Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus: Exam & Preparation Guide
Holcombe Grammar School uses the Kent Medway 11 Plus for selective Year 7 entry. The Medway Test assesses English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning across three papers, with Learning Street’s existing Holcombe information also identifying an extended writing task. This guide explains the Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus exam format, what it means for preparation, and how Learning Street’s GL courses and Kent Medway mock exams can help your child prepare effectively.
Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| School | Holcombe Grammar School |
| Area | Kent Medway |
| Entrance test | Kent Medway 11 Plus / Medway Test |
| Exam format | GL 11 Plus |
| Paper 1 | English |
| Paper 2 | Mathematics |
| Paper 3 | Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning |
| Additional element | Extended writing task |
Information and Mock Exam review: The information on this page and Learning Street’s Holcombe Grammar School mock exams are reviewed against the latest reliable information available about the Holcombe Grammar School entrance test.
Learning Street provides Kent Medway mock exams alongside structured GL courses covering the English, Maths and reasoning skills required for preparation.
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Exam Format | Mock Exams | Pass Marks | Preparation | Courses
Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus Exam Format
The Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus uses the Medway Test, consisting of three test papers: Paper 1 is English, Paper 2 is Mathematics, and Paper 3 contains Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
Paper 1 – English assesses literacy skills. Children need strong reading comprehension, vocabulary and technical English skills together with the ability to work accurately under test conditions.
Paper 2 – Mathematics assesses mathematical knowledge and problem solving. Secure KS2 foundations are important, but children also need to apply their knowledge flexibly rather than simply completing familiar calculations.
Paper 3 – Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning combines language-based and visual reasoning. Children therefore need to be comfortable switching between quite different styles of problem solving while maintaining concentration and accuracy.
Learning Street’s existing Holcombe Grammar School information also identifies an extended writing task as part of the assessment. Learning Street’s Kent Medway mock packs focus on the three English, Mathematics and Reasoning papers and do not include this writing task.
What Does the Holcombe Grammar School Exam Format Mean for Preparation?
The breadth of the Medway Test means Holcombe Grammar School preparation should develop English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning rather than relying heavily on one strong area.
English and Verbal Reasoning are closely connected through vocabulary. A child may understand the reasoning method required by a question but still struggle if unfamiliar words make the relationship difficult to identify.
Maths preparation should begin with secure KS2 foundations. Times tables, mental Maths and the four operations should become reliable before children move towards more demanding problem solving and substantial timed work.
Non-Verbal Reasoning requires children to analyse visual information carefully. They should learn to inspect changes involving features such as shape, number, position, direction, rotation, reflection and shading rather than relying on guesswork.
The extended writing task requires a different type of preparation. Children need to be able to generate ideas, organise them into a coherent response and maintain accurate spelling, punctuation and sentence control.
A sensible progression is therefore core literacy and numeracy → vocabulary and reasoning skills → accuracy → flexible application → revision → timed work → realistic mock exams.
Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus Mock Exams and Practice Papers
Learning Street researches the known Kent Medway 11 Plus format, paper length and timings when producing its Kent Medway mocks. We also provide realistic answer sheets, invigilation instructions and guidance on when time should be called so parents can reproduce the practical demands of the test at home as closely as possible.
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
Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus Pass Marks and Scores
Learning Street’s current Holcombe Grammar School preparation information does not provide one fixed raw practice-paper percentage that should be treated as a permanent Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus pass mark.
A percentage achieved on a Learning Street Kent Medway mock should therefore be used primarily to measure preparation and progress rather than treated as equivalent to an official Medway Test result.
An overall percentage can also hide important differences between the individual papers. A child may appear to be performing strongly overall while consistently losing marks through weaker comprehension, a particular Maths topic, vocabulary or one type of reasoning.
Learning Street’s detailed answers are most useful when they help identify whether marks are being lost because of knowledge gaps, accuracy, timing or exam technique.
Parents can then work on the weaker areas before using another fresh mock to assess whether performance improves under test conditions.
How to Prepare for the Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus
Effective Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus preparation should develop secure underlying English, Maths and reasoning skills before children rely heavily on complete mock exams.
Learning Street’s approach is to build the core skills first, consolidate them through revision and then introduce progressively more timed work as the Medway Test approaches.
English Preparation
English preparation should develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Children should become comfortable reading unfamiliar material carefully while still working efficiently. Regular reading should be supported by structured comprehension work so children learn to retrieve information, interpret wording precisely and distinguish between closely related possible answers.
Vocabulary development is especially valuable because stronger word knowledge supports both the English paper and Verbal Reasoning.
