Northern Ireland
SEAG
Secondary Education Assessment Group
Sat in November
Year 7 entry
Grammar schools
SEAG is one of the two main transfer tests used in Northern Ireland for entry to grammar schools. It tests English and Maths across multiple choice and written answer formats, with a comprehension passage and structured maths problem solving.
Topics covered
Punctuation
Grammar
Spelling
Comprehension
Fractions
Decimals
Percentages
Algebra
Shape & Measure
Data & Graphs
Problem solving
Northern Ireland
AQE
Association for Quality Education
Sat in December
Year 7 entry
Grammar schools
AQE is the second major transfer test in Northern Ireland, used by a different group of grammar schools. It focuses on English literacy and Maths numeracy, with a slightly different question format to SEAG but covering the same core curriculum areas.
Topics covered
Punctuation
Grammar
Spelling
Comprehension
Fractions
Decimals
Percentages
Algebra
Shape & Measure
Data & Graphs
Problem solving
England & Wales
11+ (GL Assessment)
Used in Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire and others
Sat in September
Year 6 entry
Grammar schools
GL Assessment is the most widely used 11+ provider in England and Wales. Their tests cover English, Maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The English and Maths content maps closely to what Peak Prep covers — verbal and non-verbal reasoning support is in development.
Topics covered
English comprehension
Grammar & spelling
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Peak Prep coverage65% — English & Maths fully covered
England
11+ (CEM)
Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring — used in Birmingham, Gloucestershire and others
Sat in September
Year 6 entry
Grammar schools
CEM tests are known for being harder to prepare for directly — they blend English, Maths and verbal reasoning in a less predictable format. Strong fundamentals in literacy and numeracy remain the best preparation, which is exactly what Peak Prep builds.
Topics covered
English comprehension
Vocabulary
Maths numeracy
Verbal reasoning
Peak Prep coverage60% — core skills fully covered
Common questions
I'm not sure which test the student is sitting — how do I find out?
In Northern Ireland, most grammar schools accept either SEAG or AQE results — some accept both. Check the admissions criteria on your preferred school's website, or contact them directly. The student's primary school will also usually advise in Year 6 (P6). In England, your local council website or the school's admissions page will state which test provider they use.
Can a student prepare for both SEAG and AQE at the same time?
Yes, and many families do. The core English and Maths content is almost identical across both tests. You can set each student profile to target both, and Peak Prep will draw from the full question bank — the adaptive system adjusts to the student's gaps rather than to a specific paper format.
We're in England — is Peak Prep useful for the 11+?
For GL Assessment and CEM tests, Peak Prep fully covers the English and Maths components, which make up the majority of the marks. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning modules are on our roadmap. In the meantime, strong literacy and numeracy is the best foundation for any 11+ format — and that's exactly what we build.
When should we start preparing?
For Northern Ireland tests (SEAG and AQE), most families start in September for a November or December exam — two to three months of consistent short sessions makes a significant difference. For English 11+ tests sat in September, starting in Year 5 gives the most time, though focused preparation from January of Year 6 is still worthwhile.
The student's school uses a different test provider. Can Peak Prep still help?
Quite possibly. Most grammar school entrance tests draw from the same pool of English and Maths skills at Key Stage 2 level. If you're unsure, get in touch — tell us which test the student is sitting and we'll give you an honest answer about how much of it we cover.