The comprehension section of the SEAG test can cause students’ heads to spin. You never know whether the SEAG test comprehension text will be a nice, easy modern story. Or an old-fashioned tale from back in the day filled with strange words and phrases! Unfortunately, there is no way to predict what type of comprehension your child will face in the SEAG test 2024. However, there are a few ways that you can get them prepared and help them shine in this section of the SEAG transfer test! In this blog post, I am going to take you through the comprehension section of the SEAG test papers. I’ll give you some pointers on the types of questions that can come up. And also how you can prepare your child for this part of the transfer test.
This year’s SEAG transfer test is just around the corner! To help make the final weeks of transfer test preparation a bit less frightening for you, I have created a SEAG transfer test Halloween revision bundle! This bundle is filled with tasks and questions that can appear in the real tests! Each booklet contains a comprehension, spelling, grammar and punctuation activity. And also a variety of maths topics including place value, angles, percentages, fractions and MORE! So what are you waiting for? Get your SEAG transfer test revision bundle here! As a special spooktacular treat, I’ve included a FREE Halloween transfer test booklet. Just to make revision this spooky season a bit more fun!
SEAG Test Dates
Once the leaves on the trees start to change to orange and red, that means Autumn is here and the countdown for the transfer test days is officially on! The tests are in a few short weeks and once the Halloween break from school arrives, then we are well and truly nearly there! So before we get started I thought I would give you a wee date reminder! The SEAG test dates 2024 are Saturday the 16th of November 2024 for Paper 1 and Saturday the 23rd of November 2024 for Paper 2. As of this blog post being released, you should have also received details of your child’s assessment centre and their familiarisation event. If you haven’t got those details yet, log in to your account on the SEAG transfer test website and jot them down!
What is the comprehension section?
The comprehension section of the SEAG transfer test papers is the large piece of text and questions that probably 99% of my students hate! Chances are that even if your child loves to read, they still might not be too keen on a comprehension activity. It’s not a nice relaxing reading time. Oh no, it’s fast-paced reading while also finding answers to a variety of questions. Depending on what type of SEAG transfer test practice papers your child’s school or tutor is using, the comprehension section might appear at the very beginning of the test or after the spelling, punctuation and grammar sections. In the real test, the comprehension appears after the spelling, punctuation and grammar sections.
What types of text can be in the comprehension section?
Over the years, there have been a range of texts used in the comprehension parts of the transfer test. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, there is no way to predict what type of text SEAG will use in their tests. Chances are the comprehension will either be from a fiction or nonfiction text or a poem. However, over the years with the older transfer tests, letters, diary entries and newspaper articles have also been used. A great way to be fully prepared for any type of text appearing in the comprehension, is to have experience answering questions on them all.
What types of questions can be asked in the comprehension section?
Just like with the maths sections of the SEAG test Northern Ireland, there will be both multiple-choice and open-response questions. The multiple choice questions will be questions about the text and will have five answer options (A-E). Your child will be required to select the correct answer and mark the letter of the answer with a horizontal line on their answer sheet. The second part of the comprehension contains open-response questions. This is where your child will be given a question and they will form their own answer. This will also be recorded on their answer sheet, but there will be an open space for them to write their answer in.
Examples of comprehension SEAG test questions
There are a range of questions that can be asked on the comprehension text in both the multiple-choice and open-response sections. Here is a brief overview of the types of questions that I have seen come up in the transfer test over the years.
Reading and recall
These are your “normal” comprehension-style questions where students must read a piece of text and answer a question on what they have read. Usually they are identifying parts of the storyline, what characters have done or said or recalling facts in the story. For example, “What did Toto do while Dorothy was getting water?”
Word Definitions/Phrase Meanings
These types of questions appear A LOT! Students are asked to find a word or phrase in the text that is similar in meaning to a given word or phrase. Usually, they are given a paragraph to look in or a set of lines. For example, “Which word in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to river?”
Parts of Speech
These questions can confuse my students at first. The question will ask what part of a speech a word from the text is. For example, “The word ‘sparkling’ is used in line 4. Which part of speech is the word sparkling?” Wait what? What on earth is this question asking me?! Trust me, it’s not as tricky as it looks and sounds. If a question is asking your child what part of speech a word is, it’s just asking if the word is a noun, verb, adjective or adverb. So with the example above, the word ‘sparkling’ is an adjective. Your child would simply select or write ‘adjective’ as their answer to this question.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Another example of a question that can be asked is to find a synonym or antonym for a word in the comprehension. A quick reminder that synonyms are words that mean the same and antonyms are words that mean the opposite. For example, “The word ‘faded’ is in line 13. Which word is a synonym for faded?” With this question, your child would need to select a word that means the same as ‘faded.’
Homophones
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. You might not think homophones would make an appearance in a comprehension-style question. But…they can! For example, a homophone comprehension question could look like this, “What is the homophone in paragraph two for witch?
Verb Tenses
With verb tense questions, students are asked to convert words from the comprehension text into their past, present or future form. For example, “The words drink, eat and sing are used in the text. What are these words in the past tense form?”
Singular and Plural Nouns
Singular and plural noun questions work pretty similar to the verb tense questions. Students will be asked to convert words from the comprehension text into the singular or plural version. For example, “The nouns cat, leaf and fox are used in paragraph one. Change these singular nouns into plural. Be careful with your spelling.”
