🏫 Royal School Armagh – SEAG Practice Papers with Video Explanations
Voluntary Grammar School | Co-educational | Armagh, Northern Ireland | Ages 11–18
📚 History of Royal School Armagh
The Royal School Armagh (RSA) was founded in 1608 by King James I as one of five Royal Schools of Ulster, intended to provide education to the sons of settlers during the Plantation of Ulster. RSA holds the distinction of being the oldest school in Northern Ireland still operating on its original site.
With over 400 years of history, the school combines strong Anglican traditions with a modern, inclusive, and progressive ethos. It has developed into a well-respected co-educational grammar school, offering a balanced focus on academic achievement, personal development, and community values.
👨🎓 Pupil Numbers & Structure
-
Total Pupils: ~720
-
Year 8 Intake: ~90–100 pupils
-
Sixth Form: ~170+ students
-
Gender: Co-educational
-
Age Range: 11–18
-
School Type: Voluntary Grammar School
-
Religious Ethos: Church of Ireland (Welcoming all faiths)
🎓 Academic Reputation
Royal School Armagh is well-regarded for its academic performance, student-centred teaching, and pastoral care. It regularly ranks among the top grammar schools in County Armagh, with many students progressing to universities across the UK and Ireland.
✅ Academic Strengths:
-
Strong performance in English, STEM, History, Geography, Languages, and Music
-
Offers a broad curriculum with GCSEs, A-Levels, and vocational subjects
-
Excellent careers guidance and university preparation support
📊 Academic Results:
-
GCSEs:
-
~98–100% of pupils achieve 5+ GCSEs A–C*, including English and Maths
-
~75–85% of grades at A–B*
-
-
A-Levels:
-
~80–85% of grades at A–B*
-
Many students go on to Russell Group universities, Queen’s University Belfast, and University of Ulster
-
🏫 The Royal School Armagh – Contact Information
School Name: The Royal School Armagh
Type: Co-educational Voluntary Grammar School with Boarding (Ages 11–18)
Location: Armagh, Northern Ireland
📍 Address:
The Royal School Armagh
College Hill
Armagh
BT61 9DH
Northern Ireland
United Kingdom
☎️ Telephone:
+44 (0)28 3752 2807
📧 Email:
🌐 Website:
https://www.royalschool.org.uk
📱 Social Media:
-
Facebook: Royal School Armagh
-
Twitter/X: @royalschoolarm
-
Instagram: @royalschoolarmagh
You can view the school’s location on the map below:
SEAG Score Needed to get into Royal School Armagh
Below is historical scores for Royal School Armagh from 2023 to 2014.
2023 Lowest Grade – AQE – 97
2022 Lowest Grade – AQE – 74
2021 N/A
2020 Lowest Grade – AQE – 100
2019 Lowest Grade – AQE – 101
2018 Lowest Grade – AQE – 98
2017 Lowest Grade – AQE – 92
2016 Lowest Grade – AQE – 102
2015 Lowest Grade – AQE – 100
2014 Lowest Grade – AQE – 98
As you can see from the above stats 101 in AQE test in most years will have got you into Royal School Armagh. The highest score needed was 102 in 2014.
A 102 score in AQE is equivalent to 199 in new SEAG test so based on past intake a minimum score of 199+ in SEAG test would give your child a very high chance of getting accepted into Royal School Armagh.
SEAG Comparison with historical AQE and PPTC outcomes:
| Approx PPTC / GL Equivalent SAS | SEAG TSAS | Approx AQE Equivalent SAS | SEAG Band | SEAG Cohort Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 282 | 282 | 130 | 1 | 100 |
| 258 | 236 | 1 | 90 | |
| 249 | 224 | 113 | 1 | 80 |
| 242 | 215 | 109 | 1 | 70 |
| 236 | 207 | 106 | 1 | 60* |
| 231 | 200 | 103 | 2 | 50* |
| 226 | 193 | 99 | 3 | 40* |
| 220 | 185 | 94 | 4 | 30* |
| 214 | 175 | 88 | 5 | 20* |
| 200 | <175 | 6 | <20 |
*This is the minimum cohort percentile needed for that Band
Two examples:
A SEAG TSAS of 215 would be “equivalent” to a PPTC SAS of about 242 or an AQE SAS of about 109. A SEAG TSAS of 185 would be “equivalent” to a PPTC SAS of about 220 or an AQE SAS of about 94.
