Quick answer
Read the Kent result in two stages. First, check whether the child has met Kent's published grammar assessment threshold for that year. Then check the admissions rules for the named schools, because the Kent result is not a school allocation.
- Kent standardises scores and makes a small age adjustment so younger children are not disadvantaged.
- For the 2025 threshold, Kent required a total score of 332 or more and no single score below 108.
- The threshold for the 2026 test cycle will not be known until Kent publishes it with results.
What the Kent result tells you
Kent reports three subject scores: English, maths and reasoning. It also reports the total aggregate score. That total is the number many parents notice first, but the individual scores matter because Kent can require both a total threshold and a minimum score in each section.
The most useful first reading is simple: did the result say the child was assessed as suitable for grammar school? If yes, you can move to the school list. If no, the grammar preference may still be named, but parents should understand what Kent says about refusal and appeal after allocation.
Why the aggregate score is not the whole answer
Suitable for grammar school
- What it means
- The child met Kent's published grammar assessment standard for that cycle.
- What to check
- Which Kent schools are realistic under their own admissions policies.
High total score
- What it means
- The child performed strongly in the Kent Test, but the score does not replace school rules.
- What to check
- Whether the target school uses score, distance, named areas, or another oversubscription route.
One weaker section
- What it means
- The total may look healthy while a section score still matters under Kent's threshold.
- What to check
- The official result wording, not just the aggregate number.
Example
A child meets the Kent threshold and the family names a popular school in West Kent. That result keeps the grammar route open. It does not answer whether the child sits inside the school’s priority area, whether the school ranks by score, or whether the journey from home makes sense every day.
Another child has a very strong aggregate score but is being considered for schools in different Kent towns. The score may make several schools possible on paper, but the practical comparison is still local: Dartford and Wilmington are not the same decision as Tonbridge, Maidstone or Canterbury.
What to check before using the score on the CAF
-
The result wording
Use the official result to confirm whether Kent assessed the child as suitable for grammar school.
-
The named school's admissions policy
Kent grammar schools do not all use scores in the same way.
-
The local school group
Keep Dartford, West Kent, Maidstone and East Kent comparisons separate until the journey and policy details line up.
-
A realistic non-grammar preference
The CAF should still include schools the family would accept if a grammar offer is not made.