If you have a child in primary 6, the transfer test in Northern Ireland preparation time is approaching. The primary 7 students have finished their tests and now the students in primary 6 will soon begin their practice papers. Whether you have lots of experience with the transfer test or zero experience, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered! In this post, we will be talking all about transfer test practice papers. If you would like some more information on the transfer test you can check out my other blog posts here.
Before we talk about all things practice papers, how about a FREE SEAG Practice Paper and Teaching Guide? Sign up here for one of my sample papers and you can take a look at what practice papers look like before you read this post.
What are practice papers?
If you have a child in Primary 5 or 6, you won’t be wondering what practice papers are for long. On the kitchen counter, in the backseat of your car, they will be all over your house! I will give you a little snapshot for now of what practice papers are and what’s the point of them apart from causing you stress and despair…(just kidding!)
Practice papers are revision materials that have the same layout and style as the transfer test. They have the same number of questions as the real test and the same timings to complete the test. Ideally, your child should complete practice papers under test conditions to get the full benefits of the papers. However, I NEVER recommend starting with 60-minute papers and sitting your child down with a timer.
Don’t run before you can walk…
Think of it this way, you have never run before but your New Year’s resolution is to run 5K. You aren’t just going to wake up one morning and run 5K straight away. First of all, you could injure yourself, you may not be able to run much at all and this will negatively impact your motivation. The best way to approach running 5K, is to start by walking then running small distances. Next, you would increase the distance you run day by day. Before you know it you’ll be running 5K!
The same goes for transfer test preparation and completing practice papers. You don’t want to take away your child’s motivation, just like starting to run 5K, begin slowly. For the first few papers, I recommend sitting with your child and completing the questions together, talking and working through each question one by one. This should take away that daunting feeling that comes with tests.
Introduce practice papers to your child slowly and in a laid-back way. You can buy practice papers online that are levelled, with level 1 papers having fewer questions and shorter timings. These are an excellent way to start your child’s practice paper journey. Once your child is comfortable with completing these papers and can complete the shorter tests independently, then you can move on to the longer papers.
What is the layout of practice papers?
Each manufacturer of practice papers will have a different layout. Also, the order of questions may vary from paper to paper. However, the content and topics contained in the papers will be the topics that are on the transfer test in Northern Ireland. I’ve used various brands of practice papers and some are better than others. It all depends on your personal preference. I will give you a brief outline of the new SEAG transfer test below. However, if you would like more in-depth information about the test, click here to read my blog post, 13 important things you need to know about the SEAG Transfer Test.
The SEAG Transfer Test in Northern Ireland
The new SEAG transfer test has a different layout from the previous transfer test, the AQE, which you may be familiar with. It begins with an English and Maths practice section, to help ease the students into the test. Next, there is the English section which contains punctuation, grammar and spelling sections. Followed by a comprehension which contains both multiple-choice and open-response questions. The maths section contains both multiple-choice and open-response questions on a variety of maths topics.
The SEAG Answer Sheet
Next, we have the answer sheet. The answer sheet for the SEAG transfer test is very similar to the previous GL answer sheet. Students are required to mark their answers on a separate sheet of paper by marking the answer box with the line. The open-response questions will also be answered on the same sheet.
How will practice papers help my child with the transfer test in Northern Ireland?
Practice papers will help your child with the transfer test, as it will give them a sneak peek into what the layout of the test is like, how to mark the answer sheet and how to answer all of the questions within the 60-minute time limit. By completing practice papers before the test, your child will be able to revise and focus on any topics that they find difficult when completing the papers. This should help them feel more comfortable on the days of their actual test papers.
What topics will be on the practice papers?
The topics included in the practice papers will be the topics that may make an appearance in the real SEAG transfer test. The topics for both the real test and the practice papers are taken from the Northern Ireland Curriculum. Therefore, topics that your child has not covered in school should not come up. However, make sure you take a look at the specifications on the SEAG website to make sure your child has covered everything on the list. I had a couple of students this year, who had not covered map scale in school. During their last tutoring sessions before the test, I was able to go over this with them and of course, it appeared on the first test paper!
Where can I buy practice papers?
The best place to buy practice papers for the transfer test in Northern Ireland is online. Most companies offer both digital copies or printed copies of the practice papers, with printed copies being more expensive. Take a look online and download the free versions of the papers first to see which brand or layout you like best. (Don’t forget you can sign up for one of my free papers here!)
I always recommend liaising with your child’s school to see which practice papers they use. There is no point in buying the same practice papers that your child is completing at school. Some companies offer both home versions of their practice papers and tutor or school editions of the papers. This ensures there is no overlap of papers between home and school.
Of course, I have to let you know that I have my home version of the practice papers in my online store. My papers have been created using relaxing colours and fonts to help your child feel at ease with their transfer test journey. Each pack comes with 10 practice papers, step-by-step teaching guides for parents for each paper, a digital answer sheet (in case you don’t have a printer), topics and note pages for each test paper and a pupil evaluation which your child can use after each paper to assess their learning!
