SEAG Transfer Test Guide — Everything Parents Need to Know

What Is the SEAG Transfer Test & How Is It Different from AQE?

So what is the SEAG test? The SEAG Transfer Test is the entrance exam used by grammar schools across Northern Ireland to decide Year 8 admissions. If your child is hoping for a grammar school place, understanding the SEAG test — its dates, format and scoring — is the essential first step.

SEAG stands for the Schools' Entrance Assessment Group, a body run by post-primary school principals and registered as a company in 2022. The SEAG Entrance Assessment is set and marked by GL Assessment, the UK's most established educational test provider with over 40 years' experience. It first ran in November 2023 and is now used by all 63 Northern Ireland post-primary schools that apply academic selection.

How SEAG Replaced AQE and GL

For years, Northern Ireland had a confusing two-test system. A state-run "11-plus" ran from 1947 until it was scrapped in 2008, after which two separate, competing transfer tests emerged: the AQE (Association for Quality Education), used mainly by controlled and voluntary grammar schools, and the GL/PPTC test, used mainly by Catholic-maintained grammars. Many children had to sit both tests — in different formats, on different days — to keep their options open.

SEAG was created to fix exactly this problem. From November 2023, it unified the two into a single common assessment accepted by all member grammar schools, so most children now sit just one test. This is the single biggest difference from the old AQE system: instead of preparing for two different exams, families prepare for one.

Why the Change Matters for Parents

For most families, the move to SEAG is good news: one test means one format to prepare for, one set of dates, and far less stress than the old "sit everything" approach. It also means preparation resources can focus on a single, consistent exam style. The trade-off is that there's now a single high-stakes assessment, which makes thorough, well-paced preparation — and choosing practice materials that match the SEAG format exactly — more important than ever.

SEAG Test Dates, Format & Scoring Explained

SEAG Test Dates 2026 (for September 2027 entry)

The SEAG test dates fall in November of P7, with the assessment sat over two Saturday mornings. If you were tracking the SEAG test dates 2025 cycle, the 2026 dates follow the same November pattern. Here are the confirmed SEAG test dates for the 2026 cycle:

SEAG Test Format

The SEAG assessment consists of two papers, sat a week apart, together covering English and Mathematics. The papers combine multiple-choice questions (each with five answer options) with some written free-response questions, all recorded on a separate answer sheet. They are sat under timed, exam-style conditions. A short set of practice questions at the start helps pupils settle into the format but does not count towards the result. The English element typically covers comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar, cloze passages and synonyms/antonyms; the Maths element covers the Key Stage 2 curriculum with problem-solving.

How SEAG Is Scored

SEAG uses age-standardised scoring. The raw marks across both papers are converted into a standardised score that adjusts for the child's exact age in months — so a summer-born child isn't disadvantaged against an older classmate. The result is presented to parents on a single page called the Statement of Outcome. Grammar schools then use this score within their own published admissions criteria.

What Is a Good Score in the SEAG Test?

What is a good score in the SEAG test? It's the question every NI parent asks — and the honest answer is that it depends on your target school. Because SEAG scores are age-standardised around 100 (the average), any score above 100 is above average for the cohort.

• Around 105+ is generally competitive for grammar school entry.
• The most oversubscribed grammars may, in practice, require significantly higher scores because places are allocated by ranking against their criteria.
• There is no single fixed "pass mark" — SEAG produces a score; each school decides how it's used.

In other words, what counts as a "good" SEAG score is relative to how competitive your chosen school is. A score that comfortably secures a place at one grammar might fall short at a more heavily oversubscribed one, so it's essential to check each target school's admissions criteria.

SEAG Results Explained — Understanding Transfer Test Results in Northern Ireland

If you're searching for how transfer test results Northern Ireland families receive actually work, this section has SEAG results explained simply.

Here are SEAG results explained simply. Transfer test results Northern Ireland families receive arrive in January: parents are sent the Statement of Outcome showing the child's standardised score. It's important to understand what transfer test results in Northern Ireland actually mean — and what they don't:

Transfer Test Results Northern Ireland: What Your Score Means

• The score is not an offer. It's a number schools use to rank applicants against their admissions criteria.
• Each school applies its own criteria. Beyond the score, schools may consider catchment, siblings, feeder primary schools and other factors set out in their admissions policy.
• You then apply through the Education Authority in February, listing your preferred schools, with allocations confirmed in May.

If your child's score is lower than hoped, it's worth looking carefully at the full admissions criteria of a range of schools — a score that doesn't secure one grammar may still be very competitive elsewhere.

Northern Ireland Grammar Schools That Accept SEAG Results

All 63 academically selective post-primary schools in Northern Ireland are members of SEAG and use its results for Year 8 admissions. (See our complete Northern Ireland grammar schools database for full school profiles.) These span every region — Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Antrim. A selection of member schools includes:

For a full admission guide to any individual school — including criteria, dates and practice resources — see our SEAG practice papers page, which links through to guides for grammar schools right across Northern Ireland.

How to Prepare for the SEAG Transfer Test

The SEAG test is challenging but highly learnable with steady preparation. Here's the approach NI tutors recommend:

1. Start in P6. Most families begin focused preparation around 12-18 months before the November P7 test, building reading, vocabulary and mental-maths foundations first.
2. Match your resources to the SEAG format. Practise the exact two-paper structure, including the multiple-choice and free-response styles, rather than generic 11+ material.
3. Introduce timed papers gradually. Build up to around one full timed paper a week in the final months, sat under realistic conditions.
4. Review every mistake. Improvement comes from marking, feedback and gap-filling — not just doing more papers.
5. Keep it balanced. Consistent regular practice beats intensive cramming, and protects your child's confidence and wellbeing.

ExamTutor's SEAG practice papers mirror the real two-paper format and include a tutor video walkthrough for every question — so your child can see exactly how each answer is reached, like having a SEAG tutor at home. You can also download a free SEAG sample paper to benchmark your child first. For the wider picture, see our complete SEAG preparation guide.