| Minimum PPTC /GL SAS needed for Grade | PPTC/ GL Grade | Approx Equivalent SEAG TSAS |
|---|---|---|
| 234 | A | 206 |
| 229 | B1 | 197 |
| 224 | B2 | 190 |
| 219 | C1 | 183 |
| 213 | C2 | 174 |
| <213 | D | <174 |
How to Use ExamTutor SEAG Transfer Test Practice Papers (with Video Explanations) to Achieve High Scores for Royal School Armagh
Preparing for the SEAG Transfer Test effectively is crucial to securing a place at highly competitive grammar schools like Royal School Armagh. To secure a place, students must achieve a high score in the SEAG Transfer Test. ExamTutor’s SEAG Practice Test Papers with Video Explanations provide a structured and effective way to prepare, ensuring students are fully familiar with the question types and exam format used in the 11+ entrance exam.
How ExamTutor SEAG Practice Papers with Video Explanations Help Students Succeed
1. Mirrors the SEAG Transfer Test Format
ExamTutor’s practice papers mirror the GL Assessment SEAG test format, covering:
📌 English – Reading comprehension, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.
📌 Mathematics – Numerical reasoning, arithmetic, and problem-solving.
✔ By practicing with ExamTutor papers, students become familiar with the structure and content of the SEAG entrance exam, improving confidence and performance.
2. Identify Weak Areas & Improve Performance with a Structured Study Plan
A structured study plan is essential for SEAG Transfer Test success. Our practice papers:
✔ Help identify weaker subjects at the earliest stage.
✔ Allow students to focus on specific question types where they struggle.
✔ Include detailed answer explanations so students understand their mistakes and improve.
📌 Tip: Encourage your child to take regular timed practice tests to build exam stamina and confidence.
3. Boost Confidence with Video Explanations
Some SEAG transfer Test question types can be challenging for students. Our tutor-led video explanations:
🎥 Break down complex questions step by step
🎥 Teach proven problem-solving techniques
🎥 Show shortcuts and strategies to save time in the exam
🎥 Help students reinforce learning and build confidence
How to Use Video Explanations Effectively:
✅ Review incorrect answers with video solutions – Identify and correct mistakes early.
✅ Take notes on key strategies – Record important problem-solving techniques for future reference.
✅ Rewatch explanations for difficult topics – Reinforce learning by revisiting challenging areas.
✔ Video explanations ensure students fully understand concepts rather than just memorising answers.
4. Develop Strong Time Management & Exam Techniques
Success in the SEAG entrance exam isn’t just about knowledge—it’s also about:
✔ Time management – Completing questions quickly and accurately under exam conditions.
✔ Skipping tricky questions – Avoid wasting time on difficult questions and returning to them later.
✔ Eliminating wrong answers – Using logical reasoning to improve accuracy.
📌 Tip: Regular timed practice with ExamTutor tests ensures students develop these key exam skills.
5. Build Confidence Before the Big Day
Confidence is crucial for success in the SEAG exam. Our practice tests help by:
✔ Simulating real exam conditions – So students know exactly what to expect.
✔ Providing motivation through measurable improvement.
📌 Tip: Encourage your child to review their mistakes using our detailed video explanations to turn weaknesses into strengths.
Why Choose ExamTutor 11+ Practice Papers for SEAG transfer test Preparation?
✔ SEAG GL Assessment-style practice papers covering all tested subjects.
✔ Video explanations for step-by-step learning.
✔ Used successfully by thousands of students every year.
