AQE and GL Transfer Test

Blog posts that help parents through the AQE and GL Transfer Test.

AQE Transfer Tests

The AQE Transfer Test is run by www.aqe.org.uk.  The test is sometimes called the Common Entrance Assessment (CEA).  Children sitting this test for entry in a Northern Irish Grammar school must complete at least 2 out of 3 maths and English tests that take place on Saturday mornings, usually in the November and December of your child’s Primary 7 year.  The  assessments begin at 10 am and each lasts for 1 hour.   A final age-standardised score is calculated from the 2 best scores from the 3 tests.  It is only necessary to attend 2 assessments, allowing for illness.

Parents must register their own child for the tests.  Details of registration and the Grammar Schools that children can sit the tests at can be found on the AQE website.

The curriculum for the AQE tests is based upon the Key Stage 2 Northern Irish curriculum.

GL Transfer Tests

The GL Assessment Transfer Test is run by www.pptcni.com.

The PPTC tests are referred to as the GL, GL Tests or GL Assessment tests by parents and teachers.   They usually take place in late November and consist of  2 papers in a multiple choice in format.  One English and one Maths.  The Maths Paper has 45 Questions and lasts 45 minutes.  The English Paper has 60 Questions and lasts 50 minutes.  Children are asked to record their answers on a separate sheet of paper and this sheet is then marked independently at GL Assessment by a computer.  The GL Assessment curriculum is the Northern Ireland Key Stage 2 English and maths curriculum.

Information about registration for this test can be accessed by parents on the pptcni website.

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