True or False Statements
Students will be given several statements about what has happened in the piece of text that they have read. They will have to identify which statements are true and which are false. The other way this question can be asked is by providing a selection of statements about the text with one statement being either true or false. Students must correctly identify the true or false statement. For example, “One of the following statements about the text is true. Which statement is true?”
Ordering Events
With ordering events questions, students must read the statements about the text and put them into the correct order as to how they happened in the story or piece of writing. For example, “The following five events are about the story. Put them in order from 1 to 5 as to how they appeared in the text. The first one has been done for you.”
Similes and Metaphors
This type of question is not as popular but it has and can make an appearance in SEAG test questions. A quick reminder of what similes and metaphors are! Similes compare two things by using the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’ For example, “As white as a ghost.” Metaphors compare two things more directly by using the word ‘is.’ For example, “She is an angel.” Simile and metaphor questions can be asked in the comprehension section by asking students to find the simile or metaphor in the text. For example, “What is the simile used in paragraph three?”
Alphabetical order
Alphabetical order questions can be a bit annoying but they are questions where your child can score an easy mark! Usually with alphabetical order questions in comprehension, words are taken from the text and students must place them in alphabetical order. Remember, if the words begin with the same letter, we need to move on to the second letter and so on.
How to prepare for the comprehension section of the tests?
The comprehension section of the SEAG test requires reading skills, skimming, scanning and recalling information from a piece of text. As well as knowing and understanding all those other pieces of English grammar and punctuation. Here are my top 5 tips to give your child confidence in the comprehension section of the SEAG test NI.
Time to get reading
Completing some extra reading at home is of course my number 1 tip for preparing for the comprehension sections of the SEAG test. The comprehension section is all about reading. Being able to read a piece of text quickly and also being able to understand what you have read. Skimming and scanning skills are also essential for going back over the text once it has been read and students are trying to find certain answers.
The only way to practise reading skills is for students to…well read! Let your child choose a mixture of books which they can read at home. The best way to get into a good reading routine, and this goes for you too adults, is to allocate a specific time dedicated to reading. I love to read just a couple of chapters in bed before I go to sleep at night. And I swear that it helps me to have a better night’s sleep!
Use SEAG test style practice resources
Tip number 2 is to use SEAG test preparation resources at home. These should mirror the SEAG transfer test comprehension and questions. Completing practice activities will help your child prepare for the real test but in a calm and relaxing way. I recommend reading the text together with your child. You can talk about any tricky words or phrases that come up in the text and discuss them.
Next, go through each question together and ask your child to show you where they found their answer in the text. This will help with skimming and scanning skills. During this time, take note of any questions that your child struggles with. When revising for the transfer test, you can use these notes as a revision list! Remind your child that some comprehension texts will be more difficult than others. Tell them to keep calm, don’t panic and read the questions carefully when completing SEAG transfer test practice papers in school or for homework.
Lookup tricky vocabulary
The transfer test has been known to throw in a few old-fashioned pieces of text with words and phrases from back in the day! Even some of the more modern pieces of text may have words and phrases that are a bit strange. Tip number 3 for SEAG comprehension preparation is to look up or research any tricky vocabulary or phrases that your child comes across in practice materials or their homework. Encourage them to jot these down and write their own sentences using them. Even though they won’t stick permanently in your child’s mind, this exercise will help broaden and expand their vocabulary. Making up their sentences will also increase the chances of them remembering the meaning of those words and phrases.
Recap on English grammar topics
As I’m sure you’ve gathered throughout your child’s transfer test journey, there are a lot of different little English topics that pop up in the English section of the transfer test. As well as making an appearance in the spelling, punctuation and grammar sections of the tests, they can filter into the comprehension section of the papers. Tip number 4 is to revise all of these grammar topics and concepts to ensure these stay fresh in your child’s mind. I have some great English spelling, grammar and punctuation worksheets which include little snippets of the different English topics. This type of activity is perfect for preparing for the comprehension section of the SEAG exam. You can check them out here!
Have some fun
We know that students learn better when they are relaxed and having fun. While there is a place for worksheets and practice test papers, there is a need for learning in fun ways too. Tip number 5 for preparing for the comprehension section of the tests is to have some fun with English games! These games can be online or interactive. Or you can use family game night to get out some board games! Games such as charades, quiz games and the Headbandz game, are great for exploring vocabulary, description words and recalling information. All skills are perfect for acing the comprehension section of the SEAG test.
More information on the comprehension section of the SEAG test
11 Plus Prep: How to Improve Your Child’s Comprehension Skills
6 Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension
SEAG Tests : How to prepare for the spelling, grammar and punctuation sections
Preparing for the SEAG test is a lot of work. There are so many wee bits and pieces that students need to learn and remember. To get your child as prepared as they can be for the SEAG tests, my key tip is to keep going. Yes, there may be times when your child is feeling demotivated because their score dropped. Yes, there will be ups and downs, tears and tantrums but your child will get through it in the end. They will do their best and that’s all you can ask for! I hope these tips have helped untangle your thoughts on the comprehension side of the SEAG test.
