The Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus: Exam & Preparation Guide
The Rochester Grammar School uses the Medway Test for grammar-school entry. The current GL assessment consists of three papers covering English, Mathematics and Reasoning, with Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning included within the Reasoning paper. This guide explains the current exam structure, what it means for preparation, and how Learning Street’s courses and Kent Medway mock papers can help your child prepare effectively.
The Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| School | The Rochester Grammar School |
| Area | Kent Medway |
| Entrance test | Medway Test |
| Exam provider | GL |
| Paper 1 | English |
| Paper 2 | Mathematics |
| Paper 3 | Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning |
| Our mocks | Kent Medway 11 Plus Mock Exams – Packs 1–4 |
Information and Mock Exam review: The information on this page and Learning Street’s Kent Medway mock exams are reviewed against the latest reliable information available about The Rochester Grammar School entrance test.
Our current Kent Medway mocks reproduce the three-paper English, Mathematics and Reasoning structure. The real Medway Reasoning paper also includes Spatial Reasoning, which is not currently included in our Kent Medway Mock Packs.
Quick Contents
Use the links below to jump straight to the section you need.
Exam Format | Mock Exams | Pass Marks | Preparation | Courses
The Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus Exam Format
The Rochester Grammar School uses the Medway Test, which consists of three separate papers: Paper 1 English, Paper 2 Mathematics and Paper 3 Reasoning, covering Spatial Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning.
Paper 1 — English
The English paper covers reading comprehension, punctuation and grammar.
Children therefore need strong reading skills alongside secure technical English knowledge and the ability to apply both accurately when working through an unfamiliar paper.
Paper 2 — Mathematics
The Mathematics paper covers mathematical knowledge and problem solving.
Preparation should develop secure KS2 mathematical foundations alongside the ability to identify independently which methods are needed when questions are presented in unfamiliar ways.
Paper 3 — Reasoning
The Reasoning paper covers Spatial Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning.
Children therefore need to develop both verbal problem-solving skills and systematic approaches to visual and spatial relationships.
What Does the Rochester Grammar School Exam Format Mean for Preparation?
The Medway Test covers a broad range of skills across three separate papers, so preparation should develop secure English and Maths foundations alongside Verbal, Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning techniques.
English preparation needs to combine reading comprehension with punctuation and grammar rather than focusing on comprehension alone.
Maths should become sufficiently secure for children to tackle both straightforward mathematical knowledge and less familiar problem-solving questions.
The Reasoning paper requires children to move between verbal and visual ways of thinking, including the spatial skills needed to understand how shapes and objects relate or change.
A sensible progression is literacy and numeracy foundations → subject skills → reasoning techniques → accuracy → flexible application → revision → timed work → mocks.
The Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus Mock Exams and Practice Papers
At Learning Street, we research the known Kent Medway format, paper structure and administration when producing our mocks. We also provide realistic answer sheets, parent instructions and detailed answers so families can reproduce the practical demands of the test at home as closely as possible.
Please note: the current Medway Reasoning paper includes Spatial Reasoning as well as Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Our Kent Medway Mock Packs currently include Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning but do not include Spatial Reasoning.
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
All four mock exams contain different questions, allowing families to space fresh tests throughout preparation and use later mocks to measure improvement.
The Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus Pass Marks
We do not provide one fixed raw practice-paper percentage that should be treated as a permanent The Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus pass mark.
Results from our Kent Medway mocks are best used to measure progress and identify weaker areas in English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, accuracy and exam technique rather than as a direct prediction of an official entrance-test result.
How to Prepare for The Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus
Effective preparation should develop secure underlying knowledge before children rely heavily on complete timed mock papers.
Once individual skills and techniques are established, preparation should gradually become more mixed and more timed so children learn to identify the correct approach independently while maintaining accuracy.
English Preparation
English preparation should develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, punctuation and grammar.
Children should become comfortable reading unfamiliar passages carefully, identifying relevant information and interpreting meaning accurately.
