Free Kent Test practice paper

Kent Mock 1 — Paper 2 (English & Maths)

English & Maths · 50 marks · 50 minutes

Multiple choice — mark one answer per question (A–E) on a separate answer sheet. No calculators or notes. Work as quickly and carefully as you can.

Section 1 — Reading comprehension

English — 5-minute practice, then 25 minutes. Mark one letter (A–E). Read the passage, then answer.

The Turning Tide

The tide was already turning when Maya reached the harbour wall at Whitstable.

Her grandfather had promised to take her out in the old wooden boat before the

summer ended, and there were only two days of the holiday left.

She found him mending a net, his hands moving with the patient rhythm of

someone who had done the same task ten thousand times.

“You came,” he said, without looking up. “I wondered if you would.”

Maya sat down beside him on an upturned crate that smelled of salt and tar.

The gulls wheeled overhead, screaming like an argument that never ended.

“Grandad, why do you still fish? The supermarket sells oysters,” she said.

He smiled, but his eyes stayed on the net. “The sea is not a shop, Maya.

It gives nothing for free, and it forgets no one who is careless.”

She did not understand him then, though she would remember the words later.

By the time they pushed off, the sky had turned the colour of a bruise,

and the wind carried the first cold breath of autumn across the water.

The little boat rose and fell, rose and fell, like a slow heartbeat.

Her grandfather said nothing for a long while, and Maya slowly learned that

silence, out here, was not empty but full — full of things too large for words.

When at last they turned for home, the harbour lights were blinking on, one by one,

like a message she could almost, but not quite, read.

She realised, with some surprise, that she had stopped being afraid of the quiet.

1.
Where does Maya go at the beginning of the passage?
Aa supermarket
Bher grandfather’s house
Cthe beach at Dover
Da fishing shop
Ethe harbour wall at Whitstable
2.
How many days of the holiday were left?
A twoB oneC threeD fiveE ten
3.
What was Maya’s grandfather doing when she found him?
A painting the boatB mending a netC selling oystersD reading a letterE cooking fish
4.
What did the upturned crate smell of (line 8)?
A fish and seaweedB smoke and oilC paint and woodD salt and tarE bread and salt
5.
In line 4, the word ‘patient’ is closest in meaning to:
A ill in hospitalB quick and sharpC angryD carelessE calm and unhurried
6.
‘screaming like an argument that never ended’ (line 9) is an example of:
A a simileB a metaphorC alliterationD a rhymeE a fact
7.
In line 9, the word ‘wheeled’ tells us the gulls were:
Aresting on the water
Bturning in circles
Cdiving into the sea
Dflying away
Ecompletely silent
8.
In line 17, what is being compared to ‘a slow heartbeat’?
Athe beating of Maya’s heart
Bthe cry of the gulls
Cthe rising and falling of the boat
Dthe turning of the tide
Eher grandfather’s breathing

Section 2 — Spelling

English — 5-minute practice, then 25 minutes. Mark one letter (A–E).

9.
Find the group of words that contains a spelling mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. The mysterious noise | came from the | abandonned house | at the end of the lane.
AThe mysterious noise
Bcame from the
Cabandonned house
Dat the end of the lane.
EN — no mistake
10.
Find the group of words that contains a spelling mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. The wether that | morning was cold, | grey and | surprisingly windy.
AThe wether that
Bmorning was cold,
Cgrey and
Dsurprisingly windy.
EN — no mistake
11.
Find the group of words that contains a spelling mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. The winners of | the race were | definately the | fastest team of all.
AThe winners of
Bthe race were
Cdefinately the
Dfastest team of all.
EN — no mistake
12.
Find the group of words that contains a spelling mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. They wandered through | the market and | past the old church | into a beautifull garden.
AThey wandered through
Bthe market and
Cpast the old church
Dinto a beautifull garden.
EN — no mistake
13.
Find the group of words that contains a spelling mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. We watched the | small fishing boats | sail slowly | out of the harbour.
AWe watched the
Bsmall fishing boats
Csail slowly
Dout of the harbour.
EN — no mistake

Section 3 — Punctuation

English — 5-minute practice, then 25 minutes. Mark one letter (A–E).

14.
Find the group of words that contains a punctuation mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. we watched | the fishing boats | leave the harbour | at first light.
Awe watched
Bthe fishing boats
Cleave the harbour
Dat first light.
EN — no mistake
15.
Find the group of words that contains a punctuation mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. Last summer | we explored dover | castle and | its secret tunnels.
ALast summer
Bwe explored dover
Ccastle and
Dits secret tunnels.
EN — no mistake
16.
Find the group of words that contains a punctuation mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. Do you know | how many miles | it is from Ashford | to Canterbury.
ADo you know
Bhow many miles
Cit is from Ashford
Dto Canterbury.
EN — no mistake
17.
Find the group of words that contains a punctuation mistake. If there is no mistake, choose N. The old fisherman | carefully mended | the boats torn sail | before nightfall.
AThe old fisherman
Bcarefully mended
Cthe boats torn sail
Dbefore nightfall.
EN — no mistake

Section 4 — Sentence completion

English — 5-minute practice, then 25 minutes. Mark one letter (A–E).

18.
The explorer felt a growing sense of ___ as the cave narrowed around her.
A comfortB delightC boredomD prideE unease
19.
The volcano had been ___ for centuries before it suddenly erupted.
A dormantB activeC ancientD hollowE distant
20.
Her argument was so ___ that no one in the room could disagree with it.
A confusingB convincingC carelessD cheerfulE curious
21.
The old manuscript was so ___ that the librarian handled it with gloves.
A sturdyB modernC fragileD ordinaryE colourful
22.
Despite his fear, the boy remained ___ as he crossed the rickety bridge.
A panickedB delightedC exhaustedD composedE furious