The official SEAG Assessment Guide states that the assessment is based entirely on the statutory Northern Ireland Mathematics and Numeracy curriculum at Key Stage 2. It groups the maths content into six broad areas: Numbers, Measurements, Shape and Space, Money, Probability and Data Representation.
Within those broad areas, children may need to combine several skills in one question. A child who can perform a calculation in isolation may still find it difficult when the method is hidden inside a word problem, diagram, table or unfamiliar situation.
Use this guide as a checklist of broad areas, not as a prediction of individual questions. The six named category headings come from the official SEAG Assessment Guide; the detailed subtopics below are a parent-friendly grouping of common Key Stage 2 skills within those areas, not a guarantee that every one will appear on any individual paper. Always compare preparation with the latest official SEAG specification and practice materials.
1. Number and place value
A secure understanding of number supports almost every other maths topic. Children should be comfortable reading, comparing and using whole numbers and decimals in different contexts.
Common skills include
- Understanding the value of each digit.
- Reading, writing, ordering and comparing numbers.
- Rounding and estimating.
- Using negative numbers in practical contexts such as temperature.
- Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000.
- Recognising odd, even, prime, square and cube numbers where relevant.
- Identifying factors and multiples.
A child may know a written method but misread the place value, especially when a question includes zeroes or decimal points. Ask them to estimate first so an unreasonable answer is easier to spot.
2. Calculations and problem solving
Children need accurate calculation skills, but SEAG-style preparation should also include deciding which operation a problem requires.
- Addition and subtraction using mental and written strategies.
- Multiplication facts and related division facts.
- Short and longer multiplication or division methods appropriate to Key Stage 2.
- Interpreting remainders in context.
- Using brackets and the correct order of operations.
- Estimating before calculating and checking whether an answer is sensible.
- Solving one-step and multi-step word problems.
Instead of asking only “What answer did you get?”, ask “What information matters, which operation did you choose, and why?”
3. Fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio
These ideas are closely connected. Children benefit from seeing the same quantity represented in different ways rather than memorising disconnected rules.
- Recognising and creating equivalent fractions.
- Simplifying fractions where appropriate.
- Comparing and ordering fractions.
- Finding a fraction of a quantity.
- Adding and subtracting familiar fractions.
- Connecting common fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Calculating simple percentages of quantities.
- Using ratio and proportion in practical problems.
- Reading decimal values accurately and calculating with money or measures.
Encourage your child to connect examples such as one half, 0.5 and 50%. The visual relationship matters as much as the conversion rule.
Practise the topics that need attention
PrepPath gives children structured SEAG-style maths practice with clear explanations, while parents can follow scores and progress through their account.
4. Patterns and sequences
Pattern questions test whether a child can identify a rule rather than merely continue by guesswork.
- Continuing number sequences.
- Finding missing terms.
- Describing the rule in a sequence.
- Recognising relationships between numbers.
- Using simple function or input-output patterns.
- Predicting what comes next and checking the rule works for every step.
Children sometimes notice how the last two terms change but do not test the rule across the whole sequence. Ask them to check every jump.
5. Measurement
Measurement questions often combine arithmetic with careful reading of units, scales and diagrams.
- Length, distance, mass, capacity and volume.
- Choosing sensible metric units.
- Converting between related metric units.
- Reading scales when not every division is labelled.
- Perimeter and area of familiar shapes.
- Time, duration, calendars and timetables.
- Temperature, including values below zero.
- Using measurements in multi-step practical problems.
Before calculating, ask your child to write the unit expected in the answer. A correct number with the wrong unit can reveal that the question has not been fully understood.
6. Shape, space, position and direction
This area includes recognising properties, interpreting diagrams and visualising movement or changes in position.
- Properties of common 2D and 3D shapes.
- Lines, angles and turns.
- Right angles and comparing angles.
- Symmetry and reflective patterns.
- Coordinates and position on simple grids.
- Direction, rotation and movement.
- Nets and different views of 3D objects where appropriate.
- Perimeter and area when presented through a diagram.
Build confidence across the maths curriculum
Use PrepPath to combine topic-focused questions with mixed practice, explanations and parent-controlled progress tracking.
7. Money
Money provides a practical setting for place value, decimals, calculations and problem solving.
- Working with pounds and pence.
- Adding amounts and calculating change.
- Comparing prices and identifying best value.
- Solving problems involving several items.
- Using multiplication, division, fractions or percentages in money contexts.
- Estimating costs and checking whether an answer is realistic.
Watch for children treating pounds and pence as separate whole numbers. Encourage them to write money consistently and estimate the expected total before calculating.
8. Probability and data representation
Children may need to interpret information, compare categories and draw conclusions rather than simply read one value.
- Using probability language such as impossible, unlikely, even chance, likely and certain.
- Comparing the likelihood of events.
- Working with simple fractions or proportions in probability contexts.
- Reading and completing tables, charts, pictograms and graphs.
- Using scales accurately on axes.
- Finding totals, differences and missing values from data.
- Understanding simple averages and range where included in the current specification.
- Explaining what the data shows.
A graph question may be testing the scale rather than difficult arithmetic. Ask your child to inspect the title, labels, key and intervals before reading a value.
Problem solving runs through every topic
Knowing a method is only one part of success. Children also need to recognise when to use it, select relevant information and communicate their working clearly enough to check it.
A useful five-step routine
- Read the question once for the situation.
- Read it again for the important facts and required answer.
- Choose the operation, rule or diagram.
- Estimate, calculate and keep track of units.
- Check that the answer is reasonable and answers the actual question.
How parents can identify weak areas
Do not rely on one total score. Review several practice sessions and note patterns. A child may need support with the underlying topic, the wording, working accurately or finishing within the available time.
- Record the topic behind each repeated mistake.
- Separate knowledge gaps from careless errors.
- Check whether the child can solve an easier version.
- Ask for an explanation before showing the correct method.
- Revisit the topic later with a different question format.
Choose two or three priorities at a time. Trying to repair every topic simultaneously makes it harder for a child to recognise progress.
A balanced weekly approach
- One session on a priority number skill.
- One session on measurement, shape or data.
- One mixed problem-solving session.
- One short review of previous mistakes.
- Occasional timed practice once methods are secure.
Keep sessions manageable and include days without formal SEAG work. Strong preparation should build fluency and confidence, not simply increase the number of completed papers.
For a week-by-week structure that fits this alongside everything else, see our 8-week SEAG revision plan, and if reviewing mistakes calmly is a sticking point, our guide on helping an anxious child prepare for SEAG covers that directly.
Find the maths areas to work on next
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PrepPath is an independent preparation resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group.