If you have heard of AQE and GL, here is the short version: they were the two old transfer tests, and they have been replaced by a single SEAG assessment.
Details reflect the public record of the transfer test changes and official SEAG guidance (seagni.co.uk), last checked in July 2026.
There is now one transfer test in Northern Ireland: the SEAG assessment. You register once, and your child sits two papers on two Saturdays in November. The separate AQE and GL tests that ran for years are no longer used for grammar school entry.
After the state-run eleven-plus was scrapped, two unofficial transfer tests grew up in its place. The AQE test (run by the Association for Quality Education) was used by many controlled and voluntary grammar schools. The GL Assessment test, organised by the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), was used mainly by Catholic grammar schools.
For years, that meant some children sat both tests, with two lots of registration, two formats, and two sets of practice papers. It was widely seen as confusing and stressful for families.
From November 2023, almost all of Northern Ireland’s grammar schools agreed to use a single common assessment. They formed the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) to oversee it, with GL Assessment contracted to deliver the test. AQE and the PPTC-GL test are no longer run separately for grammar school admission.
| Before November 2023 | Now (SEAG) | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of tests | Two separate tests — AQE and GL (PPTC) | One common assessment for almost all grammar schools |
| Registration | A separate registration for each test you entered | A single registration through SEAG |
| Papers | AQE typically used three papers (best two counted); GL was a separate assessment | Two papers, sat two Saturdays apart — both count |
| Who runs it | AQE, and the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) for GL | SEAG, with GL Assessment delivering the test |
| Content | English and maths from the Key Stage 2 curriculum | English and maths from the Key Stage 2 curriculum |
No. AQE no longer runs a separate entrance test for grammar school admission. Since November 2023 there has been a single common assessment run by SEAG, which replaced the old AQE and GL (PPTC) tests.
AQE and GL were the two separate transfer tests used before 2023. AQE was run by the Association for Quality Education; the GL Assessment test was organised by the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC). SEAG (the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group) is the body that now runs one common test for almost all Northern Ireland grammar schools.
No. There is now one registration and one assessment made up of two papers, sat on two Saturdays in November. Both papers count towards the final standardised score. This is simpler than the old system, where some families entered their child for both AQE and GL.
They can still be useful practice, because the content is drawn from the same Key Stage 2 English and maths curriculum. Just be aware that the format and timings now follow the single SEAG test, so prioritise SEAG-style material for realistic preparation.
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