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Victoria College Belfast: Year 8 entry

2A Cranmore Park, Belfast, BT9 6JA

Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial TeamSchool website

Some details are being re-checked

We check every fact against the official source on a schedule, and some details on this page are due their next check (last verified 19 October 2026). We'll update the page if anything has changed. How we check facts

Can we apply, and what did it take?

For September 2027 entry

  • How places are decided

    By test score, in rank order

    No minimum score stated; cut-off is the 135th place.

    Checked, source: Victoria College Belfast, checked

  • Year 8 places

    135

    2026 entry, Published Admission Number ()

    Checked, source: Victoria College Belfast, checked

  • Last distance offered

    Not publishedWe have no checked figure for how far offers reached.

Your next deadlines

  1. Next: Re-mark requests close

    in about 15 weeks

    Only if you want the test papers marked again

  2. Coming up: Appeal deadline

    in about 30 weeks

How far offers reached

Can we get in?

How places are given

Northern Ireland grammar schools give Year 8 places using their own admissions criteria, often in order of transfer test result. Victoria College Belfast's criteria are under Admission rules on this page.

Qualifying is not the same as being offered a place.

Reaching the school's standard means your child can be considered. If more children qualify than there are places, the school gives places using its admission rules, in order. The figures below show how far those rules reached in past years. They are history, not a prediction: they change every year with who applies.

Checked, source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked

Most Northern Ireland schools do not publish how far places reached. Read the school's admissions criteria to see how it ranks applicants, and what transfer test results mean.

At a glance

Victoria College Belfast in brief

tap a value for its source

Pupils
girlsPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: Non-Denominational Girls’ GrammarView the official source
Who the school admits.
Year 8 places
135Year 8 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: Admission No: 135View the official source2026 entry
The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
Entrance test
SEAG Entrance Assessment (the NI transfer test)
The test children sit to be considered.

Key dates

Dates for September 2027 entry

For children in P7 in 2026/27.

Add to my calendar

SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group)

3 earlier steps, all doneShow

  1. Done: Test registration opens

  2. Done: Test registration closes

  3. Done: Admission cards sent for the test

  1. Next: Test day

  2. Coming up: Transfer test, paper 1

  3. Coming up: Transfer test, paper 2

  4. Coming up: Results

  5. Coming up: Re-mark requests open

  6. Coming up: Re-mark requests close

    in about 15 weeks

    Only if you want the test papers marked again

  7. Coming up: Appeal deadline

    in about 30 weeks

    Source: nidirect (NI Government), checked

  8. Not published yet: Transfer application deadline (to the Education Authority)

    Not yet published, checked 17 Oct 2026

  9. Not published yet: School place outcomes

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

Year 5 now? Dates for September 2028 entryNone of these dates are published yet.

  1. Not published yet: Test day

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  2. Not published yet: Results

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  3. Not published yet: Appeal deadline

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  4. Not published yet: Transfer application deadline (to the Education Authority)

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

Notes on these dates

Last year's application window, for reference: Online Transfer Form/Application (or its equivalent); opens Tuesday 27 January 2026 12 noon, closes Thursday 19 February 2026 12 noon; upload SEAG Statement of Outcomes, birth certificate and two proofs of addressVictoria College Belfast: Application route (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: application procedure opens on 27 January 2026 ... at 12 noon (GMT) and an application submitted by ... the closing date of 19 February 2026 at 12.00 noon ... (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application.View the official source.

How places are given

7 admission rules, in order, for 2026 entry

If more children qualify than there are places, Victoria College Belfast gives places using these rules (its ), in this order (the 2026 rules; the rules for 2027 entry are not published yet).

  1. 1

    2.1: First 120 of 135 places to applicants with a Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group () Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS) (incl. Special Circumstances/Provisions) in rank order of score

    The policy's own words
    2.1 The first 120 places from the admissions total of 135 will be
  2. 2

    2.2: Pool of around 25 next-ranked applicants by TSAS (all tied at last place included); remaining places allocated from the pool by sub-criteria i-v

    The policy's own words
    2.2 Following the allocation of places as described in 2.1, a
  3. 3

    2.2.i: Enrolled in the Preparatory Department of the College

    The policy's own words
    I. Candidates who, at the date of application, are enrolled in
  4. 4

    2.2.ii: Child of the Family currently enrolled in the Secondary Department or accepted for next year

    The policy's own words
    II. Candidates who, at the date of application, have a Child of
  5. 5

