NITU 11+ mock papers

Home › Guides › The Northern Ireland transfer test: a guide for parents

The Northern Ireland transfer test: a guide for parents

Updated 2026-11-05

If your child is in P6 or P7 and you are thinking about a grammar school place, the transfer test will soon be part of family life. This guide explains what the test involves, how results are used and how to prepare without letting it take over.

What the transfer test is

In Northern Ireland, most selective post-primary schools use one test to help decide admissions at age 11. It is set by the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG), and SEAG calls it the Entrance Assessment. Most families simply call it “the transfer test”, and you may also hear it called the 11+.

SEAG’s website lists its member schools, and it is reported to be the single test used by every selective post-primary school in Northern Ireland. Most are grammar schools, along with a few schools that select part of their intake. Some schools in Northern Ireland do not select at 11 at all, so check the admissions criteria of each school you are considering.

The test is sat in the autumn of P7, the final year of primary school. Children sit two papers, usually on two Saturdays in November of P7. Registration is done by parents through SEAG’s online portal, usually from late spring of P6 into September of P7. Dates change each year, so check SEAG’s website for the current timetable.

How the papers are set out

SEAG says the two papers have the same format, and each one has two parts.

Familiarisation material from schools says children may choose which section to start with. SEAG says an Irish-medium (Gaeilge) version of the English section is available for pupils in Irish-medium schools.

The English section is reported to cover punctuation, grammar and spelling, followed by a reading passage with multiple-choice questions and some short written answers. Maths is reported to follow the Northern Ireland Key Stage 2 curriculum, including number, shape and measures, and handling data, mostly as multiple choice with some written answers. No calculator is allowed.

Answers go on a separate answer sheet. Multiple-choice answers are reported to be marked with a horizontal line through a box, rather than by shading, and written answers go neatly in boxes. Schools’ own question-and-answer sheets say that multiple-choice answers are marked by computer and written answers by hand.

How results work

Results are reported as age-standardised scores rather than raw marks. Children receive a score for English, a score for maths, a total score and a percentile ranking showing how they did compared with everyone else who sat the test. Standardising for age means a younger child in the year group is not at a disadvantage simply for being younger.

SEAG issues no grades and does not say whether a child has passed. Instead, each school sets its own admissions criteria and decides how to use the scores. Criteria can differ from school to school and from year to year, so read each school’s published criteria carefully before you apply.

Results usually arrive in late January, and the application to post-primary schools follows soon afterwards through the Education Authority. Check the current dates with SEAG and the Education Authority.

A calm preparation plan from P6

Most of what the test asks for is steady primary learning. Aim for confidence and familiarity, not pressure.

Keep sessions short and finish on a positive note. If your child is anxious or worn out, ease off.

Using SEAG’s own familiarisation material

SEAG is reported to have released practice papers with answer sheets and a parents’ guide, along with presentations explaining the format and how to mark the answer sheet. Many primary schools and grammar schools also run familiarisation sessions in the autumn. Start with SEAG’s website and your child’s school.

Other practice material, including ours, is written to follow the published format but is never the real test. Use it for extra practice once your child knows the layout.

Test-day tips

Read every letter from SEAG and the test centre. Your child will be expected to bring the card or paperwork you are sent, and centres are reported to supply pencils, rubbers and rough paper.

Whatever the outcome, let your child know you are proud of their effort. That matters far more than any score.

Questions parents ask

Is the SEAG test the same as the 11+ in England?

No. It is a separate test with its own format, sat in P7 and focused on English and maths. Practice written for tests in England may not match it.

Does my child sit one paper or two?

Two papers in the same format, usually on two Saturdays in November of P7. Check SEAG’s website for the current dates.

Is there a pass mark?

No. SEAG issues scores, not grades or passes. Each school sets its own admissions criteria and decides how to use the scores.

When should we start preparing?

Many families begin gently in P6 with reading, times tables and a look at the format, then build a short routine over the summer before P7.

Want to see what a paper set out like your child's test looks like? Every pack and handbook has a free sample. Find your test area or try the free flash cards.

Test areas mentioned

More guides