MORE grammar schools have released their new admissions criteria early - but parents are far from happy.
The cancellation of all transfer tests means contingency criteria have been devised.
While these will be available publicly from February 2, some schools have already shared their plans in response to calls from anxious parents.
Schools were told they could use non-academic criteria or "alternative data as a proxy for academic selection".
Almost all, so far, have decided to follow the non-selective route.
However, their plans are causing distress among parents who believe their children are now at risk of losing out on their first choice.
On online forums, many have pointed out that a good transfer test grade would typically guarantee entry previously.
Many have said they now believe their children will be disadvantaged by criteria including geography, feeder primary schools or family links.
There have been concerns raised regularly that some pupils who may be `better suited' for grammar schools will miss out if geography is a tiebreaker.
Sullivan Upper School in Holywood is among the latest to share its criteria ahead of the deadline.
It said it would first consider pupils who were entered for the Common Entrance Assessment provided by the AQE transfer test group.
It goes on to list primary schools in two separate tables, with preference given to children who attend a school in table one.
Alongside its own prep and other Holywood primaries, table one includes Glencraig Integrated PS, which is almost four miles away and where fewer than four of its pupils are entitled to free school meals (FSM). It is in the same postcode as Holywood.
The second table includes Knocknagoney PS, which is just 1.7 miles away, although in a Belfast postcode, and where almost half its 276 pupils are entitled to FSM.
This is not much different to last year. However, in previous years, FSM would have been taken into consideration a lot earlier by Sullivan, after it awarded 120 of its 150 places based on assessment scores. This time it appears much further down the list.
Ballyclare High School, Foyle College and Campbell College in Belfast are among those whose plans also include no academic selection, although parents will have to prove their children intended to sit a transfer test when applying.
Teaching unions are alarmed that some schools are intending to award places based on results from mock transfer test papers and primary school assessments.
These maths and English tests were last taken by children when in P5.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Dalriada School in Ballymoney have both said they will select based on academic ability.