    2.2.iii: Child Looked After

    The policy's own words
    III. Candidates who are a Child Looked After
  6. 6

    2.2.iv: Another Child of the Family attends/accepted at any other single sex post-primary school

    The policy's own words
    IV. Candidates who, at the date of application, have another
  7. 7

    2.2.v: Attends a recognised feeder primary school, ranked by average number transferred over preceding three years

    The policy's own words
    V. Candidates who, at the date of application, attend a

Source: Victoria College Belfast, checked

More detail from our guide

The college's current document is titled "Policy For Admissions: Admissions Criteria For Entry Of Pupils To Year 8 In September 2026 (Admissions Criteria 2026/2027)Victoria College Belfast: Document title (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: Policy For Admissions Admissions Criteria For Entry Of Pupils To Year 8 In September 2026 ADMISSIONS CRITERIA 2026/2027View the official source". It covers last year's entry, not 2027. The September 2027 criteria are Victoria College Belfast: Criteria published (2027)Not yet published by Victoria College Belfast; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: Admissions criteria 2026/2027View the official source and could differ. SEAG says new criteria come out during the school year, before families apply.

Score places first

First 120 of 135 places by rank order of SEAG TSAS; remaining places allocated from a pool of around 25 next-highest TSAS applicants using sub-criteria I-V. Unfilled places may go to girls who sat one paper or did not register for SEAG.Victoria College Belfast: Academic selection (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: 2.1 The first 120 places from the admissions total of 135 will be ... allocated to those children who have applied and provided ... a SEAG Total Standardised Age Score (including those to ... on the basis of the rank order of their respective scores withView the official source

Accepted special circumstances cases are ranked alongside everyone else in this list.

The pool

The girls just below the score places form the pool. Inside it, the 2026 order was:

OrderWho comes first
IGirls in the college's own Preparatory Department
IIA child of the family at the college now, or with a place for next year
IIIA child looked after
IVA child of the family at, or accepted by, another single-sex post-primary school
VA girl at a recognised feeder primary school

A few of these need a closer look.

  • The prep department. Victoria College has a Preparatory Department and Pre-School (age range 3-18); Prep pupils have first priority in the post-120 pool.Victoria College Belfast: Prep departmentChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: With Preparatory and Pre-School Age Range: 3-18View the official source
  • Sisters at the college. "Child of the family" is wider than brothers and sisters: Candidates who, at the date of application, have a Child of the Family currently enrolled in the Secondary Department of the College, or accepted for admission for the forthcoming academic year (Child of the Family defined broadly: step, adopted, fostered, cohabiting, etc.)Victoria College Belfast: Sibling criterion (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: II. Candidates who, at the date of application, have a Child of ... the Family currently enrolled in the Secondary Department of ... the College, or accepted for admission for the forthcoming ... academic year;View the official source
  • A sibling elsewhere. Sub-criterion IV is unusual. It helps a family whose other child is at a different single-sex school, such as a brother at a boys' grammar.
  • Feeder primaries. These are not a fixed short list. Any primary school that sent pupils in recent years counts, and schools that sent more pupils rank higher. The 2026 document lists the highest-ranked schools by name and says many more qualify.
  • Eldest child. Victoria College did not use an eldest-child rule in 2026.

If girls are still level after sub-criterion V: Computer programme generates a ranking number for each candidate using the name on the application as the seed for a random number generator; lowest numbers get places.Victoria College Belfast: Final tie break (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: The process is carried out by means ... of a computer programme which, for each Candidate, [...] generates a ranking number using the details from the ... Application Form as the seed for a random number ... generator.View the official source

