New Official SEAG Practice Papers 3 and 4: What Parents Should Do Next

Parents looking for SEAG practice papers now have another official resource to use. On 24 September 2026, SEAG announced free Practice Papers 3 and 4, drawn from the actual 2025 Entrance Assessment papers, in English and Irish versions. The announcement is on the official SEAG website.

For a registered pupil preparing for November, these papers can make an October review more concrete. However, printing another paper is not the same as making a preparation plan. The important question is what the pupil's attempt reveals and how that information changes the next few lessons.

Choose the right version and a sensible starting point

Use the official website to obtain the paper and check the accompanying instructions. Choose the appropriate language version and read the guidance before setting the task. Parents should follow the official materials rather than assume all practice resources use the same layout.

Consider what you need to learn from this attempt. If you want to understand the child's reasoning, a supported review of selected questions may be more informative than immediately imposing full test conditions. Keep a full paper for a separate practice occasion if that better fits the child's current plan.

Write down any help given during the attempt. A correct answer after several hints is valuable learning, but it should not be counted as evidence that the child can solve that type independently.

Record the cause, not just the wrong answer

Choose a few errors to review first. Ask the pupil to explain what they thought the question required. A misread instruction, an unfamiliar word and an insecure calculation need different follow up tasks.

For Maths, check whether the child selected a suitable method before looking at the arithmetic. For English, ask where the evidence for an answer came from. If the pupil guessed, establish whether the difficulty was understanding the passage or comparing the answer choices.

A small error record can contain the question topic, the reason for the mistake and one next action. Avoid labelling the whole paper as careless. That description rarely tells a teacher what should happen in the next lesson.

Turn one error into a short teaching sequence

Suppose a pupil adds fractions by adding both numerators and denominators. Begin with a picture of equal parts and explain why the size of each part matters. Work through an example together, then ask the pupil to try a similar question without the model.

For a comprehension error, return to the relevant sentence and ask what it supports. Compare it with an attractive answer that adds an idea the text does not establish. The teaching should connect the choice to evidence rather than simply announce the correct letter.

Afterwards, revisit the skill with changed numbers or a different short passage. Repeating the exact question can show recall of the answer. A new example is needed to see whether the reasoning has transferred.

Keep timing and understanding separate when reviewing

A child may know how to answer but spend too long checking every decision. Another may work quickly without understanding. Looking only at a total score can hide that difference.

Note questions left unfinished separately from attempted questions answered incorrectly. Then consider whether a timing routine, a topic lesson or reading support is the more useful first response. Our SEAG practice paper guide explains the broader balance between practice and review.

Avoid repeatedly retesting the same paper and interpreting a rising score as proof of overall readiness. Familiarity can improve the result even when the underlying difficulty remains.

Agree what a tutor should do with the evidence

A SEAG tutor should be able to use the attempt to suggest a small number of priorities. Ask which errors belong together, what the pupil should practise between lessons and how independent progress will be checked.

Bring the marked paper, any working and a note of help or interruptions. These details are more useful than a score alone. Also check the family's existing preparation routine, so extra lessons do not simply add more papers to an already crowded week.

The first goal might be a secure method, a clearer explanation or a better decision about when to move on. Choose something the pupil can demonstrate in another task.

If you would like help interpreting an attempt, book a free parent consultation. We can discuss your child's current preparation and whether focused online Maths or English support would be useful before the November assessments.