What Is the SEAG Transfer Test?
The SEAG Transfer Test — known officially as the SEAG Entrance Assessment — is the entrance exam used to decide grammar school places in Northern Ireland. It is a single, common test sat by children in Primary 7 (P7), the final year of primary school, when they are around 10 to 11 years old.
The test is run by the Schools' Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) and is set and marked by GL Assessment. A child's result is accepted by all 63 selective post-primary schools in the SEAG group, which include controlled grammar schools, voluntary grammar schools and some integrated schools. It assesses two subjects — English (or Gaeilge) and Mathematics — based on the Northern Ireland Key Stage 2 curriculum.
If you live in England, the closest equivalent is the 11 plus exam, but Northern Ireland runs its own distinct system: the SEAG test has no Verbal or Non-Verbal Reasoning papers, is sat in P7 rather than Year 6, and takes place on two Saturdays in November.
Key Takeaways
- The SEAG Transfer Test is Northern Ireland's grammar school entrance exam, sat in Primary 7 (around age 10–11) by children seeking a selective place.
- It is a single common test run by SEAG and marked by GL Assessment, accepted by all 63 member grammar schools — it replaced the old AQE and GL tests.
- It tests just two subjects — English (or Gaeilge) and Maths — from the Northern Ireland Key Stage 2 curriculum, with no reasoning papers.
- It is sat as two papers on consecutive Saturdays in November; each lasts 60 minutes with 56 assessed questions plus a short untimed warm-up.
- Scoring is age-standardised around 100 (a Total Standardised Age Score), and each school applies its own admissions criteria.
Who Sits the SEAG Transfer Test?
The SEAG Transfer Test is taken by Primary 7 pupils whose families want them to attend a grammar school. It is entirely optional — parents choose to enter their child — and a child who does not sit it can still transfer to a non-selective post-primary school through the normal Education Authority process.
For the November 2026 assessment, the test is open to children born between 2 July 2015 and 1 July 2016 who will transfer to Year 8 post-primary education in September 2027. Pupils who hold a Statement of Special Educational Needs do not sit the assessment, as a separate Year 8 admissions process applies to them.
Because every grammar school in the SEAG group accepts the same result, most NI children now sit only one set of papers — a major change from the past, when families often entered their child for two separate tests. To see which schools are selective and compare their results, browse our grammar school database.
From AQE and GL to a Single Test — The SEAG Story
For years, Northern Ireland had two competing transfer tests. The Association for Quality Education (AQE) ran the Common Entrance Assessment, while the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) used a test produced by GL Assessment. Different grammar schools accepted different tests, so many children had to sit both — doubling the exams, stress and cost.
In response to long-standing concerns, the schools came together to form the Schools' Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) and move to a single, shared assessment. The first SEAG test was sat in November 2023 (for September 2024 entry). Today there is one common test, still set and marked by GL Assessment and recognised by all 63 member schools — so the days of sitting two different transfer tests are over.
SEAG Transfer Test Format and Structure
The SEAG Entrance Assessment is made up of two papers, sat on two Saturdays a week apart in November. Both papers have an identical structure, and each assesses both English (or Gaeilge) and Maths. Marks from the two papers are combined into a single standardised score, so a child is judged across both sittings rather than on one exam.
Each paper is built from three sections:
| Section | What it contains | Questions | Assessed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Test | 5 English (or Gaeilge) questions, then 5 Maths questions, to help pupils settle in | 10 | No — untimed, doesn't count |
| English | Reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar | 28 | Yes |
| Mathematics | Key Stage 2 number, measures, shape, data and problem-solving | 28 | Yes |
After the short, untimed practice section, pupils have 60 minutes to answer the 56 assessed questions (28 English and 28 Maths). The questions are a mix of multiple-choice and short written-answer items — roughly 44 multiple-choice and 12 written per paper — and all answers are recorded on a separate SEAG answer sheet. Because there are two papers, children answer around 112 assessed questions in total across the two Saturdays.
Good to know: the assessment is offered in English or Irish (Gaeilge), and access arrangements (such as extra time) may be available for pupils with a diagnosed learning difficulty or disability, provided supporting documentation is submitted at registration.
SEAG Subjects and Curriculum
Unlike the GL and CEM 11+ exams used in parts of England, the SEAG test covers only English and Maths — there are no Verbal or Non-Verbal Reasoning papers. Everything is drawn from the Northern Ireland Curriculum at Key Stage 2, so it should reflect what your child is already learning in school, pitched at a demanding level.
