Chatham Grammar 11 Plus: Exam & Preparation Guide
Chatham Grammar is a mixed selective grammar school in Chatham, Medway. Children can qualify for consideration through either the Medway Test or the Kent Test. This guide focuses primarily on the Medway Test route, which consists of separate English, Mathematics and Reasoning papers and is the format covered by Learning Street’s current Kent Medway mock exams. It explains the Chatham Grammar 11 Plus format, what its demands mean for preparation, and how Learning Street’s GL courses and Kent Medway mocks can help your child prepare effectively.
Chatham Grammar 11 Plus at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| School | Chatham Grammar |
| Location | Chatham, Medway |
| School type | Mixed selective grammar school |
| Primary selection route | Medway Test |
| Alternative qualification route | Kent Test – children assessed as suitable for grammar school through either test can be considered |
| Medway Test provider | GL Assessment |
| Exam structure | Three multiple-choice papers: English, Mathematics and Reasoning |
| English | Comprehension, punctuation and grammar |
| Mathematics | Mathematical knowledge and problem solving |
| Reasoning | Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning |
| Scoring | Age-standardised and weighted, with English and Mathematics each carrying twice the weighting of Reasoning |
Information and Mock Exam Review: The information on this page and Learning Street’s Kent Medway 11 Plus mock exams are reviewed against the latest reliable information available about the Medway Test used as a selection route for Chatham Grammar.
Chatham Grammar is unusual among Medway grammar schools because children can be considered if they are assessed as suitable for grammar school through either the Medway Test or the Kent Test. Learning Street’s Kent Medway mocks are specifically designed around the Medway Test route described on this page.
View Chatham Grammar’s latest admissions information
View Medway Council’s current Medway Test information
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Exam Format | Mock Exams | Pass Marks | Preparation | Courses
Chatham Grammar 11 Plus Exam Format
The Medway Test route for Chatham Grammar consists of three GL Assessment multiple-choice papers covering English, Mathematics and Reasoning, with the Reasoning paper including Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning.
The English paper has 30 minutes of marked test time and covers comprehension, punctuation and grammar. Children need to read accurately and efficiently while recognising fine differences between possible answers.
The Mathematics paper has 50 minutes of marked test time. It assesses mathematical knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge accurately to different problems.
The Reasoning paper has 45 minutes of marked test time. It includes Verbal Reasoning together with Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning. The Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning elements are divided into individually timed sections, while Verbal Reasoning forms a further timed section.
Children therefore need to be comfortable following formal instructions and moving between separately controlled sections rather than managing the entire Reasoning paper completely independently.
Unlike historic versions of the Medway Test, the current assessment does not contain an extended writing paper.
What Does the Chatham Grammar Exam Format Mean for Preparation?
The Medway Test requires children to combine secure literacy and numeracy with verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning while adapting to three substantially different papers.
English has significant importance because its standardised score is doubled when the final weighted Medway Test score is calculated. Children therefore need efficient comprehension skills alongside secure punctuation, grammar and vocabulary.
Mathematics carries the same doubled weighting. Secure KS2 knowledge and arithmetic fluency are important because children need enough time and mental capacity to solve less familiar problems rather than becoming slowed down by routine calculations.
Reasoning contributes a smaller proportion of the final weighted score but still requires preparation across several different skills. Verbal Reasoning benefits strongly from vocabulary development, while Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning require systematic recognition of changes involving shapes, position, rotation, reflection and movement.
The individually timed Reasoning sections also make instruction-following and section management particularly important. Once the underlying skills are secure, children should progressively practise working under the specific timing demands of the Medway Test.
Can Chatham Grammar Applicants Take the Kent Test Instead?
Yes. Chatham Grammar’s admissions arrangements also allow children assessed as suitable for grammar school through the Kent Test to be considered for admission.
The Kent Test is a different assessment from the Medway Test, so families choosing that route should prepare for the Kent Test format rather than assuming that Kent Medway mock papers reproduce it.
Learning Street has separate Kent mock exams for families specifically preparing for the Kent Test:
View Learning Street’s Kent 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle
Chatham Grammar 11 Plus Mock Exams and Practice Papers
Learning Street currently covers the Medway Test route for Chatham Grammar through its Kent Medway 11 Plus Mock Exam Packs 1–4.
These mocks follow the current three-paper Medway structure:
Paper 1 – English
Paper 2 – Mathematics
Paper 3 – Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning
Learning Street’s Kent Medway mocks are researched around the current Medway Test structure and subject content rather than being generic GL mock papers.
Each pack includes realistic answer sheets, detailed parent and invigilation instructions, guidance on running the tests under timed conditions and detailed answers for reviewing performance afterwards.
The four Kent Medway mock exams contain different questions, allowing children to complete several realistic mock experiences without simply repeating the same material.
Pack 1 | Pack 2 | Pack 3 | Pack 4
Save 20% – Buy all four for £48
Kent Medway 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Chatham Grammar 11 Plus Pass Marks and Standardised Scores
There is no permanent raw practice-paper percentage that guarantees qualification for Chatham Grammar through the Medway Test.
Each Medway Test paper produces a raw score, which is then age-standardised.
The standardised scores are weighted using the following structure:
English standardised score × 2
Mathematics standardised score × 2
Reasoning standardised score × 1
These values are combined to produce the child’s total weighted score.
The minimum weighted score required to be assessed as suitable for grammar school is set each year. It should therefore not be hard-coded as a permanent Chatham Grammar pass mark.
