How to prepare for the Duke of Kent School 11+

The exam at a glance

Duke of Kent School is an independent co-educational day school in Surrey, and Year 7 is one of its main entry points. For Senior School entry, the school’s published admissions process says applicants for Year 7 sit a CAT4 assessment and attend an interview. The school also says applications are welcomed throughout the year, subject to availability.

For families aiming at September 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information is that the 2028 entry exam board is not yet confirmed. What is confirmed is the broad format currently used for first-round screening: an adaptive, computer-delivered screen of developed ability. In practice, that means children are usually tested through short, tightly timed on-screen tasks that focus on vocabulary, reasoning and mental arithmetic rather than a taught school syllabus. Questions typically become harder or easier depending on how a child is doing, so calm pacing matters.

The tested areas ElevenReady has verified for this school are Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, delivered on computer. Because the school’s own admissions page names CAT4 specifically, parents should think of the first stage less as a conventional handwritten paper and more as an ability-based assessment that helps the school decide who progresses to the next stage.

What does the day usually look like? Based on the school’s admissions information, families should expect:

Registration with the school, rather than through a local authority test portal.
An assessment session for the child.
An interview as part of the Year 7 admissions process.
Possible later assessment opportunities during the academic year if places remain available.

Because the school has not yet published a full 2028-entry schedule, treat the details for 2028 as provisional until the admissions page is updated.

Registration and key dates

Duke of Kent School runs its own admissions process. The school’s admissions page invites parents to register online and states that a registration fee is payable. The same page also says applications are welcomed throughout the year, subject to availability, which is helpful for families moving area or applying after the main round.

For verified fees, the school’s admissions process page states:

Registration fee: Nursery £150 (VAT exempt)
Registration fee: Reception and above £180 (including VAT)
Deposit for Senior School: £1000 for pupils joining Year 7 and above

For September 2028 entry, the school does not appear to have published a full set of dates yet. ElevenReady’s verified directory notes that for September 2027 entry, the assessment day was Thursday 5 November 2026, with further assessment opportunities during the remainder of the academic year if space was available. So, for 2028 entry, the safest wording is that testing is typically in early November, but parents should check the school’s admissions page directly because this year’s dates are not yet published.

In practical terms, parents should expect this process:

Submit the school’s registration form.
Pay the registration fee.
Wait for the school to confirm the assessment and interview arrangements.
If successful, complete acceptance paperwork and pay the deposit.

The school’s website does not clearly set out a public checklist of documents on the admissions page we found, so it is sensible to have the basics ready: your child’s details, current school information, parent contact details and any reports or supporting information the admissions team asks for.

Useful links for parents:

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Duke of Kent School is not a catchment-based grammar school. Its admissions information says it welcomes boys and girls from across Surrey and the surrounding areas. That matters because there is no published distance rule in the way many state selective schools have.

ElevenReady’s verified admissions information for this school says the priority order currently published is:

Sibling priority for children with a brother or sister already attending Duke of Kent School, subject to the usual entry criteria.
After that, places are offered in order of application.

The school’s own website describes Year 7 as a main entry point and explains that applicants are assessed for suitability through testing and interview. The school also states that applications are welcomed throughout the year, again subject to availability.

What the school does not appear to publish publicly is a fixed Year 7 intake number, a cut-off score, or a pass mark for the assessment. That is normal for many independent schools. If you want the latest position on availability, the best route is to contact the admissions team directly and watch the school’s admissions page for updates.

For families, the practical takeaway is this: Duke of Kent is looking for children who can cope well with its Senior School curriculum and who are likely to settle happily into the school community. Preparation should therefore focus on familiarity with the assessment style, clear thinking under time pressure and confident communication at interview, rather than chasing a published score threshold.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because the likely main assessment point is in the autumn of Year 6, most families do best with a steady build-up through Year 5 and the summer before Year 6. You do not need huge hours. Consistency matters much more than intensity.

January to March of Year 5

Keep it light: around 1 to 1.5 hours a week in short sessions. Start by building reading stamina, secure arithmetic facts and puzzle-style thinking. If your child is new to reasoning, begin with untimed practice so they can understand each task type without pressure.

