For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland (Belfast Grammar Schools)
Northern Ireland (Belfast Grammar Schools) is home to 5 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools, served by the SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group) — seagni.co.uk. This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Northern Ireland (Belfast Grammar Schools) 11+ works
Two papers sat on consecutive Saturdays in November, both set and marked by GL Assessment. Each paper contains 28 English questions + 28 Maths questions (56 questions per paper; 112 total). Sections: Practice Test (5 English + 5 Maths, unscored); English Main Test (Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling exercises + Comprehension passage with 7 multiple-choice and 6 free-response questions); Maths Main Test (22 multiple-choice + 6 free-response). Each paper is 60 minutes. Pupils receive a Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS, range 138–282, mean 200) and a Band (1–6; Band 1 = top 40%). Schools use TSAS and/or Band in their admissions criteria.
SEAG replaced the former AQE and GL/PPTC dual-test system from 2023 onwards. The test may be taken in English or Irish (Gaeilge). Registration fee: £20 (free for pupils with Free School Meals Entitlement). A brief late-registration window (£50) may open in September. Results (Statement of Outcomes) are released via the SEAG portal. Note: Progress 8 and Attainment 8 are DfE England metrics and do not apply to Northern Ireland schools; performance data are sourced from school publications and Department of Education NI (deni.gov.uk).
Key dates
Who can apply?
Any child transferring from primary to post-primary education in Northern Ireland is eligible to sit the SEAG Entrance Assessment (normally pupils in Primary 7, aged 10–11).
Children outside Northern Ireland may also be registered, subject to the individual school's admissions criteria prioritising NI-resident pupils first.
Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs are admitted through a separate EA process and do not need to sit the SEAG assessment.
The test may be sat in English or Irish (Gaeilge). Irish-medium invigilation is available at designated centres.
There is no formal catchment area for voluntary grammar schools in Northern Ireland; all are open-access subject to SEAG score ranking and oversubscription criteria.
Pupils must register via seagni.co.uk; registration is separate from the school application to the Education Authority (EA) portal.
Admissions process
Parents register their child on the SEAG portal (seagni.co.uk) between mid-May and mid-September of Primary 7 year. A £20 fee applies (waived for FSME-eligible pupils). Each registration allows up to two pupil applications.
Pupils sit two papers on consecutive Saturdays in November at an assigned test centre. Papers are marked by GL Assessment. Pupils receive a Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS) and a Band (1–6) in late January via the SEAG portal.
Parents list up to three post-primary school preferences on the Education Authority (EA) online transfer application portal (eani.org.uk), typically open late January to mid-February. The SEAG Statement of Outcomes and TSAS must be uploaded with the application.
Each school's Board of Governors ranks applicants by TSAS or Band in accordance with its published admissions criteria. Tie-breaking sub-criteria (e.g. siblings, feeder primary school, free school meals) are applied where scores are equal. Schools may also consider Special Circumstances (illness affecting test performance) and Special Provisions (pupils not registered for SEAG).
The Education Authority coordinates offers. Parents are notified of their child's school allocation in May. Appeals may be made to the Post Primary Appeals Tribunal or the Exceptional Circumstances Body.
School Directory
Disclaimer: Data from official school and EA sources, April 2026. Admissions criteria: belfastroyalacademy.com, rbai.org.uk, victoriacollege.org.uk, methody.org, sullivanupper.co.uk (school websites, 2025-26 and 2026-27 admissions PDFs). SEAG key dates: seagni.co.uk (official). Cut-off scores: school-published oversubscription statements as reported via thetransfertutor.co.uk (February 2026); labelled parent-reported where schools did not publish official statements. ETI inspection reports: etini.gov.uk. GCSE performance data: school annual reports and school websites. Note: compare.education.gov.uk does not cover NI schools. Progress 8 / Attainment 8 are England-only metrics and are set to 0 as placeholders; do not use for NI comparisons. Verify all data at each school's official admissions page before acting. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-04-20. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).