The threshold is designed around the proportion of the Medway cohort to be assessed as suitable for grammar school, so historic qualifying scores should not be treated as fixed future targets.
Commercial practice-paper percentages also cannot be converted directly into a Medway Test score because practice papers vary in difficulty and do not use the same age-standardisation process.
Being assessed as suitable for grammar school does not itself guarantee a place at Chatham Grammar. Where more eligible children apply than the school can admit, its published admissions and oversubscription criteria are used.
For preparation, mock-paper scores are therefore most useful for identifying progress and weaknesses across English, Mathematics and Reasoning rather than attempting to calculate an official Medway Test score from a raw percentage.
View Medway Council’s current Medway Test scoring information
How to Prepare for the Chatham Grammar 11 Plus
Effective preparation for Chatham Grammar through the Medway Test should first develop secure skills in English, Maths, Vocabulary, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning before progressively introducing revision, timed work and realistic Kent Medway mock exams.
Learning Street’s GL courses provide structured preparation across these underlying areas, while its Kent Medway mocks allow children to apply those skills within the three-paper structure of the current Medway Test.
English Preparation
English preparation should develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, punctuation and grammar.
Children have 30 minutes of marked test time, so they need to read unfamiliar material efficiently while remaining accurate enough to distinguish between closely matched possible answers.
English also carries double weighting in the final Medway Test score, making consistent literacy development particularly important.
Regular reading should therefore be combined with deliberate vocabulary, comprehension, punctuation and grammar work rather than relying solely on practice papers.
Maths Preparation
Maths preparation should develop secure KS2 knowledge alongside strong arithmetic fluency and problem-solving skills.
Children should become reliable with times tables, mental Maths and the four operations before increasingly tackling questions where they need to identify the appropriate method independently.
The Mathematics score is also doubled in the final Medway Test calculation, so preparation needs to develop both accuracy and the ability to sustain that accuracy across a 50-minute paper.
Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Verbal Reasoning requires children to understand and apply relationships involving words, letters, codes and logical rules.
A strong vocabulary is particularly valuable. Children may understand the method required by a question but still struggle if important words or verbal relationships are unfamiliar.
Preparation should therefore combine systematic Verbal Reasoning practice with continuing vocabulary development.
Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning Preparation
Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning require careful, systematic observation.
Children should learn to examine features such as shape, size, position, number, shading, rotation, reflection and spatial movement rather than selecting an answer simply because it looks plausible.
The current Medway Reasoning paper contains separately timed Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning sections. Preparation should therefore eventually include practice where children work within controlled sections and move on when instructed.
When your child is ready to apply these skills under realistic timed conditions, Learning Street’s Kent Medway mock exams provide structured practice based on the current three-paper Medway Test.
View the Kent Medway 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Which Chatham Grammar 11 Plus Course Should You Choose?
Learning Street currently offers three main GL preparation routes for children preparing for Chatham Grammar through the Medway Test: Complete, Enhance and Boost. These courses develop the English, Maths, Vocabulary, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning skills required for the current preparation route.
The most suitable route mainly depends on how much preparation time remains.
| Preparation time | Learning Street course | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30–40+ weeks | Complete GL | Our most comprehensive preparation |
| 15–30 weeks | Enhance GL | A shorter structured programme |
| 6–15 weeks | Boost GL | Focused preparation when less time remains |
Complete GL — 30–40+ Weeks
Learning Street’s Complete GL 11 Plus Programme is our most comprehensive preparation route. The 40-part programme develops Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning alongside extensive practice and progressively timed work.
The Complete GL 11 Plus Programme
Focused Complete options are also available:
GL Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
GL Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
The Complete Vocabulary Course
Enhance GL — 15–30 Weeks
Learning Street’s Enhance GL programme provides a shorter structured preparation route while still covering the main areas required for Medway Test preparation.
Focused Enhance options are also available:
11 Plus Enhance – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
11 Plus Enhance – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Boost GL — 6–15 Weeks
Learning Street’s Boost GL programme is our shortest full GL preparation route and is intended for families beginning focused preparation later.
Focused Boost options are also available:
11 Plus Boost – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
11 Plus Boost – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Starting Earlier?
If your child is still building the literacy and numeracy foundations needed before dedicated 11 Plus preparation begins, Learning Street’s primary-school course chooser can help you select the most appropriate starting point.
Primary School – Course Chooser for Younger Children
Already Completed Substantial Preparation?
Learning Street’s 11 Plus Revision Course – GL provides structured revision for children who have already covered the main 11 Plus material through books, tutoring or another programme.
It should not normally be added after completing one of Learning Street’s Complete, Enhance or Boost programmes because some material overlaps.
Also Sitting Independent School Exams?
Children also sitting independent-school entrance tests may need additional preparation beyond the Medway Test.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
11 Plus Maths Stretch and Revision
Current Chatham Grammar Admissions Information
Chatham Grammar is a selective grammar school and now has a mixed Year 7 intake.
Children can be considered for admission if they have been assessed as suitable for grammar school through either the Medway Test or the Kent Test.
Passing either selection test does not automatically guarantee a place. Where there are more eligible applicants than available places, Chatham Grammar applies its published admissions and oversubscription criteria.
Test arrangements, qualifying thresholds, registration dates and admissions criteria can change. Families should therefore check Chatham Grammar, Medway Council and, where relevant, Kent County Council for the latest information before applying.
View Chatham Grammar’s latest admissions information
View Medway Council’s current Medway Test guidance
For general questions about the 11 Plus, preparation and Learning Street courses:
