On Saturday, November 15, 2025, a hush fell over classrooms across Northern Ireland as more than 13,000 primary seven children sharpened pencils and settled in for the first transfer test of the year. The test, now a familiar—if controversial—rite of passage, marks the beginning of an anxious season for families hoping to secure a coveted spot in one of the region’s grammar schools. According to BBC News, the Schools Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) is responsible for organizing the common transfer test, which has become the standard for academic selection since its introduction in 2023.
For these young students, the pressure isn’t over after just one Saturday. They’ll return to their desks for a second paper on November 22, 2025. Results, which many families await with bated breath, will be released on January 24, 2026—just in time for the opening of the admissions process for post-primary schools.
But what exactly are these children facing? Each test is an hour long and packs in more than 50 questions. The content focuses on maths and English, though students can opt to take the test in Irish if they prefer. Most questions are multiple choice, testing everything from spelling and grammar to punctuation and mathematical reasoning. There’s also a comprehension section, where pupils answer questions about a passage in English or Irish. It’s a demanding format, designed to probe a range of academic skills in a short window of time.
For most families, the process comes with a £20 fee. However, there’s a small relief for some: children who receive free school meals are exempt from paying. This policy aims to level the playing field, at least a little, for families with fewer resources.
The results of these tests carry significant weight—at least for some schools. More than 60 post-primary schools, the majority of them grammar schools, use the transfer test scores as the main criterion for admitting students into year eight. But here’s the twist: the vast majority of Northern Ireland’s 190 post-primary schools don’t rely on these tests at all. Instead, they look at factors like how close a child lives to the school or whether they already have a sibling enrolled. This dual system creates a patchwork of admissions criteria across the region, adding another layer of complexity to an already stressful process.
To understand how Northern Ireland arrived at this point, a bit of history is in order. For about 60 years, the state-run 11-plus test was the gatekeeper for grammar school admission. But in 2008, then-Education Minister Caitriona Ruane called time on the old system, describing it as “outdated and unequal.” With the 11-plus abolished, schools scrambled to fill the gap. Controlled and voluntary grammar schools adopted the AQE test, while Catholic-maintained grammar schools opted for the GL assessments. This patchwork persisted until 2023, when SEAG introduced the common transfer test, aiming to bring some order to the chaos.
Yet, the move to a common test has done little to quell the controversy that’s dogged academic selection for decades. Critics argue that the system still tilts the playing field in favor of children from better-off backgrounds. According to BBC News, “the cost of out-of-school tuition for the tests has been identified as particularly difficult for low-income families to afford.” For many parents, the price of private tutoring—often seen as essential for success—can be prohibitive. This, they argue, perpetuates inequality, making it harder for less well-off children to compete on equal terms.
Supporters of academic selection, on the other hand, maintain that grammar schools provide a valuable pathway for academically gifted students, regardless of their background. They point to the exemption from the £20 test fee for children on free school meals as evidence of efforts to make the system fairer. Still, the debate rages on, with experts and politicians weighing in from all sides.
The controversy isn’t just about money, though. Some education experts question whether a single test—taken at the tender age of 10 or 11—can really capture a child’s abilities or potential. Others worry about the stress and anxiety the process imposes on children and families alike. The stakes feel high, and for many, the outcome can shape the course of a child’s educational journey for years to come.
Meanwhile, the majority of post-primary schools in Northern Ireland have opted out of academic selection entirely. Their admissions policies prioritize proximity and family ties over test scores. For some families, this offers a welcome alternative to the high-pressure world of transfer tests. For others, it raises concerns about access and fairness, particularly in areas where grammar schools are seen as the gold standard.
As the dust settles on the first round of testing, attention now turns to the second paper set for November 22. For the thousands of children who have already sat the first exam, the wait for results will be long and nerve-wracking. When the envelopes finally arrive on January 24, 2026, they’ll set off a flurry of applications and, inevitably, a fresh round of debates about the merits—and drawbacks—of academic selection.
Looking back, the journey from the old 11-plus to today’s common transfer test has been anything but smooth. The abolition of the state-run test in 2008 was supposed to usher in a fairer, more modern system. Instead, it triggered years of confusion as schools devised their own assessments. The introduction of the SEAG common test in 2023 was meant to simplify matters, but it’s clear that the underlying issues remain unresolved.
For now, the transfer test remains a fixture of Northern Ireland’s educational landscape—both a gateway and a barrier, depending on whom you ask. As families, educators, and policymakers continue to grapple with questions of fairness, access, and opportunity, one thing is certain: the debate over academic selection is far from over.
In the coming weeks, as children sit their second paper and families await the results, the spotlight will remain firmly on the transfer test system. Whether it will stand the test of time—or finally give way to a new approach—remains to be seen. But for the 13,000-plus children who faced the challenge this November, the experience is already etched in memory, a milestone marking the transition from primary school to the next big chapter.