How to Get Started with ExamTutor Practice Papers
1️⃣ Take a practice test – Identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
2️⃣ Create a study plan – Focus on weaker areas while reinforcing strengths.
3️⃣ Practice regularly – Use ExamTutor timed papers to simulate real exam conditions.
4️⃣ Review mistakes using video explanations – Learn from errors and improve.
5️⃣ Track progress – Monitor scores over time to ensure continuous improvement.
📌 Tip: Start preparing at least 6–12 months before the exam to allow enough time for practice and improvement.
Royal School Armagh entry is highly competitive, but ExamTutor SEAG Practice Papers with Video Explanations provide a powerful tool to maximise your child’s success.
By mirroring the SEAG test format, identifying weak areas, improving time management, and building confidence, our practice tests give students the best chance of securing a high score and gaining admission to Royal School Armagh.
Why Choose ExamTutor 11+ Practice Papers for Royal School Armagh Preparation?
✔ SEAG style practice papers covering all tested subjects.
✔ Video explanations for step-by-step learning.
✔ Used successfully by thousands of pupils every year.
Achieving a high SEAG score for Royal School Armagh is very possible with the right strategy and tools. With ExamTutor’s exam-style papers and video explanations, you get both practice and expert guidance — exactly what’s needed to turn mistakes into mastery.
📌 Start preparing today with ExamTutor and set your child on the path to SEAG success! 🚀
📋 Admissions Criteria (Subject to Annual Review)
If more applications are received than places available (~90–100), RSA applies the following criteria:
-
Pupils with SEAG Transfer Test scores, ranked in descending order
-
Siblings of current or former pupils
-
Children of staff or past pupils
-
Pupils from designated feeder primary schools
-
Geographical proximity to school (tie-breaker)
✅ Special Circumstances and Special Provisions (e.g. illness, SEN, bereavement, newcomers to NI) are considered with supporting evidence.
📅 Admissions Timeline
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| SEAG Registration Opens | May |
| SEAG Registration Closes | September |
| SEAG Test Dates | November (2 Saturdays) |
| Results Released | January |
| EA Application Portal Opens | Late January |
| Application Deadline | February |
| Offers Announced | March |
SEAG Exam Information for ‘Royal School Armagh’.
The SEAG Group’ consists of 63 Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland that use academic selection for all or part of their Year 8 intake. The SEAG 2024 Entrance Assessment is for pupils who will be transferring to post primary schools and whose parents may be considering a place at a SEAG school for their child. Royal School Armagh is a SEAG School. Royal School Armagh will use the results from the SEAG Test to determine who gets offered a place at the school.
SEAG Registration and Exam Details
Parents can register their child at the SEAG website at the following address. SEAG (seagni.co.uk).The SEAG Entrance Assessment consists of two papers. Both papers assess English and Mathematics and both have an identical format consisting of three Sections:
1st Section – The Practice Test Section
This section contains 5 English followed by 5 Maths questions. These questions are designed to help pupils settle before the Main Test begins. The Practice Test is not assessed or timed.
2nd Section – English Main Test.
The English section of the paper consists of 28 questions (Q1-Q28) and is broken down into 4 sections:
1) “Punctuation Exercise” containing 5 multiple choice questions.
2) “Grammar Exercise” 5 multiple choice questions.
3) “Spelling Exercise” with 5 multiple choice questions.
4) Comprehension”. Contains a passage and are then asked 13 questions on the passage; 7 of these are multiple choice (Q16-Q22). The final 6 questions (Q23-Q28) are described as “free response”; the pupil writes the answer to each in the space provided in the Answer Sheet.
3rd Section – Maths Main Test.
The Maths section also has 28 questions (Q29-Q56) and is broken down into 2 sections:
1) The first 22 Maths questions (Q29-Q50) are multiple choice questions.
2) The final 6 Maths questions (Q51-Q56) are described as “free response”. For each of these questions the pupil works out the correct answer and writes the answer in the space provided in the Answer Sheet.
Pupils will have 60 minutes to answer the 56 Main Test questions.
