Your school guide
St Louis Grammar School Ballymena
St Louis Grammar Ballymena is coeducational. Its last published Year 8 criteria ranked SEAG applicants first, with provision for remaining places.
Grammar or selective school · Ballymena
Prepare with confidence.
Preparing for entry to St Louis Grammar School Ballymena? Use Plusling to build confidence in core English, maths and reasoning skills, with short quizzes and explanations that make the next step clearer.
Try five free questions. See the feedback for yourself.
Meet the school
At a glance
Facts checked
Plan your approach
Entry information
St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena is a co-educational grammar school. Its latest school-specific Year 8 criteria available on 24 October 2026 are for September 2026 and use SEAG scores to rank applicants initially, with other criteria considered for any remaining places. September 2027 criteria are not yet published on the school page.
Entry stage: Year 8
What the assessment covers
- Language and Literacy
- Mathematics and Numeracy
Assessment provider: SEAG
The admissions process
- The school’s latest published Year 8 criteria are for September 2026 and refer to SEAG outcomes.
- Check the school’s 2027/28 criteria when published before assuming selection details or applying any cutoff.
Read the official details: Admissions information from St Louis Grammar School Ballymena
Go to the source
Official links for your shortlist
Use the school’s current admissions information to check which sample papers or familiarisation materials apply to your child’s entry year.
From subjects to skills
Turn the assessment subjects into a practice plan.
Start with these core skills from the published subject list. Pair the official assessment material with regular Plusling practice.
English
A useful place to start
Read a short passage together. Ask your child to find evidence for an answer and explain unfamiliar words in context.
Build on it with Plusling
Build on that reading with Plusling’s English questions and explanations, then choose a topic to practise again.
Start the 5-question English quizMaths
A useful place to start
Ask your child to explain their method, estimate the answer and check the final calculation. Notice which step needs more practice.
Build on it with Plusling
Use Plusling’s original maths questions and worked explanations to make those next practice sessions count.
Start the 5-question maths quizPrint, practise, build confidence
Printable practice for these subjects
Original Plusling papers with space to work and separate answers and explanations.
English papers
Explore the papers
Maths papers
Explore the papersThese are Plusling skills practice, not official school or test papers.
Keep the practical steps clear
Your application starting points
Use the official links on this page to answer these questions for your child’s entry year.
Check the entry point and eligibility
Confirm the year group, age requirements and any conditions that apply to your child.
Put the right dates in your diary
Note any published registration, assessment, application and offer-response dates that apply to your child’s route. They may be separate steps.
Check the assessment guidance
If an assessment applies, look for official examples, question formats, timings and answer instructions to help plan your child’s preparation.
Read the school’s admissions criteria
Check catchment, oversubscription rules and any supplementary form alongside the test registration.
Picture your child’s everyday life here.
An open day is a chance to look beyond the exam. Useful questions to take with you:
- How do you help new pupils settle in and make friends?
- Who can a child turn to when they feel worried or stuck?
- How do you help pupils recover from a setback and discover their strengths?
Know where to focus
Give their preparation a clear direction.
See the topics your child has practised, revisit questions that need another look and choose a focus for the next session. Plusling helps you put your time where it can be useful.
- Topic summaries and practice history
- Choose topics in Focus Practice
- Progress to discuss with the adults helping them
Their next step starts here
Give their 11+ preparation a confident start.
Try Plusling together. Five free questions, useful feedback and a first look at a friendlier way to practise.
What to confirm
- Ask St Louis Ballymena if its next criteria retain the previous SEAG-first ranking and remaining-place provision.
Plusling’s guide to St Louis Grammar School Ballymena is independently written. The school and its admissions authority publish the official arrangements.
Contains government school-register data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Primary sources
- Northern Ireland: official school register Department of Education, Northern Ireland
- SEAG | Member Schools Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group
- SEAG | Assessment Guide Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group
- SEAG official practice papers and answers Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group
- Admissions - St Louis Grammar St Louis Grammar School Ballymena
- Year 8 Admission - St Louis Grammar St Louis Grammar School Ballymena
- School profile and admissions criteria Education Authority Northern Ireland
- Applying for a Post Primary Year 8 Place Education Authority Northern Ireland