Sitting the Kent 11 Plus from Outside Kent: The Opt-In Process Explained

Sitting the Kent Test from outside Kent is an option many families living near the county boundary are unaware of until late in the preparation process. Families living outside Kent can register. Neighbouring areas include Medway, East Sussex, Surrey and London boroughs such as Bexley and Bromley — that is not a closed list. Confirm current rules on kent.gov.uk. If they meet that year’s grammar assessment threshold, they can be considered for Kent grammar school places under each school’s published admissions rules — the same papers and scoring as Kent-resident children, not a guaranteed place.

What is the Opt-In Process?

All candidates — in-county, out-of-county and independent school — must register for the Kent Test through Kent County Council by the published deadline (typically early June to early July of Year 5). Confirm dates on kent.gov.uk and do not assume a school has registered your child automatically.

How to Register as an Opt-In Candidate

Registration is completed online through the Kent County Council admissions website. Parents need their child's full details, date of birth, current school, and home address at the time of application. There is typically no fee for registration. Once processed, opt-in candidates are assigned a test centre — which may be a Kent school within a reasonable distance, though the specific centre is allocated by the council rather than chosen by the family.

The Same Test and Scoring — No Disadvantage

Out-of-county candidates sit the same Kent Test papers and are scored on the same age-standardised English, maths and reasoning scales with the same grammar assessment threshold. There is no separate scoring system for out-of-county candidates — though test day is often a weekend sitting rather than a weekday school sitting.

Applying for a Grammar School Place as an Out-of-County Child

A grammar assessment makes the child eligible to be considered for Kent grammar schools. Submit the Common Application Form to your home local authority by 31 October. Check with that authority how many preferences you may list. Out-of-county families list Kent schools on their home LA form; Kent Test registration is separate and is done through Kent County Council. Out-of-county families who register for the Kent Test but then omit Kent schools from their home LA form will not be considered for those schools.

How a named school then allocates places — including whether home address, distance, or official scores are used — is in that school's policy. Confirm with the school. We do not say that out-of-county and in-county children are treated the same, and we do not publish cut-offs.

Realistic Assessment: Is the Opt-In Worth It for Your Family?

Before investing in preparation and registration, out-of-county families should confirm with the named school whether their address is likely to be considered under the current policy. We do not publish cut-off distances. Historical figures on forums are not this year's rule.

Key Takeaways