They can choose to start with the English questions or with the Maths questions.
Each of the multiple choice questions has 5 possible answers.
Admissions Criteria for Royal School Armagh
Most Northern Ireland Grammar Schools are now using the SEAG Entrance Assessment instead of Transfer Test AQE or PPTC/GL Assessment. As part of their admissions criteria each school uses slightly different criteria versions for admissions. The vast majority of schools will have SEAG Band one as 1st criteria which means you need to score 206+ in the SEAG Entrance Assessment Test. If you don’t get band one then you will not be guaranteed a grammar school place in any school in Northern Ireland.
After criteria one, criteria two can vary depending on Grammar School. The majority of Grammar Schools 2nd criteria will be if a family member currently or in some cases has attended the school, other schools will go straight to SEAG TSAS scores. The main key point to note is that you need to aim for band one which is 206 in SEAG Entrance Assessment for the vast majority of Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland. Another key point is school preference, most schools don’t stipulate they have to be number one preference on the SEAG Application form to be considered for a place at their school. So, if you put down a Grammar School as 1st preference and don’t get the grade to get in, as long as your 2nd choice school doesn’t stipulate their school has to be 1st preference then it’s the same as putting the 2nd school down 1st on the SEAG application form.
Our advice is to read the Grammar School criteria carefully and know what your child needs to achieve to gain entry as a lot of parents get confused over the criteria. We keep an up-to-date database of past Transfer Test and SEAG scores you need to gain entry to all Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland.
Our SEAG products at bottom of the page are proven resources to give you child the best chance of getting a high score in SEAG, our Practice Test Papers with video explanations are a great starting point for the SEAG Exam. Our online and live tutor bootcamps are a great alternative to an expensive tutor and our mock exams are a great way to find out what level your child is currently at compared to other children who have taken our mock exams in the same area. Our mock exams will be pitched at examination level difficulty so you have an exact understanding of the level your child needs to aim for. Below is the criteria for this Grammar School. If you have any questions please contact us:
The School will initially consider, for non-boarding places, those candidates who have taken the Assessment provided by The Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group (referred to herein as SEAG). The school will accept the Total Standardised Age Score (referred to herein as the TSAS) awarded by SEAG. subject only to the provisions contained below in Section B or consideration by the Board of Governors of those candidates claiming Special Circumstances or Special Provisions as explained below in Section C and Section D. SEAG is very clear that its Entrance Assessment consists of two papers. A pupil who only takes one paper (i.e. either Paper 1 or Paper 2 but not both) will not have completed the full Entrance Assessment. Such pupils will, however, have their “single paper” marked and will receive a Statement of Outcomes. Outcomes for pupils who only sit one paper will have the designation “e” (for estimate) immediately after the Outcome, e.g. TSAS 155e. Such pupils will only be considered for admission by the School under Special Provisions. If only one assessment was taken because of illness, or other unforeseen circumstances, a claim under Special Provision should be submitted, which should include the estimated TSAS for the SEAG paper sat along with additional evidence of academic ability / attainment. The candidate’s unique pupil number and the TSAS in the SEAG should be entered in the online post-primary Transfer Application. Parents/guardians must also upload the statement of outcome issued by SEAG.
The number of places available is limited to the Admissions Number set by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland; this is currently 100 pupils. Up to a maximum of 15 of these places will be available each year for Boarding Pupils. The cut-off for admission will therefore be the 100th place. Northern Ireland boarding applicants will be required to make an online application through the Education Authority portal in the same way as a ‘day place’ applicant and indicating their preference for boarding. All boarding applicants should also make direct contract with the school in advance of placing boarding as a preference as the school is the main information point for parents regarding boarding applications and procedures.
In selecting pupils for admission to the Royal School, with the exception of boarding applications, children who are resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission to the School will be selected for admission before any children who are not so resident.
Fees and Charges From September 1990 parents of all pupils admitted to the Royal School, Armagh (except in the case of pupils who are not resident in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland) will not be required to pay Tuition Fees. (Capital and Consolidated fees still apply). A Capital Fee (currently £140 per annum) and a Consolidated Charge (currently £185 per annum) are charged to all pupils.
