LAST UPDATE | 22 Aug 2025

OVER 65,000 STUDENTS are now able to access their Leaving Cert results.

A total of 437,710 individual results have been issued to some 65,444 students across the country. Results have been live on the Candidate Portal since 10am, though many students opted to go to their school and pick them up in physical form.

This year saw a slight drop in Leaving Cert results after grade inflation was introduced during the pandemic.

The number of students awarded top grades has dropped, with the proportion of H1s and O1s achieved falling by 2.6% and 2.1%.

The number of H1s in maths fell to 11%, while the number of students achieving a H1 in Irish fell to 11% compared to 14% last year.

This year, some 5% of students achieved the higher level H1 in English, compared to almost 7% last year.

Following disruptions due to the Covid pandemic, this is the fourth year of a return to full examinations and the first time that that full cohort has had the experience of sitting formal state exams, as they also sat that Junior Cycle exams.

The 2025 exams were subject to the same level of alterations as applied to the 2023 and 2024 Leaving Cert.

Education Minister Helen McEntee, who visited her former school – St Joseph’s Mercy Secondary School in Navan in Co Meath – this morning, pledged to return to pre-Covid levels.

“We have more students than ever before sitting the Leaving Cert this year. While there has been a slight change to the overall grade inflation, it’s important to stress that no students will see their grades decrease,” she said. 

“What we’ll see is perhaps a slight reduction in the level of increase in some, but by and large, it’s really marginal. It’s really a small decrease.

“What I want to ensure is that over the years, as we get back to pre-covid levels, that there’s as little impact on students as possible.”

‘Start of a new chapter’

McEntee congratulated all students who were receiving their results today, saying today is the “start of a new chapter” for them. 

“There are so many ways in which you can achieve that end goal, but today is an important day to just celebrate with your family, with your friends, while the students at the exams, they’ve had the support of their family friends, and, of course, their teachers and the school as well,” she said. 

Most subjects increased their cohorts this year, with a 21% increase in music, 13% increase in agricultural sciences, and a 13% increase in Spanish.

However, there was a 2% decrease in candidates opting for German and a 12% drop in accounting.

The number of people sitting the two newest Leaving Cert subjects also continues to rise, with a 19% increase in people doing Physical Education and Computer Science up 25%.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian was examined for the first time this year and was the largest non-curricular subject provided by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), with 549 candidates.

SEC chair Jacinta Stewart said: “This year’s adjustment has been “formulated so that the overall Leaving Certificate results in the aggregate are at a point broadly midway between the 2020 and 2021 levels, still well above the 2019 levels when examinations were last run as normal.”

She added: “While the level of the post-marking adjustment has been reduced compared to previous years, the 2025 adjustment has been calibrated to meet the Minister’s commitments to a gradual return to normal while minimising the impact on candidates to the greatest possible degree.”

Higher Education Minister James Lawless congratulated those who got their results today.

“Leaving Certificate results day is an important milestone, but it is only one of many in life,” he said.

“For those who are happy with their results, I wish you continued success. For those who may feel disappointed, remember that education is a lifelong journey and there are many different paths to success.”

Last April, then Education Minister Norma Foley announced that the gradual return to normal Leaving Certificate outcomes would begin in 2025.

Supports

The SEC said this will ensure there is “no cliff-edge in terms of a return to pre-pandemic outcomes”.

Stewart said the SEC has “strived to ensure that candidates are treated fairly and equitably, that results are of the highest standards of quality, and that there is full transparency”.

She added that candidates will be able to view their scripts and appeal their results in due course and that the SEC intends to issue Leaving Cert appeal results on Friday, 26 September.

A Candidate Information Guide on Results and Appeals is available here.

Stewart encouraged candidates to ensure they are “fully informed about their results and to avail of the opportunity to access the Candidate Self Service Portal next Tuesday”.

From that date, they will be able to see more information such as their component marks and the impact of the post-marking adjustment.

Meanwhile, CAO Round 1 offers will be available to applicants from 2pm on Wednesday, 27 August.

The Department of Education said the National Parents and Students Leaving Cert Helpline and text support service will operate from 10am to 5pm on weekdays (22, 25–29 August) and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays (23 and 30 August).

A range of wellbeing resources developed by the National Educational Psychological Service is also available here.

HSE/HSE-funded service providers will also be available to support students through the provision of mental health services, with further information is available from this link.

Meanwhile, schools have been asked to provide support to candidates today by allowing them to come to the school if they wish to at a scheduled time. 

With reporting from Press Association