SEAG registration is the one job you really don’t want to miss this month, so let me say the most important thing right at the top: SEAG registration closes on Friday 18th September 2026 at 11:59pm, and late registrations are not usually accepted.
If your child is sitting the transfer test this November, that deadline is the big one. So before we talk about anything else, if you haven’t registered yet, that’s your first job this week. Everything else can wait. This one can’t.
Once that’s done, take a breath and put the kettle on, because I want to walk you through the whole run-up from now to November, so you can see exactly what’s coming and feel calm about it.
SEAG registration: what you need to know
Let’s deal with the urgent bit properly first.
- Registration closes Friday 18th September 2026 at 11:59pm. Miss it and late registration is not usually accepted, so please don’t leave it to the last minute.
- You register on the official SEAG website, seagni.co.uk. That’s the only place to do it.
- There’s a £20 fee. Families with a Free School Meals Entitlement are exempt, but you’ll need to upload evidence from the Education Authority.
- Registering for the test is separate from applying for a school place. The school application (the Common Application Form) comes later, in the new year. Registration now is just to sit the test.
If you take one thing from this whole post, let it be this: get the SEAG registration done before 18 September. Everything after that, we can take at a calm and steady pace.
How do I actually register?
If you’ve not done it before, the SEAG registration process itself is fairly straightforward. Here’s the shape of it so it feels less daunting.
- Go to the official SEAG website, seagni.co.uk. This is the only place you register, so be wary of any other site claiming to do it for you.
- Create an account as a parent or guardian. You’ll need your own details and your child’s.
- Complete the pupil application with your child’s information. Take your time and double-check it, especially the spelling of names and the date of birth.
- Choose your assessment centre. This is where your child will sit the papers. Have a think about what’s manageable for you on the day.
- Pay the £20 fee (or upload your Free School Meals Entitlement evidence if you’re exempt).
That’s it. Once it’s submitted and paid, your child is registered. You’ll be able to download their pupil card closer to the time.
What if I miss the deadline?
I’ll be honest with you here, because it matters. If you miss the 18th September deadline, late registration is not usually accepted. In some past years a short late window has opened with a higher fee, but that’s never guaranteed and you really should not rely on it.
So please don’t gamble on a second chance. If there’s any doubt in your mind about whether you’ve registered, go and check right now. It’s far better to log in and find it’s done than to assume and miss out. This is the one deadline in the whole process where there’s genuinely no room for “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
The key dates from now to November
Here’s the shape of what’s ahead, so nothing takes you by surprise. I’d pop these in your calendar or on the fridge.
- By Friday 18th September – SEAG registration closes. Get it done.
- Early November – your child’s pupil card becomes available to download and print. Keep it somewhere safe.
- Saturday 14th November – Paper 1. Your child sits the first assessment at their allocated centre.
- Saturday 21st November – Paper 2, one week later.
- Saturday 23rd January 2027 – results are released online for you to view. SEAG officially calls these your child’s Statement of Outcomes, so don’t be thrown when you log in and see that wording rather than the word “results.”
Two papers, a week apart, both on Saturdays. That’s the heart of it. Knowing those transfer test dates now means you can plan the whole autumn around them without any nasty surprises.
What happens on the day itself?
Picturing the day takes a lot of the fear out of it, so here’s roughly what to expect.
Your child sits two papers, one on each of those November Saturdays, at the assessment centre you chose during registration. Each paper lasts 60 minutes and covers both English and maths. There’s no calculator, and the questions are the Key Stage 2 work your child has been doing all along, just in a test setting.
You’ll get details of the centre and the reporting time beforehand, so you’ll know exactly where to go and when. And because there are two papers a week apart, there’s a natural breather in between, which is a good thing to remember when you’re planning that stretch of November.
What the autumn actually looks like
Now that registration is sorted and the dates are in your calendar, what should the run-up actually feel like? Far calmer than you might fear.
September and October are your main preparation window. This is the stretch where a bit of steady, little-and-often practice makes the biggest difference. Not cramming, not panic, just regular gentle work that builds your child’s confidence and familiarity. You’ve a good couple of months, which is plenty when it’s used calmly.
As November approaches, the focus shifts from learning new things to staying calm and keeping steady. The week or two before the papers isn’t the time for frantic last-minute drilling. It’s the time for rest, reassurance and routine, so your child walks in feeling as settled as possible.
Keeping calm through the run-up
Here’s the honest bit. These next couple of months can feel like a lot, and not just for your child. The run-up to the transfer test is often more stressful for us parents than for them.
So as you work through it, protect the calm. Keep the practice short and regular rather than long and frantic. Keep normal family life going alongside it, the film nights, the daft chats, the downtime. And remember that a rested, reassured child performs far better than an anxious, over-drilled one. You know your child best, and your steadiness is the most settling thing they have.
You’ve got months, not days. Once that registration is in, there’s no need to panic about anything. Just steady as she goes.
More information on SEAG registration and the transfer test
- Helping your child with the transfer test: how to fit it into real family life
- SEAG maths question types explained: a calm guide to SEAG maths practice
- The official SEAG website to register and check all the official dates
- BookTrust for keeping reading going through a busy autumn
- Words for Life from the National Literacy Trust, for support at home
So, first things first: get your SEAG registration done before Friday 18th September. That’s the one urgent job. After that, the run-up to November is really just steady, gentle preparation with the dates safely in your calendar. Two papers, a week apart, in November. A couple of calm months to get ready. And results (your child’s Statement of Outcomes) on 23rd January 2027. That’s the whole picture, and it’s far less frightening once you can see it laid out.
Make sure to get that SEAG registration completed and you’ll feel a lot calmer!
