Around 7,000 primary schools pupils across Northern Ireland have sat the first batch of new entrance exams to grammar schools.
Saturday's tests were commissioned by the Association for Quality Education to replace the now defunct 11-plus.
"Comparing the two, there is little difference, which is a good thing despite all the political controversy about it," Tim McQuoid from the Association for Quality Education told UTV.
"Both the Primary schools and Grammar Schools have handled it very well."
The association, an alliance of parents, principals, governors and teachers, advocates a form of selection, opposing a system in which it claims "schools would be forced to select pupils on the basis of postcode."
This year, pupils are sitting the tests in Grammar schools instead of their own Primary schools.
"They came out and said it wasn't too hard, it wasn't too easy", the head of Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Janet Williamson, told UTV.
"Those boys and girls had done some practice papers and felt well-prepared. There were no surprises. We'd always said there would be no surprises this morning."
Sinn Fein has insisted the testing of 10 and 11-year-olds has no proven educational benefit and presents numerous educational and social disadvantages.
Opponents to selection claim only 5% of children on free school meals have applied for the new transfer tests.
"If the people who are proposing these tests are truly in favour of open-access, how can they reconcile that with only 5% of children on free school meal applying to do these tests?" Former school Principal Michelle Marken asks.
Sinn Fein education minister Catriona Ruane has warned that the selection tests do not have government backing and could be open to legal challenges.
The breakaway schools have received more than 13,000 applications to sit the exams.
Next Saturday, a consortium of Catholic Grammar Schools will introduce their test option to around 6,000 pupils.
A third assessment date will be held on Saturday 5th December.
The results of the transfer tests will be given out in February.
© UTV News