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The Harvey Grammar School 11+ entrance test
The Harvey Grammar School is a boys’ state grammar school in Folkestone for ages 11 to 18. Children applying for a Year 7 place sit the Kent Test. This page explains that test and how to prepare. Admission rules change, so always check the school’s own admissions policy.
Note: The school is reported to accept the Shepway Test, a local alternative run with The Folkestone School for Girls, as well as the Kent Test. Sources differ on the details, so check the school’s admissions policy. Check the school’s website for the latest.
School at a glance
- School
- Boys’ state grammar school
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Area
- Folkestone (Kent)
- Website
- www.harveygs.kent.sch.uk
Source: Get Information about Schools (Department for Education), read 1 November 2026. NITU is not connected with the school.
The test
What we know about the Kent Test. Each detail is labelled with where it comes from.
- Published
- English and maths come first, each section a 5-minute practice then 25 minutes; then verbal and non-verbal reasoning, with non-verbal in short timed sections. A 40-minute writing task follows. This follows the Kent Test description published by Kent County Council.
- Published
- Answers go on a separate answer sheet.
- Reported
- Answers are multiple choice and machine marked. Standardised scores are given for each section plus a total; the 2027-entry pass standard was a total of 345 or more with no section score under 111, and 2028 figures are not yet published.
- Reported
- The Kent Test moves to a new provider (Quest) for the test taken in 2027; Kent County Council says the format will stay the same.
- Not published
- Question counts in each section, verbal and non-verbal timings, the mix of question types and five answer options are not published. Our practice uses English 25, maths 25, verbal reasoning 30 and non-verbal reasoning 20.
The 40-minute writing task (10 minutes planning, 30 minutes writing) is not marked, but a panel of headteachers may use it when a family asks for a headteacher assessment.
Check with Kent County Council’s Kent Test page and each school’s admissions page before relying on any detail.
Other schools that use this test
- Barton Court Grammar School, Canterbury
- Borden Grammar School, Sittingbourne
- Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School, Ramsgate
- Cranbrook School, Cranbrook
- Dane Court Grammar School, Broadstairs
- Dartford Grammar School, Dartford
- Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Dartford
- Dover Grammar School for Boys, Dover
- Dover Grammar School for Girls, Dover
- Gravesend Grammar School, Gravesend
- Highsted Grammar School, Sittingbourne
- Highworth Grammar School, Ashford
- Invicta Grammar School, Maidstone
- Maidstone Grammar School, Maidstone
- Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Maidstone
- Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend
- Oakwood Park Grammar School, Maidstone
- Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Faversham
- Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School, Canterbury
- Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, Canterbury
- Sir Roger Manwood’s School, Sandwich
- The Folkestone School for Girls, Folkestone
- The Judd School, Tonbridge
- The Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford
- The Skinners’ School, Tunbridge Wells
- Tonbridge Grammar School, Tonbridge
- Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells
- Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Tunbridge Wells
- Weald of Kent Grammar School, Tonbridge
- Wilmington Grammar School for Boys, Dartford
- Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, Dartford
How to prepare
- Practise filling in a separate answer sheet, so marking the right box becomes automatic and no time is lost on test day.
- Learn the verbal reasoning question types one at a time, then mix them. Vocabulary grows fastest through wide reading.
- For non-verbal reasoning, check one feature at a time (shape, number, shading, size, position, direction) and rule options out.
- Spatial questions (rotations, reflections, cube nets) improve with hands-on practice: fold paper nets and turn shapes on the table.
- Practise a timed piece of writing every week or two: five minutes planning, then a clear opening, middle and ending.
- Sit full mock tests under timed conditions only every week or two, and spend the time in between on the question types that cost marks.
Read our full guide to this test.
Practice papers for this test
Original mock papers based on the published format, with answers explained. Every option has a free sample.
Four full mock tests with answer sheets, explanations and a parent guide.
Four more full mock tests in the same format as Set 1, with new questions throughout, answer sheets, answers and the parent guide.
A revision handbook for the Kent Test: 92 lessons teaching the methods for maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, with worked examples, practice questions, must-know lists and a 12-week plan.
Everything for this test in one download: Set 1 and Set 2 (eight full mock tests) and the revision handbook. £39.97 if bought separately.
Questions parents ask
Which 11+ test does The Harvey Grammar School use?
Children applying for a Year 7 place sit the Kent Test. Arrangements can change from year to year, so check the school’s admissions policy.
Is The Harvey Grammar School a boys’, girls’ or mixed school?
The Department for Education’s register lists it as a boys’ school for ages 11 to 18. It has a sixth form. Some schools admit other pupils into the sixth form, so check the school’s website.
Does a good test score guarantee a place?
No. A test score on its own does not guarantee a place. Places are offered under the school’s admission rules, which can include a qualifying score, distance or other criteria. Read the school’s admissions policy for the year you are applying.
Are your papers produced by the school?
No. NITU is independent. Our papers are original practice material based on the published format of the test; they are not produced or endorsed by The Harvey Grammar School or any test provider.
Sources: check these yourself
The facts on this page come from these official pages. Use them to check anything before you rely on it.
- Department for Education register: The Harvey Grammar School
- The Harvey Grammar School: school website
- Quest Assessments: guidance for the Shepway Test
- Kent County Council: the Kent Test
- Kent County Council: secondary admission arrangements 2027 to 2028 (PDF)
Links checked in November 2026. Schools and councils update their pages each year, and the school’s current admissions policy always comes first.