How to prepare for the King's School, Rochester 11+

The exam at a glance

King’s School Rochester is an independent school for children aged 2 to 18, with boarding from age 11, and its Senior School admissions information says entry is assessed by the school rather than through a shared grammar-school test. For September 2028 entry into Year 7, ElevenReady’s verified information is that the assessment is the school’s own paper.

The important point for parents is that the school does not currently publish enough detail for us to describe the 2028 test format confidently. We therefore cannot responsibly label it as GL, CEM or any other style, and we cannot list tested subjects unless the school confirms them on its admissions pages for your child’s entry year.

What you can expect in broad terms is an admissions process run directly by the school, with assessment as part of the decision-making for Senior School entry. Independent schools often combine a paper-based or online assessment with school reports and, in some cases, an interview or taster activity, but you should treat those details as school-specific and check the current King’s School Rochester admissions page before registering.

For families planning ahead, the practical takeaway is simple:

assume the school will set and administer its own Year 7 entry assessment;
watch the admissions page for the published process for 2028 entry;
prepare your child broadly and steadily in core pre-teen skills rather than chasing an unconfirmed exam style.

If you want a live summary page to monitor, see The King's School, Rochester 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).

Registration and key dates

King’s School Rochester handles admissions directly through the school rather than through a local authority 11+ registration system. The school’s admissions pages include enquiry and visit routes and explain that families should apply to the school for entry.

For 2028 entry, we did not find a published Year 7 assessment timetable that we can verify for your child’s cohort. Because of that, it would not be responsible to give a precise registration opening date, deadline, test date or results date here.

What we can say, based on the school’s published admissions structure, is that parents should expect to:

make an enquiry with the admissions team and/or attend an open event;
complete the school’s application procedure directly with King’s School Rochester;
provide the documents the school asks for, typically including recent school information and basic applicant details;
follow the school’s instructions for any entrance assessment and subsequent offer stage.

If the school has not yet published 2028 dates when you read this, the safest approach is to contact admissions and ask when the Senior School Year 7 application window and assessment dates will be released. Independent schools vary quite a lot in timing, and some assess candidates well before the state-school National Offer Day cycle.

To avoid missing updates, you can bookmark The King's School, Rochester 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

As an independent school, King’s School Rochester does not operate in the same way as a state grammar school with a local-authority 11+ and published catchment score rules. We did not find an official published catchment area for Year 7 entry on the sources reviewed for this guide.

The school’s admissions information presents Senior School entry as a school-run admissions process. That usually means families apply directly to the school and places are offered according to the school’s published admissions criteria and the child’s suitability for entry, rather than through a local authority selective ranking system.

King’s School Rochester also offers boarding from age 11, which may matter if you are applying from further away, but parents should check directly with admissions how day and boarding applications are handled for the relevant year group.

We did not find a verified published figure for the exact number of Year 7 places available for 2028 entry, nor a published cut-off, pass mark or competition statistic for Year 7. If you need those details, ask the school directly and check the most recent admissions material on its website.

In practice, parents should focus on three things:

whether the school feels like the right academic and pastoral fit for their child;
whether the family is applying for a day place or exploring boarding;
whether the admissions team can confirm the current Year 7 process, likely applicant volumes and any priority arrangements.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because the school sets its own assessment and the exact format for 2028 entry is not yet confirmed, the best plan is broad, calm preparation. The aim is to build secure literacy, numeracy and reasoning habits without overloading your child. Below is a sensible schedule for a Year 5 pupil working towards an autumn assessment in Year 6.

January to March of Year 5

Keep preparation light: around 1 to 2 hours a week in total is enough.
Focus on reading fluency, vocabulary growth, accurate arithmetic and neat written work.
Read widely every day: fiction, non-fiction and short newspaper-style pieces.
Notice any gaps in times tables, fractions, punctuation or spelling and tidy those up first.

April to June of Year 5

Increase to 2 to 3 hours a week, split into short sessions.
Add gentle reasoning-style practice if your child enjoys it, but do not assume a particular exam board.
Begin short comprehension exercises and mental maths warm-ups.
Encourage your child to explain how they reached an answer, not just give it.

July to August before Year 6

Keep momentum without turning summer into a boot camp: about 2 to 4 hours a week is plenty for most children.
Use mixed practice: reading, arithmetic, vocabulary, short written responses and problem-solving.
If the school has by then published any format details, start shaping practice around them.
Do one or two longer sessions simply to build concentration, followed by proper rest.

September of Year 6

Move to 3 to 5 hours a week if the assessment is approaching that term.
Start timed work only once your child is reasonably secure with the basics.
Use short timed sections rather than constant full papers.
Review mistakes carefully: was it knowledge, speed, attention or nerves?

The final 2 to 4 weeks before the assessment

Keep practice purposeful, not frantic.
Use one or two realistic timed runs if you have suitable materials, but avoid doing full papers every day.
Prioritise sleep, routine, confidence and familiar question styles.
Stop heavy preparation the day before.

If your child is bright but anxious, do slightly less and keep the tone reassuring. If they are steady but slow, build timing gradually. Most children do better with consistent short practice than with long weekend marathons.

Subject by subject: what to practise

For this school, the exact tested subjects for 2028 entry are not yet confirmed in the official material we reviewed. That means the safest way to prepare is to cover the core skills most commonly used for selective independent-school entry, while checking the school’s admissions page regularly for confirmation.

English

Work on reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and clear written expression. Useful habits include reading a passage and summarising it in one or two sentences, explaining word meanings from context, and writing short answers that actually address the question asked. If your child does any creative or descriptive writing, encourage planning, paragraphing and careful checking rather than long, rushed pieces.

