About the school
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School, widely known as St Mary’s CBGS, is a Catholic boys’ voluntary grammar school on the Glen Road in west Belfast, Northern Ireland, educating around 1,200 pupils aged 11 to 18. It is one of Northern Ireland’s largest all-boys grammar schools, with a long tradition of academic and sporting success.
Founded in 1866 by the Irish Christian Brothers, the order established by Edmund Rice, the school began in Divis Street before moving to Barrack Street in 1929 and then to its current Glen Road site in 1968. It is now under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, blending Catholic values with high academic expectations.
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School uses the SEAG transfer test as part of its admissions criteria for Year 8 entry, with approximately 181 places available each year.
School type
Boys' Catholic Voluntary Grammar
Exam date
Sat 14th & Sat 21st November 2026 (SEAG)
Exam board
SEAG (GL Assessment)
Address
147A Glen Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT11 8NR
Age range
11–18 (Years 8–14)
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Admissions information
The St Marys Christian Brothers Grammar School entrance test is the SEAG transfer test, used by grammar schools across Northern Ireland. Here is everything you need to know about the St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School admissions criteria and exam structure.
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School selects pupils on academic ability through the SEAG Entrance Assessment, the single transfer test used by the great majority of grammar schools in Northern Ireland. The assessment is provided by GL Assessment on behalf of the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group and consists of two papers, each assessing English (or Gaeilge) and Mathematics.
Each of the two papers lasts 60 minutes and contains a mix of multiple-choice and free-response questions, with answers recorded on a separate answer sheet. The papers are taken on two Saturdays a week apart, and a pupil’s marks across both papers are combined into a Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS), which is age-standardised so that younger children are not disadvantaged.
Parents register their child to sit the SEAG Entrance Assessment online through the SEAG website. For September 2027 entry, registration opens on Monday 18th May 2026 and closes on Friday 18th September 2026. Parents must then name St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School on their Education Authority Post-Primary Transfer Form during the open application period.
SEAG Statements of Outcomes are released to parents on Saturday 23rd January 2027, after which families list their preferred schools through the Education Authority. The Education Authority informs parents of their child’s allocated school in May 2027. A high TSAS does not guarantee a place, as places are allocated in strict rank order when a school is oversubscribed.
Key admissions details
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School has approximately 181 places available in Year 8, and the school is regularly oversubscribed, often receiving more than 100 applications above this figure.
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School does not operate a single fixed catchment area but draws pupils from across Belfast and beyond. Places are allocated under the school’s published admissions criteria, which use the SEAG Total Standardised Age Score alongside sub-criteria such as siblings and family links.
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St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School is located at 147A Glen Road in west Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT11 8NR. It is a Catholic boys’ voluntary grammar school serving pupils aged 11 to 18.
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School was founded in 1866 by the Irish Christian Brothers, beginning in Divis Street. It moved to Barrack Street in 1929 and to its current Glen Road site in 1968.
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School uses the SEAG transfer test, provided by GL Assessment for the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group. It consists of two papers covering English and mathematics, and can be taken in either English or Gaeilge.
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School draws pupils from across Belfast and beyond, and does not operate a single fixed catchment area. Places are allocated under the school’s published admissions criteria using the SEAG result.
For Year 8 entry in 2027, registration for the SEAG transfer test runs through the SEAG website, typically opening in May 2026 and closing in September 2026. Parents must also complete the Education Authority Transfer Application naming St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School.
St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School is regularly oversubscribed, often receiving more than 100 applications above its 181 Year 8 places. Entry depends on the SEAG result and the school’s admissions criteria.
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