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62,700 CANDIDATES ARE set to begin their Leaving Cert exams this morning, according to figures released by the State Examinations Commission (SEC).
The exams run from Wednesday, June 5, to Tuesday, June 25. English Paper 1 is the first exam on the on the timetable, taking place from 9:30am to 12:20pm – with Paper 2 to follow tomorrow afternoon.
The Junior Cert exams also begin today, meaning a total of 136,160 candidates are undertaking state exams, a 1% increase on the 134,800 from last year.
The exams will take place in 817 venues across the country, including post-primary schools and other locations recognised by the SEC.
For the third year in a row, there will be a record number of students sitting the exams.
In April, Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed that this year’s Leaving Cert students’ grades will remain at the same level as last year. The gradual return to normal Leaving Cert outcomes will begin next year, in 2025.
As with 2022 and 2023, the SEC will apply a post-marking adjustment after the marking of the Leaving Cert exams is completed to ensure grades are at the appropriate levels.
Grade adjustment measures were introduced to combat the effects of the disruption of Covid-19. Foley said previously that grade inflation increased by 7% compared to 2019 as a result of the adjustment measures.
By 2025, this inflation rate is due to be reduced by 1.5% as part of the gradual process.
Foley said that it was right to maintain overall results at their current level, given the “disruption to teaching and learning for students”, though she said it was also widely recognised that results should return to pre-pandemic levels.
Wishing this year’s cohort the best of luck, Foley noted that the majority of Leaving Cert students this year had not taken a state exam previously, given the disruption of Covid-19.
Leaving Cert results will be issued on Friday August 23.
While the Leaving Cert exams officially span from today until June 25, many students are set to finish slightly earlier.
The final day of exams features Japanese, Politics and Society, Arabic, Religious Education, and Applied Maths.
Maths Paper 1 takes place on Friday, from 2pm to 4:30pm. Paper 2 is the following Monday morning, from 9:30am to 12pm.
Irish Paper 1 is after the break on Monday, and Paper 2 takes place the next morning, June 11, at 9:30am.
The weather today is forecast to reach a high of 14 degrees – a far cry from the usual heat that the exam season beckons.
By next Thursday, however, when students are undertaking business and art exams, highs of 23 degrees are forecast for Dublin, while the west coast is expected to reach up to 21 degrees.
The Journal’s FactCheck Unit determined in 2018 that the so-called Irish “exam weather” phenomenon was “partly true”.
Yesterday afternoon, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) issued a statement to wish the best of luck to students undertaking state exams.
TUI represents 20,500 teachers and lecturers in second level, further education, and third level.
“Those sitting this year’s Leaving Certificate should take comfort in the fact that there has never been a wider range of alternative routes to pursue their career of choice,” TUI President David Waters said.
They will have worked hard and will inevitably find that they are better prepared than they might think.
As much as possible, they should try to maintain a balanced lifestyle over the course of the exams, making sure to eat and sleep properly and take regular breaks.
He further added that the class of 2024 have already displayed “resilience” in making their way through restrictions imposed due to Covid-19.
“The support of parents and guardians should be remembered today, along with the dedication of teachers in supporting their students.”
On July 1, the change of mind window available on the Central Applications Office (CAO) closes. Here, students can change the courses they have listed on their CAO, or change their order of preference.
Students will not be able to change the courses they are applying for after this date – which is why it is important to ensure that the courses listed on their CAO application are listed in order of preference.
It is important to note – if a student receives an offer for their first choice and turns it down, they cannot receive another offer.
It is also recommended that students fill in as many places on the list of the ten available to improve their chances – and to apply for level 6 and 7 courses.
Round one offers will be issued on August 28 at 2pm.
CareersPortal, the career guidance website, has advice for a successful Leaving Cert here.
Among its tips, it says that the key is to familiarise yourself with the exam papers, get to know the exam timetable, ensure you have the necessary equipment, and prioritise time management and exam strategy.
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It’s your ‘civic duty’ to pay water charges.
While a foreign vulture fund is able to pay .000026% tax on €77m profit.
Do me a favour!
