medway Test the same as the Kent Test?
No. They are set by the same provider (GL Assessment) but Medway is a separate local authority with a different paper structure — English, maths and a single combined reasoning paper — plus its own registration window, test dates and qualifying score. A Kent Test result cannot be used for Medway grammar schools or vice versa.
Does a qualifying score guarantee a Medway grammar place?
No. It makes your child eligible. Each school then ranks qualifying applicants by its own oversubscription criteria — typically looked-after children, siblings, distance or a designated area, and a share of pupil-premium places. You must name the schools on your local authority application form, and can appeal and join a waiting list if a place isn't offered.
Related SharpY Mind resources
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Maths fluency, fast comprehension, and both kinds of reasoning. SharpY Mind drills all of it in short daily sessions.
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