Information and familiarisation for families
This website had been produced by Quest Assessments and Borden Grammar School to provide families with clear information and practical support for the Borden Assessment Procedure (Borden Test).
The Borden Assessment Procedure 2026 (Borden Test)
Information and familiarisation for families
This website had been produced by Quest Assessments and Borden Grammar School to provide families with clear information and practical support for the Borden Assessment Procedure (Borden Test).
Registration dates: Monday 1st June – Tuesday 1st July 2026
Test date: Saturday 12th September 2026
Results day: Mid October 2026
Secondary school application deadline: 31st October 2026
National Offer Day: 1st March 2027
Your child will sit two non-adaptive paper assessments. All papers will be sat on the same day, and your child will have a short break between assessments.
Paper One
English and verbal reasoning
Paper Two
Mathematics and non-verbal reasoning
The Borden Test assesses English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The best preparation is a strong grounding in what your child is already learning at school, combined with wide reading and the ability to apply their knowledge to new contexts. The test is built to assess genuine understanding of the curriculum: the most valuable thing your child can do is keep learning steadily and confidently in school.
We've created a set of free resources to help your child understand what the test looks and feels like, and build confidence across all subjects ahead of exam day. These booklets provide sample questions so your child can become familiar with the question format and filling in an OMR answer sheet.
Written for children, this guide includes what the test is, how to handle nerves, what to do if they get stuck, and what to expect on the day.
DOWNLOAD
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A list of words your child may finduseful to know, designed to support their broader vocabulary development.
DOWNLOAD
Borden Grammar School and Quest have worked together to ensure every child has access to high-quality preparation materials, regardless of their family's circumstances.
In partnership with Atom Learning, they are offering free access to Atom Home for all pupil premium eligible candidates through the Atom Learning Pupil Premium Support Programme. Atom Home provides structured practice and KS2 learning across all subjects, with questions, progress tracking, and subject-specific learning paths your child can work through at home.
If your child is eligible for pupil premium, you can request access using the link below. Eligibility will be verified by your child's primary school.
REQUEST ACCESS TO ATOM HOME
Your child will sit the test at Borden Grammar School.
The Borden Test consists of two booklets, both sat in the same session with a short supervised break between them. Each paper lasts approximately 60 minutes, plus time for instructions. Your child will remain in the test environment during the break.
An invigilator will read instructions before, during, and after each paper. Your child will be given a question booklet and a separate answer sheet for each subject. They may also receive a reading booklet.
If your child can't hear the instructions or has a question, they should put their hand up.
The total time in the test centre, including settling in, instructions, papers, and breaks, is typically around two to three hours.
The Borden Test is a paper test. All questions are multiple choice. Your child selects from a set of options (usually five: A, B, C, D or E).
Most Quest 11+ papers use an OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) answer sheet. This means, instead of writing out answers, your child will draw a horizontal line through a box next to their chosen answer.
The familiarisation materials include a practice OMR answer sheet to help your child get comfortable with the format before test day.
Draw a clear, solid horizontal line through the chosen box.
Mark one answer per question unless the question specifically tells you there is more than one answer.
The familiarisation booklets include a sample OMR answer sheet.
Working through a few questions, practising marking answers, rubbing out, and checking question numbers match helps your child get familiar with how to complete an OMR sheet.
They should rub it out fully with a clean eraser, then mark their new answer.
A good eraser matters as much as a good pencil!
Results will be released in mid October 2026.
There are 150 Year 7 places available.
For questions about admissions, results, or to request a review, contact Borden Grammar School at school@bordengrammar.kent.sch.uk.
The deadline for secondary school applications is 31 October 2026.
Still have questions?
Please note that Quest Assessments is not able to respond to individual enquiries from parents or carers. All queries about the Borden Test (including questions about registration, results, venues, and special arrangements) should be directed to the school.
Borden Grammar School
The Quest Assessments Team
questassessments.com
