About the testFamilies at home
Does my child have to sit the transfer test?
Answered by Sam Stirling, former P7 teacher · Last checked: 2 November 2026
The short answer
No. A child only sits the SEAG test if a parent or guardian registers them for it, and the results are used only by the schools that select pupils by academic ability. If none of the schools you're applying to use it, your child doesn't need to sit it.
It's your decision
Nobody is entered automatically. SEAG is clear that if a pupil hasn't been registered, they can't sit the test, and registering by the deadline is the parent's or guardian's job. How to register.
Which schools use it
SEAG's results are accepted by the post-primary schools in Northern Ireland that use academic selection for all or part of their Year 8 intake. SEAG says there are 63 of them. Each school's Board of Governors decides how it uses the results in its own admissions criteria.
Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs
SEAG says children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs do not need to sit the Entrance Assessment. They have their own transfer procedure: the Education Authority (EA) discusses a suitable post-primary school with you as part of the Annual Review of your child's statement. Ask your EA SEN Link Officer how the schools you're considering would be consulted.
Last checked: 2 November 2026 by Sam. The official facts on this page come from:
- SEAG Get Answers (FAQs) (read 28 October 2026)
- SEAG What We Do (read 28 October 2026)
- SEAG news: last days to register for the 2026 assessment (read 28 October 2026)
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