Bexley 11+

Bexley's Quest test: what changes for 2028 entry and how to prepare

Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial Team

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In short

The Bexley Selection Test is run by the council with papers from Quest Assessments, and Quest stays the provider for 2028 entry. What changes is how the two papers are described: for 2028 entry, one paper covers verbal reasoning and comprehension and the other covers maths and non-verbal reasoning. Dates, weighting and the selective score for 2028 entry are not published yet. Here is what is confirmed, and what to watch for.

Who sets the Bexley test?

The Bexley Selection Test is the shared test for Bexley's 4Bexley: School countChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Bexley has 4 Grammar Schools: ... a single test is used for admission to all four grammar schoolsView the official source grammar schools: Beths Grammar School, Bexley Grammar School, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School and Townley Grammar SchoolBexley: SchoolsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Beths Grammar School (boys) ... Bexley Grammar School (mixed) ... Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School (mixed) ... Townley Grammar School (girls)View the official source. It is run by the London Borough of Bexley (School Admissions Team), with papers from Quest AssessmentsBexley: Test run byChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Bexley Selection Test papers are provided by Quest Assessments ... all enquiries regarding the test must be directed to the School Admissions Team on selectiontests@bexley.gov.ukView the official source.

The provider for each entry year is:

Entry year	Children now in	Test provider
2027	Year 6	Quest AssessmentsBexley selection test: Provider by entry year (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Quest Assessments is the Bexley Selection Test provider.View the official source
2028	Year 5	Quest AssessmentsBexley selection test: Provider by entry year (2028)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: This website had been produced by Quest Assessments and the London Borough of BexleyView the official source

So Bexley is not switching provider this year. If you have seen older material that names a different test company, it does not describe the current Bexley test. Some school documents still carry older wording that names another provider. Because the council runs one test for all four schools, we follow the council's information for every school, including Beths Grammar School, whose test for 2027 entry is from Quest AssessmentsBeths Grammar School: Test family by entry year (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Quest Assessments is the Bexley Selection Test provider.View the official source. Where a school document and the council's test information disagree, follow the council's, and ask the school if you are unsure.

What do the papers look like for 2028 entry?

Here are the official descriptions for the last two years side by side.

	2027 entry (Year 6 now)	2028 entry (Year 5 now)
Papers	Test booklet 1 of 2 (mixed sections) (verbal reasoning, comprehension, maths and non-verbal reasoning) (50 minutes); Test booklet 2 of 2 (mixed sections) (verbal reasoning, comprehension, maths and non-verbal reasoning) (50 minutes)Bexley 2027 entry: PapersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: the Bexley Selection Test consists of two separate booklets ... both tests are timed and consist of multiple-choice questions ... each paper lasts approximately 50 minutes, plus additional time for instructionsView the official source	Paper one (verbal reasoning and comprehension) (50 minutes); Paper two (maths and non-verbal reasoning) (50 minutes)Bexley 2028 entry: PapersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Your child will sit two non-adaptive paper assessments. Each paper lasts around 50 minutes.View the official source
Question style	multiple-choiceBexley 2027 entry: FormatChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: both tests are timed and consist of multiple-choice questionsView the official source	multiple-choiceBexley 2028 entry: FormatChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: All questions are multiple choice.View the official source
Weighting	verbal 50%, maths 25%, non verbal 25%Bexley 2027 entry: WeightingChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: your child meeting the selective standard is based on the total weighted age-standardised score achieved in the test ... 50% from the verbal ability score ... 25% from the numerical ability score ... 25% from the non-verbal ability scoreView the official source	not published yet

What stays the same. There are still 2Bexley selection test: Paper countChecked 12 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: the Bexley Selection Test consists of two separate bookletsView the official source papers of about the same length, every question is multiple choice, and the same four areas are tested: verbal reasoning, comprehension, maths and non-verbal reasoning. The council says the whole visit lasts About two to three hours in the test centre in totalBexley: Test session lengthChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: The total time in the test centre, including settling in, instructions, papers, and breaks, is typically around two to three hours.View the official source.

What is different. For 2027 entry, each booklet mixed all four areas. For 2028 entry, the papers are grouped by subject: verbal reasoning and comprehension in one paper, maths and non-verbal reasoning in the other. In practice, that means a long stretch of one kind of thinking at a time, rather than switching between subjects within a booklet.

What we do not know yet. The 2027 weighting is shown in the table above. The weighting for 2028 entry has not been published, so please don't assume it is unchanged. Our Bexley 11+ guide adds it when the council confirms.

Why can't I use another area's Quest papers?

