What are The Catapult Papers?
The Catapult Papers: an expertly researched, professionally presented, and visually appealing range of practice tests for the SEAG post-primary assessment tests in Northern Ireland.
The 2026 Edition of these papers reflects a refined, data-informed balance of challenge and accessibility, designed to stretch pupils without overwhelming them.
The Catapult Papers consists of two series for home use and one series that is exclusively for NI schools.
The Warm-Up Series (for home use) is a set of ten practice tests that introduce P6 pupils to the SEAG format.
The Main Series (for home use) contains 20 test papers, targeted at P7 pupils, and designed to make children ready for the two big days in November.
The Schools Series has 40 test papers in total – beginning at P6 level then slowly increasing in difficulty level so that, by the 40th test paper, pupils will be fully armed for the SEAG exams. Teachers: learn more about this series by clicking the link.
Every test comprises 28 English questions and 28 Maths questions. The first 22 English and Maths questions are multiple-choice, with the final six of each being free-response. Children record their answers on a separate student answer sheet.
All tests have been written and designed by Trevor Veale, a full-time primary tutor and former Key Stage 2 teacher.
What makes these tests different from others that are on the market?
The Catapult Papers are attractive and child-friendly in appearance (although several kids have argued that some of the questions should be more ‘child-friendly’…). Each test has its own colour theme. So, while their look is intended to reflect the appearance of the official exams, the design is brighter, tidier, and far more inviting – helping children feel at ease the moment they open a paper.
Another key difference is the depth and clarity of the answer explanations. Each test includes carefully written guidance for every question — an invaluable aid for busy parents. The series also offers practical tips and memory aids for tackling many challenging elements of the English and Maths curriculum, informed by my extensive experience and subject knowledge from over 15 years of teaching and Transfer Test preparation.
Last, but by no means least, the 2026 Editions of all series of The Catapult Papers are built on a data-driven approach that aligns each paper’s difficulty with the stage your child is likely to be at in the practice season. It is true that previous editions aimed to stretch children beyond their comfort zone (as has always been my ethos as a teacher and tutor). However, a detailed three-month review of every paper has shown me the level of balance necessary to challenge pupils without discouraging them through low scores. The demanding questions are still there, but now in a more measured and intentional way. Click the link to learn more about the thinking behind this recalibration for the 2026 Editions.
What purchase options are available?
The P6 Warm-Up Series is available as a set of ten papers (in PDF and full-colout print).
The P7 Main Series can be purchased in full-colour print or in PDF format. They can be bought as a full set of 20, and in sets of five or ten papers.
One-year licences are available to NI schools for the Schools Series. Click here to learn more.
Every PDF download contains full-colour files (for screen use, or for those who don’t mind printing in colour) and greyscale versions of the same files (for saving printing costs at home).
There are also two free tests available for download: one to give you a taster of the Warm-Up Series, the other to give you a sample of the Main Series. These are full test papers, just like the ones available for purchase.
What is the difficulty level of the tests?
Until the end of 2025, The Catapult Papers were undoubtedly much more difficult than the official exams (based on feedback from students who have sat the exams since 2023). This was intentionally so. My instinct as a tutor is to prepare my students for anything that may come their way, and encourage them to think outside the box when challenges come along.
However, as The Catapult Papers reaches thousands of children who I cannot personally mentor through these challenges, it became apparent that a balance must be struck. So, rather than provide an ‘overload’ of heavily challenging questions throughout each paper, I have ensured that the 2026 Edition of every single practice paper is set to a difficulty level based on the stage of your child’s journey (based on a data-driven approach that uses the official SEAG sample papers as the ‘standard’). Yes, many of the challenging questions remain but they are now accompanied by an increase in more straightforward questions – thus ensuring that confidence levels do not unnecessarily drop.
What about time limits?
Advice for parents is contained within each test booklet for how to approach each paper. The goal of The Catapult Papers is not to set strict time limits, nor to expect children to complete the test in one sitting. They can be done with peers, with parents, ten minutes at a time…whatever you think works best for your child.
Most children in Northern Ireland will be attempting at least one practice paper per week at school. In these settings, they get to experience time limits and learn how to handle that pressure. I do not believe that the same should be done at home. In my opinion, there must come a time to slow down and consider how to tackle the varying question-types (but that’s just my opinion, which is why I have left the choice up to you).