If your child is approaching transfer to post-primary school in Northern Ireland, SEAG can feel like a collection of dates, forms and unfamiliar scores. These answers bring the essentials together so you can plan calmly and know when to check the official guidance.
Checked 9 September 2026 — always confirm dates and fees at seagni.co.uk.
About SEAG
What is SEAG?
The Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides a common entrance assessment and standardised outcomes for participating post-primary schools in Northern Ireland that use academic selection. Individual schools decide how SEAG outcomes feature in their published admissions criteria.
Who can take the SEAG assessment?
It is intended for pupils in the final year of primary school who plan to transfer to post-primary school in Northern Ireland and are registered by a parent or guardian. For the 2026 assessment, the standard eligible date-of-birth range is 2 July 2015 to 1 July 2016 for transfer in September 2027. Limited early- or late-transfer circumstances may apply, so check the current official eligibility rules.
Is taking SEAG compulsory?
No. Whether it is relevant depends on the schools you may apply to and their admissions criteria. Read each school’s current published criteria before deciding. A child with a statement of special educational needs follows a separate Year 8 transfer process and does not need to sit the assessment.
Is PrepPath part of SEAG?
No. PrepPath is an independent preparation resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SEAG, GL Assessment or any school.
Registration and assessment centres
When does registration open and close?
For the 2026 assessment cycle, registration opens at 8:00am on Monday 18 May 2026 and closes at 11:59pm on Friday 18 September 2026. These dates change each year, so use the official key-dates page for the current cycle.
How do I register my child?
Registration has two stages: first create the adult’s account in the official SEAG portal, then complete and submit a pupil application. Your child is not registered simply because the adult account exists. Follow the confirmation and status information shown in the portal.
How much does registration cost?
The standard fee is £20 and is non-refundable. The fee is waived when current evidence of Free School Meals Entitlement is accepted. SEAG may, but does not promise to, open a late-registration period; the published late fee is £50 when such a window is available.
What documents will I need?
You will normally need a recent passport-style photograph of your child and acceptable identity evidence, such as a birth certificate, passport or residence permit. If the child’s current legal name differs from the identity document, supporting evidence such as a deed poll may be needed. Check the live portal guidance before uploading anything.
Can I reuse an account from an older child?
SEAG says a new parent registration is required each year, even if an older child previously sat the assessment. The same email address may be used.
How do I choose an assessment centre?
Choose from the centres with capacity when completing the pupil application. Your assessment-centre choice does not determine which post-primary schools you can later apply to. Popular centres may fill, so register in good time.
Can I change the assessment centre later?
It may be possible before registration closes, but the official process requires a new application before the old one is withdrawn. Payment or Free School Meals evidence may need to be handled again, and the original fee is not refunded. Follow SEAG’s current instructions carefully before changing anything.
What if I cannot register online?
Contact your preferred assessment centre in writing during the registration period. The centre can pass your details to SEAG so that support can be arranged.
Ready to turn planning into steady practice?
Create a parent-controlled PrepPath account for structured SEAG-style practice, explanations and a clearer view of progress.
The assessment papers and test days
When are the 2026 assessment papers?
Paper 1 is on Saturday 14 November 2026 and Paper 2 is on Saturday 21 November 2026. The contingency date is Saturday 28 November 2026, but only if an assessment cannot proceed across all of Northern Ireland on a main date; it is not an individual make-up date.
What is the format of each paper?
The two papers have the same format and level. Each begins with an untimed practice section containing five English or Gaeilge questions and five Maths questions; these do not count towards the outcome. The main paper has 28 English or Gaeilge questions and 28 Maths questions, with 60 minutes allowed.
Does my child need to sit both papers?
Children should sit both papers for the full assessment. If a child completes only one, SEAG can still produce outcomes using an estimate for the missing paper; estimated outcomes are marked with an “e”. Each school’s admissions criteria determine how it treats an estimated outcome.
Who sets and marks the papers?
GL Assessment sets and marks the SEAG papers on behalf of SEAG.
Can the assessment be taken in Gaeilge?
Yes. English and Gaeilge versions are available. Gaeilge-language invigilation is available only at specified centres, so check the current centre list and arrangements before applying.
What happens if my child arrives late?
A child cannot be admitted after the assessment has started. Use the time and arrival instructions on the Pupil Card and in the assessment-centre guidance, allow extra travel time and avoid relying on an unofficial start time.