If big corporations paid their fair share and the tax payer wasn’t sending billions out of the Country every year to repay bank debt just think of the kind of Country we’d have..
If you compared the net tax take from multinationals (including income tax levied on their employees) and compared it to the combined tax take (after social transfers) of all SF/AAAPBP/SP/SWP voters, I think it would highlight who the real leeches are in this sham of a state.
@Denito:
I think it is time the people of Ireland took this country back and said good buy
to FF/FG/LABOUR for good.
@Denito: Exactly- the multinationals, the corporate sector generally, the Small Firms Association, the catering and ‘hospitality’ sector, farmers, cowboy builders and many, many mouthpieces who bleat on about “rural Ireland” until they turn up on revenue’s tax defaulters list, leeches one-and-all! Oh, and BTW, income tax derived from employees of multinationals is paid by THE WORKERS, not their bosses!
@Denito: So, to extend your logic then, because someone pays, say income tax, they should be allowed to avoid paying other taxes, like vat or tax on fuel and stuff then.
Income tax is paid by the worker, not the company, and I don’t support any of the parties you mention in your post by the way.
@Eyepopper: ah no its your civic duty to pay if you waste water. Hum let’s see I for that reason did not pay the water bill. Due to the fact the EU directive and Fine Gael whole argument again stated by Richard Burton is the the polluter pay principle for those who use excessive water. I did not do that so I did not pay and will not pay. Really Mary Lou McDonald missed that point.
My civic duty is to my fellow Irish Citizen by voting for politicians who think outside the box and do not stay inside the box with their enemies.
Enda’s running away again coz the water issue needs clarification, after the commission’s report.
@Dave Doyle: no Enda gone xmas shopping with his wifey on his over inflated salary of €201,000 a year plus expenses and of course his €5000 increase this year. Ah if only I could have his neck, he runs like the red shank and maybe he has the Irish constitution in his pocket to take out and wave at his wife when she annoys him. He only got married at 41 years of age, their 25 years married so he 66 years old . He needs a rest from all hassles.
@Clever Jake: Simon The conman has annoyed you Jake. His homeless project is a disaster, this government will not last another year. His hot air hissing is because he is shamed into a defenceless argument based on taking water an essential source for human life and putting a charge on it.
He gave me a great Idea, I’m off to the recycling centre to get the empty baldly gown plastic bottle to fill them with water and sell them to people to wash their cars. Thanks Simon you are a failed lost politician.
Seems Richard bruton carried on government policy. Not answering the question he was asked. Just waffled away. They don’t seem to remember the are not just answering to the td that asks the question but the public listening at home. Waffle doesn’t cut it.
Three times he was asked about referendum on water for public ownership. He ignored the question each time. Why?
All of this avoidance to enshrine Irish Water into the Constitution and reluctance to address the issue makes one has to wonder if Irish Water has already been sold.
Why is he going to the US and is he travelling standard class onboard an Are Lingus flight. Or is he using the Gulfstream jet at over €10,000 per hour.
@Michael Clinton: Moan moan moan. He is not there on holiday but rather an important trade mission. Considering the investment US companies have put into this country and Irish into the US I think such trips are worth their price or do you think we should all stay home and do nothing?
Just to keep you in the loop john, we have a superb Enterprise board that have worked very hard to get US companies to invest. All this rubber necked turnip is doing is going to take praise for the hard work others have accomplished. So as a taxpayer I am perfectly entitled to as questions and if “moan”.
@Michael Clinton: Of course Enterprise Ireland do great work but don’t underestimate the power of government. I know for a fact as I work for a US company that moved here. Kenny while hated in Ireland in generally liked by business in the US. I have been at the lunches and open evenings in San Francisco, DC and New York so less of the negativity.
@John Reese: power of govt ? this is kenny we are talking about a clown who bearly knows how to tie his shoelaces he is gone away again to avoid any questions on water, If he is so liked in the USA let him stay there because as you say he is hated here….
Well let him stay in the US and they are welcome to him. As I said I am as a taxpayer entitled to my opinion and well entitled to question anything that any person claiming to represent me does or says. If you don’t like what I say then kindly move on .
