Covid-19: Transfer tests run by PPTC to go ahead in autumn

One of the companies responsible for running transfer tests in Northern Ireland has announced it will go ahead with exams as planned this autumn.

The Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) said papers would be "significantly modified" to take into account the disruption to pupils' education because of Covid-19.

The tests for the 2022 intake will be held on Saturday 13 November.

PPTC assessments are used, in the main, by Catholic grammar schools.

The move comes after 11 Catholic grammar schools and Lagan College in Belfast ruled out academic selection for 2022.

Those schools will have their own admissions criteria for 2022.

In a statement on Monday, PPTC which runs the GL tests, said 13 November was a date that reflected "the desire of parents and teachers that the assessment be held in November rather than later in the school year", and that testing at centres would ensure all pupils had the same experience.

PPTC said it was aware that many parents would prefer the assessments to be held in the pupils' own primary schools.

However, it added that there was an "equally clearly articulated view" from many of the primary principals and from a teaching union that the entrance assessment must continue to be held in PPTC schools, and that Covid-19 safeguards would be in place.

• More NI grammar schools scrap 2022 transfer tests

• NI grammar schools scrap 2022 academic selection

• Two more schools rule out 2022 academic selection

Guidelines will be released on 17 May, with registrations opening on 1 June.

The guides will lay out the modifications "to reduce the overall demand of the assessment", including the reduction of comprehension passages from three to two in the English assessment, and fewer topics will be covered in the Maths assessment.

A contingency date of 11 December has been set in case the November test has to be cancelled.

The Association for Quality Education (AQE) is used by other Northern Ireland grammar schools to select pupils.

In a statement on its website, AQE said it was "continuing to monitor the situation regarding Covid-19 restrictions" and would provide an update "no later" than 14 May.

St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School in west Belfast was the first to abandon transfer tests in March.

Christian Brothers Grammar in Omagh, County Tyrone, and Mount Lourdes Grammar and St Michael's College in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, ruled out transfer tests last month.

Some grammar schools in Londonderry, Newry, Kilkeel and Belfast have also ruled out transfer tests this autumn.

Transfer tests run by the PPTC and AQE were cancelled in 2021.