What should my child bring?
Follow the current Pupil Card and assessment-centre instructions exactly. They are the safest source for permitted items, arrival arrangements and any centre-specific details; do not rely on an old checklist from another family or a previous year.
What if my child misses a paper?
There is no individual alternative sitting. If one paper is missed, the outcome is calculated using the paper completed and an estimated result for the missing paper. Keep evidence if illness or another serious event may later support a Special Circumstances claim under a school’s admissions process.
Preparation and practice
What does SEAG assess?
The assessment is based entirely on the statutory Northern Ireland Key Stage 2 curricula. Each paper covers English or Gaeilge and Mathematics and Numeracy. Use the current official Assessment Guide and practice materials rather than trying to predict individual questions.
Are official practice papers available?
Yes. SEAG provides its practice papers, answer sheets and Parents’ Guide free of charge in English and Gaeilge. SEAG states that it does not sell practice papers and does not endorse commercial materials.
How much practice should my child do?
There is no single ideal number of hours. Short, regular sessions usually make it easier to notice gaps, review mistakes and protect family time. Build accuracy and understanding first, then introduce timed practice gradually. Include rest days and stop a session if stress is making learning unproductive. For a structured approach, see our 8-week SEAG revision plan.
How can PrepPath help?
PrepPath can organise SEAG-style practice into manageable sessions, provide explanations and help a parent see patterns in progress. It should complement classroom learning and the free official materials, not replace school advice or guarantee an admissions outcome.
Give your child a clear next step
Use PrepPath for structured practice without hiding the information parents need to make an informed decision.
Access arrangements and illness
Who may apply for access arrangements?
A parent can apply where a child has an identified significant or substantive need. The request must be submitted by the published deadline with suitable verified evidence, and the adjustment should normally reflect the child’s usual way of working in the classroom.
What adjustments might be available?
Depending on evidenced need, arrangements may include up to 25% extra time, a smaller group, enlarged papers, medical adjustments or another reasonable adjustment. Needs may relate to learning, communication, sensory or physical needs, social, emotional or mental health, or a medical condition. Approval is individual, not automatic. See the official Access Arrangements Guide for details.
What if a temporary injury happens close to the assessment?
SEAG’s guidance allows emergency arrangements to be considered for temporary injuries or unexpected needs near the assessment date. Contact SEAG or the assessment centre promptly and provide the evidence requested.
What if my child is unwell on the day?
Illness does not change the marking of a completed paper. If illness or another event materially affected attendance or performance, keep contemporaneous evidence. You may be able to ask for Special Circumstances later through the Education Authority transfer application, subject to the admissions criteria of the schools applied to.
Results, re-marks and school admissions
When will 2026 results be available?
SEAG plans to release outcomes through the parent portal on Saturday 23 January 2027. Check the official key-dates page and portal messages in case arrangements change.
What information is included in the outcome?
The outcome includes a Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS), a Band from 1 to 6, separate standardised scores for the two subject areas and percentile information. SEAG publishes a TSAS range of 138–282 with a mean of 200, and subject scores of 69–141 with a mean of 100. These are standardised outcomes, not a simple percentage mark.
What score does my child need?
There is no universal pass score. Participating schools decide how they use SEAG outcomes alongside their other admissions criteria, and demand can vary from year to year. Read the current criteria for every school you may list and avoid treating a previous year’s lowest accepted score as a guarantee.
Can I request a re-mark?
Yes. For the 2026 cycle, re-mark applications open Monday 25 January 2027 and close Wednesday 3 February 2027. The fee is £20 per paper and is refunded if the child’s TSAS changes. Check the current official procedure before applying.
Does choosing an assessment centre count as applying to that school?
No. Sitting the assessment at a school does not constitute an application to that school and does not restrict the schools you can list later. Post-primary applications are made through the separate transfer process.
Where should I check for official updates?
Use seagni.co.uk for SEAG registration, dates, guidance and practice materials — including its own Frequently Asked Questions page. For school-specific use of results, read each school’s current published admissions criteria and the Education Authority transfer guidance.
Make preparation feel more manageable
Create a PrepPath account for structured practice, useful explanations and parent-friendly progress tracking.
PrepPath is an independent preparation resource. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group, GL Assessment, the Education Authority or any school.