Quest says that each school’s Quest test is uniqueQuest: Bespoke per schoolChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Quest Assessments.The source says: Your child’s assessment is unique to the school they’re applying to,View the official source. So "Quest-style" material written for another area, such as Bournemouth and Poole or Wirral, may test different subjects in a different order. The Bexley familiarisation material is the only official guide to the Bexley format.

For background, Quest Assessments is part of the education company Atom LearningQuest: OwnershipChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Quest Assessments.The source says: Quest Assessments is part of the education company Atom LearningView the official source. Our Quest page explains more.

What free practice material is there?

The official offer is: Free familiarisation booklets with sample questions and a practice answer sheet; free online practice access for pupil premium eligible candidatesBexley: FamiliarisationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: These booklets provide sample questions so your child can become familiar with the question format and filling in an OMR answer sheet.View the official source. Quest also offers free access to an Atom Learning product for pupil-premium-eligible childrenQuest: Pp free accessChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Quest Assessments.The source says: With The Dorset Consortium, we are offering free access to Atom Home for all pupil premium eligible candidates.View the official source.

The familiarisation booklets include a practice answer sheet, and that matters. Bexley's papers are marked by machine, so children need to mark answers clearly in the right box. A short, calm session or two with the practice sheet, well before the test, helps more than a lot of timed papers.

How should preparation change for 2028 entry?

Gently. The subjects have not changed, so nothing your child has already done is wasted.

Use the new grouping. When you practise, try a short verbal reasoning and comprehension session on one day and maths and non-verbal reasoning on another, so the two-paper shape feels familiar.
Build stamina for reading. With comprehension and verbal reasoning in one paper, a child spends a long stretch reading. Regular reading for pleasure is the most natural preparation for this.
Keep maths and non-verbal reasoning steady. These now sit together, so mixing the two in a practice session matches the paper.
Do the official booklet last, not first. Once the booklet for 2028 entry is available, use it nearer the test to check the format, rather than repeating it many times.

Our guide to how much 11+ practice is enough can help you keep this proportionate.

What dates and rules should Year 5 families watch for?

The council has not yet published the registration window or the test date for 2028 entry. As a guide only, for 2027 entry:

registration ran from 1 March 2026Bexley 2027 entry: Registration opensChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: the online registration site opens on 1 March 2026 and closes at midnight on 31 March 2026View the official source to 31 March 2026, 11:59pmBexley 2027 entry: Registration closesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: the online registration site opens on 1 March 2026 and closes at midnight on 31 March 2026View the official source
the test ran on 2 to 10 September 2026Bexley 2027 entry: Test dateChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: the test centres are the four Bexley Grammar Schools listed above, held between Monday 7 and Thursday 10 September 2026 ... if your child will be sitting the test in their own Bexley primary school, they will sit the test between Wednesday 2 and Thursday 10 September 2026View the official source
results came on 2 October 2026, 4pmBexley 2027 entry: ResultsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: you will receive your child’s test results by email from 4pm on Friday 2 October 2026View the official source

For 2028 entry, the confirmed dates so far are results in early October 2027Bexley 2028 entry: ResultsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Results day: Early October 2027View the official source and the application deadline of 31 October 2027Bexley 2028 entry: School place applications close (CAF)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Secondary school application deadline: 31st October 2027View the official source.

Two rules from the current arrangements are worth knowing early:

Late registration: Late registration never accepted; no appealBexley: Late registrationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: late registration requests will not be accepted under any circumstances, and there is no appeal process for late applicationsView the official source. Missing the window means missing the test.
Special arrangements: Parents submit the Special Arrangements application form plus professional evidence to the child’s school; the school submits it with a headteacher supplementary form by 30 April 2026. Possible adjustments include modified materials, rest breaks, 25% extra time; no laptops; no appeal.Bexley: Special arrangementsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: Applications from parents/carers must be submitted to schools by the final day of the spring term 2026 (March) at the latest. Schools have until 30 April to submit supplementary forms.View the official source If your child may need extra time or other adjustments, start talking to the school well before the deadline is published.

How are scores reported?

Scores are age-standardised and weighted into one total. On the council's scale, Mean: 200; Typical range: from 170%, to 230%Bexley: Score scaleChecked 9 Oct 2026 against London Borough of Bexley.The source says: the average total weighted age-standardised score is 200, with approximately two-thirds of candidates scoring between 170 and 230View the official source. The selective score is set after the test each year, so there is no pass mark to aim for in advance. Our Bexley results page explains what happens next.

Sources

Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked on 13 October 2026: the London Borough of Bexley, Quest Assessments (including its Bexley Selection Test guidance for parents) and Beths Grammar School.

ExamKind is independent and is not connected with the London Borough of Bexley, Quest Assessments or any of the Bexley grammar schools. How we make our content.