On 16 October 2026, Kent County Council announced that Quest Assessmentswill deliver the Kent Test when the council's contract with GL Assessment ends.
The first sitting under the new provider is the Kent Test in 2027, for children applying for secondary school places in September 2028. Families whose children have just sat the test, or who have just received results, are not part of this change.
What has actually been announced
The GL contract is ending and cannot be extended. Kent County Council ran a competitive procurement and appointed Quest Assessments. The new contract is expected to start on 2 November 2026.
In the council's own words, the move is a change of provider. It is not a new admissions process.
- The Kent Test still identifies children in the top 25% ability range.
- Purpose, structure, and timing stay the same.
- Quest will work to the same specification as GL.
- Testing stays in early September. The exact 2027 date will be confirmed in the 2028 Determined Scheme.
- Familiarisation materials will still be issued to parents, pupils, and schools in the usual way.
- Secondary school admissions are unchanged.
The council also says there may be some differences in how questions are designed or presented, and that families should not expect major changes. Any significant change later would need a formal public consultation at least one year before the test.
This is not the Bexley paper, and it is not an online switch
Bexley already uses Quest for its own Selection Test. That is a separate exam. Kent County Council has not said the Kent Test will become the Bexley paper, or that it will move on screen. Until familiarisation materials for the 2027 sitting are published, the safe reading is the one the council has given: same specification, possible differences in look and presentation.
Who this affects
- September 2028 entry. Children who will sit the Kent Test in 2027 are the first group under Quest.
- September 2027 entry. Children who sat the Kent Test in September 2026 are unaffected. Results day for that sitting was 15 October 2026.
- Medway. This announcement is about the Kent Test only. It does not say the Medway Test is changing provider.
What to do with preparation
- If your child has already sat the 2026 Kent Test, keep following the admissions timetable. This provider change does not reopen or alter that result.
- If your child is heading for the 2027 sitting, keep the current Kent Test preparation: English and maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and the writing exercise. The council says the specification is staying.
- Use official familiarisation when Kent publishes it at kent.gov.uk/kenttest. That is the material that will show any small differences in question style.
- Treat claims that the 2027 test will be much harder, fully computer-based, or identical to Bexley as speculation until the council says so.
Source
The announcement is Kent County Council's, published on 16 October 2026: New provider appointed for Kent Test as current contract comes to an end. Further detail for September 2028 applicants will be published on the Kent Test pages when it is confirmed.
Bottom line: from the 2027 Kent Test, Quest Assessments replaces GL. Kent County Council says the purpose, structure, timing, and specification stay the same. Children who have just sat the test are not affected.