Mathematics

Keep arithmetic accurate and fluent: the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, measures and straightforward problem-solving. A good preparation routine mixes mental maths with written method practice. Ask your child to talk through their method, because secure mathematical thinking matters more than memorising one trick for one question type.

Reasoning and problem-solving

Even though the school has not confirmed a specific reasoning paper, broad reasoning practice can still help. This includes spotting patterns, following instructions carefully, comparing information, and solving unfamiliar short problems calmly. Choose age-appropriate tasks that reward logic and precision rather than speed alone.

Writing stamina and accuracy

If any written task forms part of assessment, children benefit from being able to produce neat, organised work under gentle time pressure. Practise planning first, writing clearly and leaving time to check punctuation, capital letters, verb endings and missed words.

Listening, interview or school-based assessment skills

Some independent-school admissions processes also look at how children communicate, listen and respond in person. We did not find a verified statement that this will be part of 2028 entry at King’s School Rochester, so do not build your whole preparation around it. Still, it helps if your child can answer simple questions about what they enjoy at school, what they are reading and why they would like to join a new school.

Practice papers and mock exams

Because King’s School Rochester uses its own assessment and the exact 2028 format is not yet confirmed, practice papers should be used as a skill-building tool, not as a promise of the exact test your child will see.

A sensible approach is:

start with untimed work to build confidence and method;
move to short timed sections once accuracy is sound;
mark work carefully and keep an error log;
redo mistakes a few days later, rather than just reading the answers;
use mocks sparingly, especially for children who are prone to worry.

Parents often get the best results by asking three questions after any paper: What did my child know well? What slowed them down? What should we practise next week?

You can use ElevenReady’s school-specific materials here:

If the school later publishes clearer subject or format information for 2028 entry, adjust your paper practice to match that official guidance rather than continuing with a very broad prep plan.

On the day

For a school-run assessment, practical calm matters as much as last-minute revision. Once King’s School Rochester sends the arrangements for your child’s assessment day, read them carefully and keep everything simple.

Check the reporting time, location and any ID or paperwork required the night before.
Make sure your child has the equipment the school asks for and knows how to use it comfortably.
Aim for a normal breakfast, not a “special” one that may upset routine.
Arrive with time to spare so the morning does not begin with rushing.
Keep your language steady: “Just try your best and listen carefully” is enough.

Remind your child of a few dependable habits:

read instructions slowly;
start with the question in front of you, not the whole paper in your head;
if stuck, move on and come back if allowed;
check simple errors before handing in;
one hard question does not mean a hard day.

After the assessment, try not to conduct a full post-mortem in the car. A snack, a rest and a normal afternoon usually help more than replaying every question.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For independent-school entry, the post-exam process is different from the state grammar-school system. King’s School Rochester runs its own admissions process, so results and offers come from the school rather than through a grammar-school ranking list.

We did not find a verified published results date or offer date for 2028 Year 7 entry. The school’s admissions team should be able to explain the order of events for your cohort, including when assessment outcomes are shared, whether interviews or further steps are used, and when offers are made.

In general, families should expect some version of the following:

the school reviews the assessment outcome alongside the application;
the admissions team communicates whether the child is being offered a place, placed on a waiting list or not offered a place;
if offered, parents complete the school’s acceptance steps by the deadline given.

Appeals at independent schools are not the same as statutory admission appeals for state schools. If your child is not offered a place and you want feedback or reconsideration routes, ask the school directly about its procedure.

If you are also applying to state schools, keep a separate calendar for those deadlines, because the systems are independent and can run on different timescales.

What has changed recently

We did not find a clearly announced recent change, within the last two years, to the published Year 7 assessment format, catchment rules or admissions timetable for King’s School Rochester that we can verify from official sources for this guide.

The most important live point is not a confirmed change but a lack of detailed published 2028 assessment information at this stage. Parents should therefore rely on the school’s own admissions page and admissions team for the current Year 7 process rather than assuming it will mirror another independent school or a local grammar-school test.

Frequently asked questions

Does King's School Rochester use the Medway Test or Kent Test?

No published source we reviewed suggests that Year 7 entry is through the Medway or Kent grammar-school test. King’s School Rochester is an independent school and runs its own admissions process.

What subjects are in the King's School Rochester 11+?

For 2028 entry, the exact tested subjects are not confirmed in the official material we reviewed. Check the school’s admissions page for the current Year 7 assessment details before you plan subject-specific preparation.

Is there a catchment area for King's School Rochester?

We did not find an official published catchment area for Year 7 entry. As an independent school, it does not operate like a state grammar school with standard local-authority catchment rules.

When should my child start preparing?

For most children, a gentle start in Year 5 is sensible. Begin with reading, vocabulary, arithmetic and short problem-solving, then increase practice gradually once the school publishes more detail about the assessment.

How much preparation is realistic each week?

For a Year 5 child, 1 to 3 hours a week is often enough at first, rising to around 3 to 5 hours closer to the assessment if needed. Short, regular sessions usually work better than long cramming sessions.

Will there be an interview?

We did not find a verified published statement confirming an interview for 2028 Year 7 entry. Ask the admissions team directly whether interviews or other in-person assessment steps form part of the current process.

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Sources

King's School Rochester website: The school is an independent school offering education from age 2 to 18, with Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form provision; boarding is available from age 11; admissions are handled directly by the school.
King's School Rochester admissions: Applications and admissions are run directly by the school; families should use the school's admissions routes rather than a local authority 11+ registration system.
King's School Rochester Senior School: Year 7 is part of Senior School entry; the school presents Senior School admissions information on its own site.

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Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 20 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.