Technical English should also be developed systematically so punctuation and grammar knowledge can be applied reliably within mixed test questions.
Maths Preparation
Maths preparation should begin with secure KS2 foundations. Times tables, mental Maths and the four operations should become accurate and reliable before substantial time pressure is introduced.
Children should then progress towards mixed mathematical work where they need to decide independently which method is required.
Problem-solving practice is particularly important because children need to apply familiar mathematical knowledge flexibly rather than simply complete questions grouped by topic.
Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Verbal Reasoning requires both reasoning technique and vocabulary.
Children should first learn systematic methods for individual question types while developing their vocabulary consistently over time.
Once individual techniques are secure, they should progress towards mixed reasoning work where they have to recognise the appropriate method independently.
Non-Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Non-Verbal Reasoning rewards careful and systematic observation.
Children should learn to identify visual relationships involving features such as shape, position, pattern, rotation and reflection rather than choosing an answer simply because it appears plausible.
Practice should gradually progress from individual techniques towards mixed visual-reasoning work.
Spatial Reasoning Preparation
Spatial Reasoning forms part of the current Medway Reasoning paper.
Children should develop the ability to understand how shapes and objects relate, move, rotate or change when viewed in different ways.
Preparation should focus on careful visual analysis and systematic methods rather than guesswork.
Which Rochester Grammar School 11 Plus Course Should You Choose?
Learning Street offers three main GL preparation routes that can help develop many of the core skills required for the Medway Test: Complete, Enhance and Boost.
Our full GL programmes cover Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The current Medway Test also explicitly includes Spatial Reasoning, so the general GL course syllabus should not be interpreted as the exact Medway Test structure.
The most suitable programme mainly depends on how much preparation time remains.
| Preparation time | Learning Street course | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30–40+ weeks | Complete GL | Our most comprehensive GL preparation |
| 15–30 weeks | Enhance GL | A shorter structured GL programme |
| 6–15 weeks | Boost GL | Focused GL preparation when less time remains |
Complete GL — 30–40+ Weeks
Our Complete GL 11 Plus Programme is our most comprehensive GL preparation route.
It contains 40 structured parts covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, alongside more than 60 timed papers and tests.
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
Our Enhance GL programme provides a shorter 20-part preparation route covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
It includes more than 35 timed papers and tests alongside structured learning and detailed answers.
Enhance is most suitable where there is still enough time for substantial preparation but not enough time to work properly through all 40 parts of Complete.
Focused Enhance options are also available:
Enhance – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Enhance – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Boost GL — 6–15 Weeks
Our Boost GL programme is the shortest full GL preparation route.
It contains 10 intensive parts covering Vocabulary Development, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning and includes more than 25 timed papers and tests.
Boost is most suitable where there is insufficient time to work properly through Complete or Enhance but a family still wants structured preparation.
Focused Boost options are also available:
Boost – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Boost – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Starting Earlier?
If your child is still developing the literacy, numeracy, vocabulary and reasoning foundations needed before dedicated 11 Plus preparation begins, our primary-school course chooser can help you select an appropriate starting point.
Primary School – Course Chooser for Younger Children
Already Completed Substantial Preparation?
Our 11 Plus Revision Course – GL is suitable for children who have already completed substantial preparation through books, tutoring or another programme but now want a structured period of GL-style revision.
It is an intensive four-part course normally completed over approximately 4–6 weeks.
It should not normally be completed after one of our Complete, Enhance or Boost programmes because there is some crossover in the material.
Also Sitting Independent School Exams?
Children also sitting independent-school entrance tests may need additional preparation in subjects or formats beyond The Rochester Grammar School entrance test.
The courses below are separate supplementary options and should not be interpreted as additional elements of the Medway Test.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
11 Plus Maths Stretch and Revision
Current The Rochester Grammar School Admissions Information
Admissions arrangements and entrance-test details can change from year to year. For general guidance on 11 Plus preparation and our courses, use our FAQs below.