Read widely and talk about word meanings.
Keep number bonds, tables and mental arithmetic fresh.
Introduce simple verbal and non-verbal reasoning exercises.
Use a computer sometimes, so screen work feels normal.

April to June of Year 5

Increase slightly to about 1.5 to 2 hours a week. This is a good point to make practice more structured. Rotate Maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning across the week.

Build vocabulary little and often.
Practise mental methods without writing every step down.
Work on recognising patterns quickly in shapes and sequences.
Begin short timed bursts, but keep most work untimed.

July to August before Year 6

Aim for 2 to 3 hours a week, broken into manageable chunks. Summer is ideal for improving confidence without school-day tiredness. This is also the stage to increase screen-based work if your child is more used to paper tasks.

Start mixing topics within one session.
Practise switching quickly from one question style to another.
Use short adaptive-style or tightly timed activities.
Keep one session each week just for reading and vocabulary.

September of Year 6

Move to about 3 hours a week. By now, your child should know the main question styles. The focus becomes pace, accuracy and emotional steadiness.

Introduce more timed sets.
Review errors carefully: was it knowledge, misreading or rushing?
Practise working on a screen without over-clicking or panicking.
Keep sessions short enough that concentration stays sharp.

October to the exam

Use 3 to 4 hours a week if your child is coping well, but do not overload them. This is the right time for fuller timed papers or mixed-topic assessment practice. Keep one day each week completely free.

Use realistic timed practice.
Revisit weaker areas, but do not try to relearn everything.
Practise interview conversation gently at home.
In the final week, reduce workload and protect sleep.

When should timed papers start? For most children, start short timed sections in late Year 5 or over the summer before Year 6, then move to fuller timed practice in September and October of Year 6.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

For this school, Maths preparation should focus less on long written methods and more on mental arithmetic, number sense and quick decision-making. Children need to recall number facts fast, choose efficient methods and stay accurate under time pressure.

Times tables and division facts to automatic level.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division mentally.
Fractions, decimals, percentages and simple ratio thinking.
Multi-step arithmetic where the challenge is choosing the method.
Short, timed mental maths bursts on screen.

Good practice means explaining why an answer makes sense, not just getting to it. Estimation is very useful here, because it helps children catch slips before moving on.

English

In an ability-style screen, English is often about vocabulary, comprehension of meaning and precise use of language rather than extended writing. Strong readers usually have an advantage, so regular reading matters.

Vocabulary building from fiction and non-fiction reading.
Understanding shades of meaning, synonyms and antonyms.
Careful reading of short passages or prompts.
Spotting the exact wording in a question.
Using context to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Keep a vocabulary notebook if your child enjoys it, but do not turn it into rote memorising. The best gains usually come from reading, discussion and meeting words repeatedly in context.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning tests how well a child works with language-based patterns and relationships. The exact task types for 2028 entry are not confirmed, but this area typically rewards careful reading, flexible thinking and strong vocabulary.

Word relationships and analogies.
Letter and number codes.
Finding rules in sequences.
Logical deductions from short pieces of information.
Quick scanning without losing accuracy.

To practise well, teach method first and speed second. Once your child recognises the common structures, you can gradually shorten the time allowed.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non-verbal reasoning usually looks at how well a child identifies patterns in shapes, images and spatial changes. It is very learnable once children know what transformations to look for.

Shape sequences and pattern rules.
Rotations, reflections and symmetry.
Odd-one-out tasks.
Visual analogies and matrices.
Breaking complex images into simple changes.

Encourage your child to describe what they can see: for example, whether a shape has turned, flipped, changed size or swapped shading. Clear language often leads to clearer thinking.

Practice papers and mock exams

For Duke of Kent School, practice works best when it is little and often, with a clear purpose. Because the assessment is likely to be computer-based and adaptive in style, do not rely only on traditional paper practice. Children need experience of reading from a screen, answering under time pressure and recovering quickly if one question feels hard.

Use practice papers in three stages:

Learn the task type untimed.
Do short timed sets once the method is secure.
Mix subjects together so your child practises switching attention.