@Michael Clinton: No need to get all jumpy. I am pointing out a fact of trade missions. Your big American CEO gets a kick out of meeting a PM be that Irish or whatever country is trying to woo them. It is competition and to suggest that Kenny can’t even string two words together is lazy and wrong.
Kenny is as thick as a bag of sledgehammers, the waster has hung around the dail since he inherited his father’s seat. What has this buffoon contributed to the country ?????…. Sweet F/A. The gombeen stumbles from one shambles to another mumbling about how much confidence he has in his cohorts. He is an embarrassment to the country and if the American people want him so bad they are welcome to him. Everything this clown touches falls apart. Look at the children’s referendum, that was deemed illegal (and the money was never returned). What about the Senad vote.. Any other person call that referendum and those layabouts would be gone. Kenny is a prize clown that happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Ok it’s no point debating with a fool . Happy Christmas
@Peter Donnelly. A clown that can’t tie his shoe laces? And only gone to the US to avoid leaders questions? You realize by making such childish statements you completely undermine whatever is you are trying to say.
For all his faults, at least criticize constructively, but from what little I’ve seen from you, I seriously doubt you have the brain power.
That’s charming indeed, says more about you buddy and how pig ignorant you are. You fit right into the fg camp of ignorance. I can assure you that I will have a great Christmas. I wish the same to you and yours.
Ah,come on,bring this joke of governance to an end.the Irish people want and deserve a government,not this political play acting by fg.
We got what we voted for. If we had an election tomorrow, what do you think would actually change?
@(((Jason))): the govt ?
Unfortunately Peter it wouldn’t. An election tomorrow would see most of them reelected. And as recently proven, FF/FG are the same party who control the power and opposition. Nothing will change, Irish water will remain. The only way to rid the country of it is to remove ff/fg from power
Does Mary Lou realise most of rural Ireland have been paying fir water for years ?
God that argument annoys me so much. It’s the most blatant example of begrudgery imaginable. Grow up.
@Lurfic: Is it the fact that he pays for his private water supply that annoys you or that he also has to go ahead then pay for your water on top of that? Can you clarify your annoyance?
@John Reese: Someone shouod tell that stupid woman that many of her constituents don’t have a front and back door, all they have is a sleeping bag.
Begrudgery for what. How else do you expect people in rural areas to get clean water Your comment is annoying because of how uninformed it is.
Same can be said for urban. Should urban dwellers pay more for Shannon water when it happens to to the greater distance? No just like rural people should not have to fork out
Tis grand for some..
MLMcD & LeoV texting again during Leaders Q time
How hard can it be to find out how much upgrading the water network is going to cost. Once that’s done create a fund, if required apply a scaled tax for water usage. Set a standard rate that everyone pays and then problem solved. Now we are all used to the idea that water as a utility being free but the simple truth is that it’s not completely free. If we all contribute then the cheaper it will be to fund
@Éannus.. nobody is “used to the idea that water as a utility being free”; it has never been free. The “simple truth” is that it is already being paid for, but you already know that, don’t you? TBH, I don’t really see how you see the wilfully thick approach advancing your argument..
Sinn Fein need to grow a pair and stop letting the tail wave the dog. It’s because of their initial capitulation that the lowest common denominator is setting policy on this issue. Most people in this country care about the environment and want to see sustainable policies put in place. It’s time for SF and FF to prove they’re grown-up parties and tell Paul Murphy and his populist mates where to go with themselves.
Mary Lou is a two faced four chinned fcuker SF Agreed with Water charges until foetus face Murphy stole the lime light and they collect water charges in NI Such hypocrisy !!!
But they will bring out a tax that everyone pays that will be used to pay for water. Is that not illegal after the ECJ ruled that owners of wells do not have to pay for water and therefore well owners who pay this tax are making the government break the ECJ ruling?
http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/well-owners-evade-threat-of-water-levies-26807579.html
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/water_services/water_charges.html#l6a2ae
“Types of water/wastewater system If your water comes from a private well or a group water scheme and you have a private wastewater treatment system (such as a septic tank) you are not regarded as a customer of Irish Water and do not have to pay domestic water charges. “
So how can these people be taxed then?
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