Can I use old AQE/GL papers as revision materials?
Some of you may have some AQE or GL revision materials or practice papers at home. You may be wondering if you can get some use out of the old transfer test materials. You’ll be glad to know that yes you can! Most of the topics from the AQE and GL make an appearance in the new SEAG tests. Of course, the layout and style of questions can be different, but it won’t do your child any harm using these materials.
How many papers should my child complete per week?
I get asked this question a lot, “How many practice papers should my child do each week?” The answer to this question is different for every child. If it’s a breeze to get your child to sit down and complete a practice paper then they could maybe complete two practice papers per week at home. If getting your child to sit down at home to do a practice paper causes stress, arguments or tears, maybe one extra practice paper at home every two weeks is enough. You know your child best, so you can decide how many test papers are realistic to get completed at home.
Will my child complete practice papers in school?
Your child may be completing one or two practice papers per week in school. They may also be given an additional paper for homework. If this is the case, you may want to tailor how many extra practice papers your child sits at home. Some schools do not prepare students for the transfer test. They will teach the topics as they are on the curriculum. However, they don’t sit practice papers in school or set them for homework. If your child’s school is like this, don’t panic. It just means you will have to complete some extra practice papers at home with your child to get them fully prepared for the day.
What is the best way to go over practice papers with my child?
So your child has sat their practice paper and you’ve marked it. Now it’s time to go over your child’s answers…This causes dread for some parents. They can’t remember how to do some of the tricky mathematical concepts that they haven’t needed to use since their school days. Their child won’t listen to them or say, “My teacher doesn’t do it that way!” (Where do you think I got my idea to create step-by-step teaching guides to go with my practice papers) Here are some of my best ways to go over practice papers with your child.
Show your child the questions they got correct
Going straight to the questions that your child got wrong can be time-saving but it can also be a bit demotivating for them. Instead of going straight to the questions that your child got incorrect, go through each question one by one and celebrate each question they got correct! Give them a high five or dance! This means when you get to a question they got wrong, they are only feeling “down” about it for a few minutes because, with the next question they got correct, you’re dancing!
If you aren’t sure, ask for help
If you come across a particular topic that your child is confused with in the practice papers, then ask for help. Ask your child’s teacher how to complete this topic, if your child has a tutor, ask them for help, you can even send me a message on social media and I will explain it to you. If all else fails, take a look on YouTube. You are better off asking for help about a topic instead of teaching your child the wrong way.
Make notes of recurring topics
Included with my practice papers, is a list of each question, the topic the question is covering, a tick box whether your child needs more practice and a space for any notes. The reason I created this to go with each practice paper is because going through each question, one by one with your child, and noting down how they got on in each topic is beneficial. Especially when you need to go back and revise certain topics. You are also able to identify if your child was giving the question a ‘lucky guess’ (which is great if they get it correct). If that’s the case they will be able to study that particular topic.
If you purchase practice papers that don’t have note pages, just grab a notebook. I recommend the notebooks with the divider sections so you can easily identify areas that your child needs extra practice with. I have linked some of my favourite notebooks with dividers below. (Disclaimer: The links within this post are affiliate links. This means at no cost to you, if you purchase from any of my links, I get a small percentage from the sale.)
- Tiger: A5 Wirebound Project Notebook with 3 Moveable Internal Dividers – £4.39
- Pukka Pad A4 Project Book – £7.98
- Kesote Subject Notebook with Multicolor Pen – £7.99
- Oxford Campus, A4 Project Book – £8.76
- Pukka Pad Haze A5 Project Book – Pack of 3 – £15.38
Evaluate their learning
Getting your child involved in evaluating their learning is an essential skill which they can take with them throughout their lives. With my practice papers, (sorry I keep going back to my papers but this is why I created them the way I did!) I have included a pupil evaluation sheet which includes three smiley faces beside each question number. If your child thought the question was easy and they understood it, they colour the happy face. If they think the question is ok but they aren’t too sure about it, they colour the neutral face. Lastly, if they are completely confused with the question and need it explained to them, they colour the sad face. Bingo dabbers are great for this!
If you are using papers that don’t come with an evaluation sheet, you can use this same method with your child drawing smiley faces beside each question.
More Information on Transfer Test in Northern Ireland Practice Papers
5 fantastic, simple ways to prepare your child for the SEAG Transfer Test
Transfer Together SEAG Practice Papers
Thetransfertest.com – SEAG Practice Papers
If you have any more questions about the transfer test or practice papers, get in touch with me on Instagram or Facebook and I will help you out as best I can. Remember practice makes perfect. So whether you are using the new SEAG practice papers, older practice tests or other revision materials, it doesn’t matter. As long as you are developing and progressing your child’s learning.
Don’t forget to download your FREE SEAG Practice Paper and Teaching Guide here to become your child’s transfer test tutor! Let’s create happy, confident learners for the transfer test in Northern Ireland together.
