11+ Northern Ireland

All of the 63 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland which use academic selection for all or part of their Year 8 admissions criteria are members of the Schools' Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG). Test results are age standardised to ensure younger applicants are not disadvantaged.

Both English and Gaeilge versions of the Assessment will be available.

The invigilation of children who take the Irish Medium version of the Entrance Assessment is conducted in Irish and so needs to take place in an Assessment Centre which can offer the Invigilation in Irish. For 2025, SEAG has 12 Centres providing Invigilation in Irish. When selecting your Assessment Centre during Registration you will be made aware of Centres that offer Irish Invigilation. Below is also a list of those Centres.

Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School (Newry)
Assumption Grammar School (Ballynahinch)
Christian Brothers' Grammar School (Omagh)
Loreto Grammar School (Omagh)
Limavady Grammar School (Limavady)
Mount Lourdes Grammar School(Enniskillen)
St Dominic's High School (Belfast)
St Joseph's Grammar School (Donaghmore)
St Louis Grammar School (Ballymena)
St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School (Belfast)
St Mary's Grammar School (Magherafelt)
Thornhill College (Derry)

These schools are also marked with an asterisk * in the main list below.

Confirmed dates for 2026 entry

Registration opens: 19th May 2025

Registration closes: 19th September 2025

Date of Exam: 15th November 2025

Date of Exam: 22nd November 2025

Type of Exam: SEAG

Number of papers: Two. Each paper is 60 minutes in length. Both papers assess English (or Gaeilge) and maths in the following format:

Practice Test Section - 5 English (or Gaeilge) questions followed by 5 maths questions. The Practice Test is not assesed or timed.
English (or Gaeilge) Main Test - 15 spelling, punctuation and grammar multiple choice questions followed by 13 comprehension questions 7 of which are multiple choice and 6 are free response.
Maths Main Test - 22 multiple choice questions followed by 6 free response questions.
Pupils can choose to start with either the English (or Gaeilge) questions or the maths questions.

Subjects Tested: English (or Gaeilge), Maths

Date of results: 24th January 2026

Click on the school that you are interested in:

Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School (boys)*
Antrim Grammar School (mixed)
Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, Belfast (mixed)
Assumption Grammar School, Bellynahinch (girls)*
Ballyclare High School (boys)
Ballymena Academy (mixed)
Banbridge Academy (mixed)
Bangor Grammar School (boys)
Belfast High School (mixed)
Belfast Royal Academy (mixed)
Bloomfield Collegiate School, Belfast (girls)
Cambridge House Grammar School, Ballymena (mixed)
Campbell College, Belfast (boys)
Carrickfergus Grammar School (mixed)
Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh (boys)*
Coleraine Grammar School (mixed)
Dalriada School, Ballymoney (mixed)
Dominican College, Belfast (girls)
Down High School, Downpatrick (mixed)
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School (mixed)
Foyle College, Londonderry (mixed)
Friends' School Lisburn (mixed)
Glenlola Collegiate School, Bangor (girls)
Grosvenor Grammar School, Belfast (mixed)
Hunterhouse College, Belfast (girls)
Lagan College, Belfast (mixed)
Larne Grammar School (mixed)
Lecale Trinity Grammar School, Downpatrick (mixed)
Limavady Grammar School (mixed)*
Loreto Grammar School, Omagh (girls)*
Lumen Christi College, Derry (mixed)
Methodist College Belfast (mixed)
Mount Lourdes Grammar School, Enniskillen (girls)*
Omagh Academy (mixed)
Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock, Belfast (mixed)
Our Lady's Grammar School, Newry (girls)
Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt (mixed)
Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast (mixed)
Regent House School, Newtownards (mixed)
Royal Belfast Academical Institution (boys)
Royal School Armagh (mixed)
Royal School Dungannon (mixed)
Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry (girls)
Slemish College, Ballymena (mixed)
St Colman's College, Newry (boys)
St Columb's College, Derry (boys)
St Dominic's High School (girls)*
St Joseph's Grammar School, Donaghmore (mixed)*
St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena (mixed)*
St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel (mixed)
St Malachy's College, Belfast (boys)
St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Belfast (boys)*
St Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt (mixed)*
St Michael's College, Enniskillen (boys)
St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon (mixed)
Strabane Academy (mixed)
Strangford Integrated College (mixed)
Strathearn School, Belfast (girls)
Sullivan Upper School, Holywood (mixed)
Thornhill College, Derry (girls)*
Victoria College, Belfast (girls)
Wallace High School, Lisburn (mixed)
Wellington College, Belfast (mixed)

* Assessment Centres which can offer invigilation in Irish.

Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School

Gender: Boys

Denomination: Catholic

Number of places in Year 8: 125

Phone: 028 3026 3142