Thousands of children across Northern Ireland are due to receive their transfer test results today.

Some 6,800 P7 pupils sat the AQE and GL assessment tests in 2010, which were brought in by secondary level schools after the 11-plus test was withdrawn by the Department of Education.

The AQE test is primarily used by state-sector grammar schools and the GL assessments by Catholic-maintained grammar schools.

Association for Quality Education spokesman Billy Young said: “We are very pleased with how it all went. The standard is very high and the children have done very well.”

Ronnie Hassard is principal of Ballymena Academy and chair of the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) — its 34 member schools signed up for the GL Assessment tests. He said the process had gone “very smoothly” this year.

Education Minister Caitriona Ruane has said schools should not be telling children they are not good enough, calling the testing system “archaic”.

“I welcome indications that some grammar schools are prepared to move away from the use of these divisive tests and would urge others to follow suit,” the minister said.