Everything a parent needs to understand the SEAG Transfer Test and support their child through it — from key dates to what the assessment actually looks like.
Stay informed about SEAG dates and deadlines across the P6 to P7 year.
Learn more →A simple overview of the Entrance Assessment: format, content, cost and results.
Learn more →How to use practice papers and TransferNI to prepare effectively.
Learn more →Find out what access arrangements are and how to request them.
Learn more →Key dates
These are the important milestones for pupils entering post-primary school in September 2027. Dates are set by SEAG — always confirm the latest information on the official SEAG website before acting.
Parents can create an account and begin a pupil application.
Final deadline to register a pupil for the Entrance Assessment.
Pupils complete the two standardised papers at their chosen centre.
Standardised, age-adjusted scores are issued to families to support school applications.
Assessment guide
The SEAG Entrance Assessment is the standardised test used by academically selective (grammar) post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. Here's a plain-English overview:
TransferNI mirrors this structure so your child practises exactly the kinds of questions they'll meet on the day.
Practice materials
Good preparation is steady and low-pressure. A few short sessions a week beats long cramming sessions. We recommend combining official and online practice:
Access arrangements
Access arrangements are adjustments that allow pupils with a disability, medical condition or special educational need to sit the assessment fairly — for example, extra time, rest breaks, or a modified paper.
Full details and the application process are available on the official SEAG website's Access Arrangements guide.
FAQs
It's the standardised Entrance Assessment used by academically selective post-primary schools in Northern Ireland to help decide admissions. It's administered by SEAG and taken by pupils in their final year of primary school (P7).
Many families begin gentle, regular practice in P6. Starting early keeps things calm — short, frequent sessions are far more effective (and less stressful) than intensive cramming close to the test.
English and Maths, based on the Northern Ireland primary curriculum. TransferNI covers both, broken down into clear topics.
SEAG charges a registration fee, and a waiver is available for families entitled to Free School Meals (FSME). TransferNI is a separate practice tool — you can start practising for free.
No. TransferNI is an independent practice and revision tool. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by SEAG. For official registration and guidance, always use the official SEAG website.
As a standardised score that is adjusted for your child's age within the school year, so all pupils are assessed fairly regardless of birth month.
Yes. A tutor, grandparent, second parent or guardian can follow how your child is getting on — but only if you approve that specific person. They see your child's name, email and practice results: quizzes taken, accuracy by topic, and where to focus. They cannot see your account, your payment details or your messages. You can remove anyone's access at any time, from Parent Area → Profile, without giving a reason.
No, and it is not meant to be. A tutor brings judgement and encouragement that software cannot. TransferNI gives the structure around that: unlimited practice between sessions, timed mock tests, and a dashboard showing exactly which topics are weak. Many families use both — and if you do, your tutor can follow your child's progress in the app, with your approval, so the sessions target what the practice has already shown is shaky.
No. Every question is written for TransferNI. Copying an examining body's papers would breach their copyright, and past papers are also a poor way to prepare — a child who has memorised them has learned those questions rather than the skills behind them. Our questions are written to match the format and demands of the assessment, so the practice transfers to whatever appears on the day.
No, and be cautious of anyone who says otherwise. The assessment is standardised and age-adjusted, and outcomes depend on far more than any one practice tool. What regular practice reliably does is remove surprises: your child meets the format, the timing and the question styles often enough that the day itself is familiar. That is worth a great deal, and it is not the same as a guarantee.
Now you know what to expect — help your child get comfortable with real exam-style questions.
Start practising free