Maths Preparation
Maths preparation should begin with secure KS2 knowledge. Times tables, mental Maths and the four operations should become accurate and reliable before significant time pressure is introduced.
Children should then progress towards mixed problems where they must decide independently which mathematical method is required.
This develops flexible problem solving rather than dependence on questions being organised into familiar topics. Accuracy should come before speed, with timed practice becoming increasingly useful once the core methods are secure.
Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Verbal Reasoning combines language knowledge with logical thinking.
Children should learn reliable techniques for different word, letter, code and relationship questions rather than simply memorising solutions to familiar examples.
Vocabulary development is central to this preparation. Even where a child understands the reasoning technique, unfamiliar words can make otherwise manageable questions considerably more difficult.
New vocabulary should therefore be learnt systematically and revisited throughout preparation.
Non-Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Non-Verbal Reasoning requires careful analysis of visual information.
Children should develop a systematic approach to checking features such as shape, number, position, direction, rotation, reflection and shading.
This helps them transfer their reasoning skills to unfamiliar questions rather than relying on whether a problem resembles one they have previously completed.
Writing Preparation
Learning Street’s existing Holcombe Grammar School information also identifies an extended writing task within the assessment.
Children should therefore have experience planning and completing a coherent piece of writing within a limited period.
Preparation should develop organisation, vocabulary, sentence control, spelling and punctuation alongside the ability to generate and organise ideas efficiently.
Learning Street’s Kent Medway mock packs do not include the writing task, so writing preparation should be completed separately where required.
Building Exam Technique and Stamina
Once the underlying subject skills are secure, children should gradually complete more work under timed conditions.
The Medway Test requires children to move between English, Maths and different forms of reasoning. They therefore need to develop concentration, time management and the ability to recover quickly from a difficult question rather than allowing one problem to disrupt the rest of a paper.
Learning Street’s Kent Medway mocks can then be used to bring these skills together under realistic test-style conditions.
View the Kent Medway 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Which Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus Course Should You Choose?
Learning Street offers three main GL preparation routes for children preparing for the Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus: Complete, Enhance and Boost.
These programmes develop Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning through structured learning, revision and timed testing.
Because Learning Street’s existing Holcombe information also identifies an extended writing task, the Creative Writing Course can be used alongside the main GL programme where additional structured writing preparation is required.
The most suitable main programme depends mainly 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 the most comprehensive preparation route. It contains 40 structured parts covering Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
The programme includes more than 60 timed papers and tests, full answers with detailed explanations and additional work focused on core skills such as vocabulary development and improving accuracy in English and Maths.
It is most suitable where there is enough time to develop the underlying skills progressively before moving towards substantial revision and increasingly timed work.
The Complete GL 11 Plus Programme
Focused Complete options are also available:
Complete – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Complete – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Enhance GL — 15–30 Weeks
Learning Street’s Enhance GL programme provides a shorter 20-part preparation route while continuing to cover Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
The programme contains more than 35 timed papers and tests alongside structured learning and detailed answers. It maintains a strong focus on developing underlying skills rather than relying on repeated test practice alone.
Enhance is most suitable where there is still enough time for substantial structured preparation but not enough time to complete the full 40-part Complete programme properly.
Focused Enhance options are also available:
Enhance – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Enhance – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Boost GL — 6–15 Weeks
Learning Street’s Boost GL programme is the shortest full preparation route. It contains 10 intensive parts covering Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
The programme contains more than 25 timed papers and tests while continuing to concentrate on core skills such as vocabulary development and working accurately in Maths and English.
Boost is designed for families beginning focused Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus preparation later and needing to concentrate the main learning and testing into a shorter period.
Focused Boost options are also available:
Boost – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Boost – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
For additional preparation for the extended writing task:
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
Starting Earlier?
If your child is still developing the literacy and numeracy foundations needed before dedicated Holcombe Grammar School 11 Plus preparation begins, Learning Street’s primary-school course chooser can help you select an appropriate starting point.
Primary School – Course Chooser for Younger Children
Already Completed Substantial Preparation?
Learning Street’s 11 Plus Revision Course – GL is suitable for children who have already completed substantial 11 Plus preparation through books, tutoring or another programme but now want a structured period of revision.
It should not normally be completed after one of Learning Street’s Complete, Enhance or Boost programmes because some of the material overlaps.
Also Sitting Independent School Exams?
Children also sitting independent-school entrance tests may need additional preparation in subjects or formats beyond the Holcombe Grammar School Medway Test.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
11 Plus Maths Stretch and Revision
Current Holcombe Grammar School Admissions Information
Admissions arrangements can change from year to year. For general guidance on 11 Plus preparation and Learning Street courses, use the Learning Street FAQs below.