📖 English
Reading comprehension plus spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG).
- Literal and inferential comprehension of fiction, non-fiction and poetry
- Spelling and proofreading (UK spellings)
- Punctuation — capitals, apostrophes, speech marks, brackets
- Grammar — word types, tenses, plurals and sentence structure
🔢 Mathematics
Key Stage 2 maths with an emphasis on problem-solving and reasoning.
- Number — whole numbers, decimals, fractions, percentages
- Measures — length, weight, area, volume, time, money
- Shape & space — 2D/3D properties, angles, coordinates, symmetry
- Data handling and probability; multi-step word problems
Children educated through Irish-medium schools sit the assessment in Gaeilge, with the Maths content unchanged.
How the SEAG Transfer Test Is Scored
SEAG, like the 11+ in England, uses age-standardised scoring rather than raw marks. After both papers are marked, your child receives:
- a Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS) — raw marks from the two papers are combined and converted onto a standard scale centred on 100 (the average for the year group); and
- a band, showing roughly where the score sits relative to other pupils.
The score is adjusted for your child's exact age in months, so a summer-born child (the youngest in the year) is not disadvantaged against an older classmate. Crucially, a high SEAG score does not by itself guarantee a place: each grammar school applies its own published admissions criteria using the TSAS and band. The score needed therefore depends on how oversubscribed a school is — the most competitive Belfast and other leading grammars require scores well above the average of 100.
Important: always read each target school's admissions criteria carefully. Schools differ in how they use the score (a cut-off, a ranking, or alongside other criteria such as catchment or siblings), so the same TSAS can secure a place at one school but not another.
SEAG Transfer Test Key Dates and Deadlines (2026/27)
Missing the registration window almost always means waiting a full year, so these dates matter. Below is the timeline for the November 2026 assessment (for September 2027 entry). Future years follow a similar pattern, but always confirm dates on the official SEAG website.
| Stage | Date (2026/27 cycle) |
|---|---|
| Online registration opens | Monday 18 May 2026 |
| Registration closes | Friday 18 September 2026 (11:59pm) |
| Paper 1 | Saturday 14 November 2026 |
| Paper 2 | Saturday 21 November 2026 |
| Results issued to parents | January 2027 |
| Post-primary places confirmed | May 2027 (Education Authority) |
For reference, the previous cycle's papers were sat on Saturday 15 and Saturday 22 November 2025. You apply for your child's secondary school place separately through the Education Authority after results are issued — the SEAG score is one part of that admissions process.
SEAG Fees and How to Register
Registration is completed online at the official SEAG website, seagni.co.uk, and there is a non-refundable £20 administration fee. Families with Free School Meals Entitlement (FSME) are exempt from the fee but must upload valid evidence. If a short late-registration window opens after the deadline (it ran for a few days in recent years), the fee is higher — £50 — so it is far safer to register on time.
Registration is a two-step process:
- Create a Parent/Guardian account on the SEAG portal and complete your own registration.
- Make a Pupil Application for your child, choosing an assessment centre and uploading identification (plus any documentation for access arrangements or the FSME waiver), then pay the fee.
Your child is allocated to a test centre, which may not be the school you hope they will attend; the centre and reporting time are confirmed before the test. No applications are accepted once the deadline has passed.
How to Prepare for the SEAG Transfer Test
The SEAG test is demanding but very learnable. Because it sticks closely to the Northern Ireland Key Stage 2 curriculum, the most effective preparation is steady and well-paced rather than last-minute cramming:
- Build secure foundations first (P5–P6). Prioritise wide daily reading, vocabulary, and times-table fluency to 12×12 before worrying about exam technique.
- Run a diagnostic. Use sample questions in English and Maths to find genuine gaps, then target those rather than revising everything equally.
- Learn the SEAG question types. Familiarity with how SPaG, comprehension and the maths questions are asked removes a lot of exam-day surprise.
- Practise little and often. Three or four short sessions a week (20–30 minutes) beat occasional marathons and protect your child's enjoyment of learning.
- Add timed papers from the P6 summer. Build speed and stamina gradually using papers in the real SEAG format — a short untimed warm-up, then 56 questions in 60 minutes.
- Review every mistake. It is the marking and gap-filling, not just doing more papers, that drives improvement.
ExamTutor's SEAG practice papers mirror the real two-paper format and include tutor-led video walkthroughs for every question — like an online tutor and mock exam in one. You can also download free sample papers to benchmark your child, and sit full mock exams under timed conditions before November.