Admission Criteria
1. The first 80 places from the Admission Number of 100 will be allocated to candidates based on the TSAS rank order of their respective scores; those achieving higher TSAS scores being allocated places before those with lower scores. If several candidates are eligible for the 80th place because they have equal TSAS, then all such candidates will be allocated places up to the School’s Admission Number, using the tie-breaker criteria as necessary. This will be net of the boarding applications accepted for admission in that year as per 2. below.
2. Up to a maximum of 15 boarding places will then be allocated from the Admissions Number of 100. All candidates applying for a boarding place must attend for an interview with the Headmaster in order to establish their suitability for boarding. The candidate is not required to have taken the SEAG, but is not precluded from consideration for a boarding place by having done so. The interview will not be to assess academic aptitude, but to ensure the candidate’s suitability to join the Boarding Department, and that the candidate and their parent(s) accept the conditions of entry. Brothers or sisters of boarders on the School roll at the time of application will be given priority for a boarding place. Boarding places are offered and accepted on the understanding that the candidate will remain in boarding until the end of Year 12. A pupil cannot be given a day place if the pupil is withdrawn from boarding before the end of Year 12. A separate Admission Criteria is applicable in respect of boarding places and is available to parents upon request.
3. If, after the application of 1 and 2 above there are any remaining day places from the Admission Number these will be allocated from a pool of 20 candidates comprised of those identified by rank order of their SEAG TSAS with those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores to the pool. In the event of several candidates being eligible for the 20th place in the pool because they have equal scores, the pool will be increased and all such candidates will be included in the pool. Candidates from this pool will be allocated to the remaining places on application of the tie-breaker criteria.
4. If, following the application of criteria 1, 2, and 3 all the available places in the School’s Admission Number have not been filled, the School will consider for admission any candidates who have not taken the SEAG. In the event that the number of such candidates exceeds the number of remaining places, allocation of the remaining places will be made by applying the tie-breaker criteria.
5. The ‘tie-breaker’ criteria. If as specified in paragraphs 1, 3 or 4 that the tie-breaker criteria apply, the following criteria will then apply successively in the order stated below, until the final selection is completed. Therefore, if there are more candidates who satisfy criterion (i) than there are places available, criterion (ii) will then be applied and successively thereafter, until all the remaining places are allocated.
i) Candidates enrolled in the School’s Preparatory Department;
ii) Candidates with a brother or sister currently enrolled in the School’s Secondary Department (details to be supplied) or accepted for enrolment;
iii) Candidates who are siblings of a multiple birth (e.g., twins or triplets) and whose multiple birth sibling is to be admitted to Year 8;
iv) Candidates who are the eldest child of the family to be eligible for admission in September 2024 (details to be supplied;
v) Candidates who are entitled to Free School Meals (FSME)*;
vi) If after all the criteria 5(i) to 5(iv) have been exhausted it becomes necessary to make a further selection, places will be allocated on the basis of the rank order of the candidates’ respective score; those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores.
vii) If more than one candidate is eligible for the final place because they have equal scores which is not resolved by the application of the above criteria, then the Board of Governors will select the remaining candidate(s) using computerised random selection. The computerised random selection process, as determined by the Board of Governors, will be overseen by a representative from the Board of Governors.
* ‘Entitled to Free School Meals’ will mean candidates who, at the date on which they have signed their post-primary Transfer Application, have communicated within their Transfer Application that they are listed on the Education Authority register as entitled to Free School Meals.
Waiting List Policy. If a vacancy arises and is to be filled during Year 8, the next applicant on the original transfer list rank order will be contacted. This list does not transfer automatically into applications for other year groups. For applications for a place in years other than Year 8 parents must complete and return the Application for Admission form, available on www.royalschool.com
Royal School Armagh website for a more detailed Admissions Policy document – the https://royalschool.com
