ALMOST 60 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland have signed up to run a single common transfer test from next year, it has emerged.
Provisional dates for the new tests were also revealed yesterday during a discussion at Stormont's education committee.
It will mark the end of the current system of separate tests run by AQE and PPTC, which have been in place since the end of the 11-plus exam in 2008.
There are 66 grammar schools in Northern Ireland but already a number do not use transfer tests.
The committee also heard yesterday that the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) was formally established last month to run the tests on behalf of schools which have signed up for the process.
In a letter from Education Minister Michelle McIlveen, which was read to committee members, it was revealed that a total of 57 schools have signed up.
Ms McIlveen said her officials had recently met with Michael Carville, chair of SEAG, "to get an update on progress in relation to the 2023 assessment".
She said that SEAG was "formally established in February 2022 to oversee a single common entrance assessment" and at the time of the meeting, "57 selective schools had signed up to join the group".
The DUP minister also said it is "envisaged that the common transfer tests will replace the current system run by AQE and PPTC and the November 2022 tests run by AQE and PPTC are likely to be the last before that replacement".
"The new testing format will consist of two papers held on two Saturdays, two weeks apart, provisionally scheduled for Saturday November 12 2023 and Saturday Nov 26 2023," the committee heard.
"Both tests will contribute to candidates score rather than the best two of three, in the current AQE format."
Ms McIlveen also confirmed that the tests "will be based entirely on the Key Stage 2 curriculum and therefore will reflect the literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills that children are being taught at school".
"Each paper will feature English and Maths questions - there will be a mixture of multiple choice and open questions."
The letter also stated that "SEAG has advised that following a competitive tender process, GL Assesment Ltd in England have been awarded a three-year contract to provide the test, staff have been appointed locally to oversee the administration".
Committee chair Chris Lyttle said it was "helpful information that I don't think is particularly public at this moment in time".