After any paper or timed set, spend longer reviewing than testing. Ask:

Which questions were genuinely hard?
Which errors came from rushing?
Which topics need another week of light practice?
Did screen fatigue affect concentration?

Helpful ElevenReady resources:

If you use a mock exam, treat it as a rehearsal rather than a verdict. One mock can be useful for stamina, timing and nerves, but it should not dominate the whole preparation period.

On the day

The calmest children are not always the ones who prepared the most; they are usually the ones who know what the morning will feel like. Keep the routine simple.

The night before: pack anything the school has asked for, choose comfortable clothes and avoid late revision.
Breakfast: aim for something familiar and sustaining, not a treat that may upset routine.
Arrival: leave extra time so there is no sense of rushing.
Mindset: remind your child that adaptive tests often become difficult on purpose. A hard question does not mean they are doing badly.
During the assessment: read carefully, keep moving and do not let one awkward item spoil the next five.
For interview: encourage polite, natural conversation. The school is not looking for a rehearsed performance.

One very useful message for children is this: the test is trying to find the right level for you. That helps them see harder questions as part of the process, not as a sign that something has gone wrong.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For an independent school such as Duke of Kent, the post-exam process is different from a local-authority grammar school allocation round. The school assesses applicants, decides whom to offer places to, and then families choose whether to accept.

For Duke of Kent, the school’s admissions page confirms the broad process of assessment, interview and offer. It also says applications are welcomed throughout the year subject to availability, so families may not all hear on exactly the same national timetable used for state secondary admissions.

The school page we found does not publish a fixed public date for release of Year 7 results for 2028 entry, and it does not publish a formal appeals timetable in the way a state school admission authority would. If your child is not offered a place, the sensible next step is to speak directly to the admissions team, ask whether your child can remain under consideration should a place arise, and clarify whether any further assessment opportunity is possible later in the year.

If your child is offered a place and you wish to accept it, be ready to complete the school’s acceptance steps promptly. The school’s admissions information states that a £1000 deposit is required for pupils joining Year 7 and above.

What has changed recently

From the official information available, Duke of Kent School’s admissions page currently states that for September 2027 entry the assessment day was Thursday 5 November 2026, and that additional assessments may take place later in the academic year if spaces remain. For September 2028 entry, a full set of dates does not yet appear to be published.

The school’s published admissions process also continues to refer to CAT4 assessment and interview for Senior School entry. We did not find an official announcement on the school website of a change to Year 7 assessment format, catchment policy or place numbers within the last two years beyond the current admissions wording and fee information.

If the school publishes updated 2028-entry testing arrangements, that will be the key item for parents to watch, especially because ElevenReady’s verified information notes that the 2028 exam board is not yet confirmed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Duke of Kent School use the 11+ in the same way as a grammar school?

No. It is an independent school, so it runs its own admissions process rather than a local-authority grammar school system. For Year 7, the school says applicants sit a CAT4 assessment and have an interview.

Is there a catchment area for Duke of Kent School?

No catchment area is published. The school says it welcomes children from across Surrey and the surrounding areas.

When is the Duke of Kent School Year 7 assessment?

For 2028 entry, the school does not yet appear to have published dates. For 2027 entry, the assessment day was Thursday 5 November 2026, so early November is the best guide until the school updates its admissions page.

What should my child revise for Duke of Kent School?

Focus on Maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, with an emphasis on vocabulary, reasoning and mental arithmetic. Because the assessment is computer-based and adaptive in style, practise pace and confidence as well as accuracy.

Does Duke of Kent School publish a pass mark?

We did not find a published pass mark or cut-off score. If you want the latest detail on offers and availability, check directly with the school’s admissions team.

Is there an interview for Year 7 entry?

Yes. The school’s admissions process says Year 7 applicants sit a CAT4 assessment and attend an interview.

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Sources

Duke of Kent School admissions process: Year 7 is a main entry point; Senior School applicants sit CAT4 assessment and interview; applications welcomed throughout the year subject to availability; registration fee Nursery £150 VAT exempt; registration fee Reception and above £180 including VAT; deposit £1000 for pupils joining Year 7 and
Duke of Kent School website: Duke of Kent School is an independent co-educational day school in Surrey.

Preparing for other schools in Surrey

Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.