When to start preparing for the Bexley Selection Test
No study sets an ideal age to start preparing for the Bexley Selection Test. What is fixed is the calendar: registration in the spring term of Year 5, the test at the start of Year 6.
Start your child's Bexley Selection Test preparation at the right time
Begin with what their class covers now, so the basics are solid. Add the exam track in Year 5, when the papers start to matter.
Counting back from the test
| When | What to focus on |
|---|---|
| Years 1 to 3 | Get the maths and reading taught in class solid. There is nothing exam-specific to do yet. |
| Year 4 | Keep up with class work. Times tables, spelling and reading for meaning matter most for what comes later. |
| Year 5 | Add verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which school does not teach. Get used to multiple choice questions and timed papers. |
| Year 5, spring term | Register. For September 2027 entry registration ran from 1 March 2026 to 31 March 2026. |
| Start of Year 6 | The test. For September 2027 entry it was between Wednesday, 2 September 2026 and Thursday, 10 September 2026. |
Source: London Borough of Bexley. Checked 8 November 2026.
If your child is in Year 5 now
They sit the Bexley Selection Test in September 2027, for September 2028 entry. London Borough of Bexley has not published the exact dates yet. Going by this year, registration would open in March 2027.
What the Bexley Selection Test tests
- Two multiple choice papers, each about 50 minutes plus time for instructions.
- One stage.
- The papers test verbal ability (vocabulary, comprehension and verbal reasoning), numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
For September 2026 entry, 5,866 children sat the test and 2,070 reached the selective standard. There were 800 grammar school places.
Source: London Borough of Bexley. Checked 8 November 2026.
Wondering whether it's too early or too late? What the research says about timing.
All dates and papers for the Bexley Selection Test
Explore more
Schools that use the Bexley Selection Test
- Beths Grammar SchoolBexley
- Bexley Grammar SchoolWelling
- Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar SchoolSidcup
- Townley Grammar SchoolBexleyheath
More on the Bexley Selection Test
Other 11+ areas
Start your child's Bexley Selection Test preparation at the right time
Begin with what their class covers now, so the basics are solid. Add the exam track in Year 5, when the papers start to matter.