If your child is in P6 or P7 in Northern Ireland, you've probably heard a lot about "the transfer test". Since 2023 there has been one test for grammar school entry: the SEAG Entrance Assessment, run by the Schools' Entrance Assessment Group. It replaced the old AQE and GL tests.
Here is what is actually on it, explained simply.
Two papers, sat on two Saturdays
The SEAG test is made up of Paper 1 and Paper 2. They are sat on two separate Saturdays in November of P7, at a SEAG school chosen when you register. Your child must sit both papers.
Both papers have exactly the same layout and the same level of difficulty. Each one lasts 60 minutes and tests both English and Maths. (There is also an Irish-language version, with Gaeilge in place of English.)
How each paper is laid out
1. The Practice Test (not marked)
Each paper begins with a short warm-up: 5 English questions followed by 5 Maths questions. This section does not count towards the score. It is there to help children settle and get used to the answer sheet.
2. The English Main Test (28 questions)
The English section tests reading and accuracy. Children work through:
- Punctuation: spotting the group of words that contains a mistake, or choosing "N" if there is no mistake
- Grammar: choosing the best word to complete a sentence
- Spelling: finding the misspelt word, or choosing "N"
- Comprehension: reading a passage (a story, information text or poem) and answering questions about it, including word meanings and parts of speech
3. The Maths Main Test (28 questions)
The Maths section has 22 multiple-choice questions (choose from A to E), followed by 6 written-answer questions where children work out and write the answer themselves. Topics cover the Key Stage 2 curriculum: number, fractions, decimals and percentages, measures, time, money, shape, data and problem solving.
Children can choose whether to start with the English or the Maths questions.
What this means for preparation
Because the format never changes, practising in the real layout makes a big difference. Children who already know the question styles waste less time on test day and feel far calmer. The things that matter most are:
- Knowing the format, so nothing on the day is a surprise
- Timing: 56 questions in 60 minutes, so roughly a minute per question
- Accuracy in punctuation and spelling, where small slips cost marks
- Careful reading in comprehension and maths word problems
SEAG publishes free official practice papers on its website (seagni.co.uk), and every parent should start there.
Extra practice from A-List Tutoring
Once your child has done the official practice papers, our SEAG-style practice papers give lots more practice in the same format, from Level 1 (a gentle start) up to Level 3 and our Challenge Papers. We also have English and Maths revision books and flash cards that teach each question type step by step.
If you're in Belfast, our weekly SEAG small-group classes run at 272 Castlereagh Road.
A-List Tutoring is an independent tutoring centre. Our materials are not produced or endorsed by SEAG.