Dates, format, scores and how to help your P6 or P7 child prepare, with a link to the full guide on each.
The Schools' Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) runs Northern Ireland's transfer test for grammar school entry. Children sit it in P7. It replaced the separate AQE and GL tests with one common test.
There are two papers, on two Saturdays a week apart. Each has 28 English (or Gaeilge) and 28 maths questions, based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum your child learns at school. Paper 1 vs Paper 2 shows what is in each paper.
In 2026, Paper 1 is on Saturday 14 November and Paper 2 on Saturday 21 November. Results come out on Saturday 23 January 2027. See all the key dates, or the 2027 dates if your child is in P6.
Registration for the 2026 test has closed. Children in P6 now register in a window expected to open around May 2027. Our registration guide covers the form, the fee and the documents you need.
Many families start gently in the spring of P6. Our plan for P6 sets out a light routine, month by month.
Starting in P7 is not too late. Short, regular practice on the weakest topics still helps, and the last-month revision plan covers the final weeks.
Short sessions on most days work better than one long one. Go through every mistake together, and stick with the methods your child learned at school. Keep talk about the test low-key, because children pick up on how adults feel about it. Read 6 transfer test myths, and what the research says.
To try a full paper, sit Paper 01, our SEAG-style practice paper, free, or use SEAG's own practice papers. Both are on our practice papers page.
Bring the printed Pupil Card to both papers. Our test day guide covers what to bring, how each paper runs and the night before.
SEAG gives your child a standardised score for English and for maths, a total of the two, and a band from 1 to 6. How scoring works explains the numbers. The results day guide covers the Statement of Outcomes, re-marks and applying to schools.
There is no single right answer. Think about whether your child enjoys academic work, copes with homework on their own and wants to sit the test. Good education is available at grammar and non-selective schools alike.
The school finder lists every post-primary school in Northern Ireland, so you can see what is near you.
Details from SEAG's guidance at seagni.co.uk, last checked in July 2026.
Free. No account or card needed.