Other points

  • Victoria did not look at where it came on your list of preferences, and girls living in Northern Ireland were selected before those living elsewhere.
  • Special circumstances: Considered by a Board sub-committee in two stages (sufficient independent evidence; then educational judgement on score adjustment). SC form and guidance on the College website; details and independent evidence (medical evidence dated from the time of the assessments) submitted with the Transfer Application. Evidence of academic capacity (P5-P7 standardised tests, reports, etc.) required. Not an automatic upgrade.Victoria College Belfast: Special circumstances (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: Claims for Special Circumstances will be considered by ... the College where medical or other problems may have ... affected performance in the SEAG Entrance Assessment. [...] Consideration of a claim for Special Circumstances consists of two stages.View the official source
  • No SEAG result: Special Provisions for children transferring from outside NI, those with more than half their primary education outside NI, and those unable to sit both papers or with an estimated outcome (Form SP). If places remain after the criteria, the College will consider girls who sat only one paper without claiming SP/SC, or who were not registered for SEAG, allocating by sub-criteria 2.2.i-2.2.v. NI residents selected before non-residents.Victoria College Belfast: Applicants without result (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: If, following the application of the Admission Criteria set out ... above, all of the available places are not filled, the College ... will consider applications by girls who either sat only one ... of the SEAG entrance examinations due to illness or other ... unforeseen circumstances and did not apply for Special ... Provisions/ Special Circumstances or who were not registered ... to sit the Entrance Assessment provided by SEAG anywhere ... in Northern Ireland. Allocation of the remaining places will ... be made by applying the sub-criteria listed at 2.2.i to 2.2.v ... above.View the official source
  • Late forms: Applications after 12 noon 19 February 2026 and up to 4.00pm Tuesday 24 February 2026 are late; punctual applications considered first.Victoria College Belfast: Late applicationsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: An application received after 12 noon (GMT) on ... 19 February 2026 and up to 4.00pm on Tuesday 24 February ... 2026 will be treated as a late application (see Waiting Lists ... Policy below).View the official source
  • Waiting list: After places are finalised, unsuccessful, new, late and updated applications treated equally under the published criteria; list in place until 30 June of the year following application; names added automatically.Victoria College Belfast: Waiting listChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: If a vacancy arises after places have been finalised, then all unsuccessful Candidates for admission to Year 8, all new applications, all late applications, and all applications where new information has been provided, will be treated equally and the published criteria applied. This waiting list will remain in place until 30 June of the year following application.View the official source

The test

SEAG Entrance Assessment (the NI transfer test)
Test
SEAG Entrance Assessment (the NI transfer test)
Test date, 2027 entry
Saturday 14 November 2026

To be considered for September 2027, girls sit the SEAG Entrance AssessmentVictoria College Belfast: Test family by entry year (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: All 63 post-primary schools in N. Ireland which include academic selection within their Year 8 admissions criteria accept the SEAG Entrance Assessment Outcomes.View the official source in November of P7. Victoria College hosts the test too, but sitting it at Cranmore Park gives no advantage here, and sitting it elsewhere does no harm.

For Victoria, the key figure on the Statement of Outcomes is the Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS), not the band. The college's 2026 criteria set no minimum score: No minimum score stated; cut-off is the 135th place.Victoria College Belfast: Entrance threshold (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Victoria College Belfast.The source says: The number of places available in Year 8 is limited to the ... admissions number set by the Department of Education and ... is currently 135 places. The cut-off for admission will therefore ... be the 135th place.View the official source A girl's chance of a place therefore depends on how her TSAS compares with the other girls who apply that year.

If scores and bands are new to you, start with our SEAG transfer test guide, then results explained.

How the Northern Ireland test works

Open days

All this year's events have passed

  1. Done: Open Day (passed)

    10am to 1pm

Source: Victoria College Belfast, checked

If you are refused a place

Reviews, appeals and the waiting list

General information, not legal advice.

This is general information, not legal advice.

A "no" from Victoria College is not the end of the process. The EA looks at the next school you named, and you keep the right to appeal the college's decision.

The tribunal checks one thing: whether the college applied its criteria correctly. It cannot rewrite the criteria, and it sees only the evidence the governors had when places were offered. For a pool place, that means your transfer form needed to show any prep, family or primary school link at the time.

To appeal, use the AT1 form, via the EA websiteNorthern Ireland: FormChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: To appeal a school's decision that has refused your child a place, go to the EA website where you can send the appeal form (AT1 Form).View the official source. The 2026 deadline was 4pm on Thursday 21 May 2026Northern Ireland 2026 entry: Appeal deadlineChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The deadline for receipt of appeal forms against Year 8 decisions by post-primary schools is Thursday 21 May 2026, no later than 4.00 pm.View the official source, and the one for 2027 entry is 4pm, Thursday 20 May 2027Northern Ireland transfer: Appeal deadlineChecked 17 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The deadline for receipt of appeal forms against Year 8 decisions by post-primary schools is Thursday 20 May 2027, no later than 4.00 pm.View the official source. Your daughter's name also goes onto the college's waiting list automatically, as described above.

Official documents and sources

4 sources, each kept as an archived copy

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