A record 136,160 candidates are due to sit this year’s Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exams, which begin this morning.
The rise is the result of demographic growth, which has led to a 3% increase in numbers sitting Junior Cycle exams.
The Leaving Certificate Applied programme continues to grow in popularity. Last year, the number of candidates sitting LCA exams was up by 20%. This year sees a further 6% increase.
A total of 62,421 student candidates have registered for the Leaving Certificate exams, among them 4,055 who are taking LCA exams, while almost 74,000 are expected to sit Junior Cycle papers.
The Leaving Certificate Applied, as its name suggests, is more skills orientated, and it has a stronger continuous assessment component.
The exams will take place in more than 800 post-primary schools and other venues across the country.
The Leaving Certificate exams begin with English paper 1 for most candidates, while LCA students will also sit their English paper.
The Leaving Cert exams marking process has still not returned to normal since the Covid pandemic.
This year again, students have been promised that overall aggregate results for the class of 2024 will be no lower on average than those of last year.
This means that once again, the State Examinations Commission will apply adjustments to marks first awarded to students through the normal marking process.
Final examination results will be made available to candidates on 23 August.
The gradual return to normal Leaving Certificate outcomes is due to begin next year.
Vision impaired student
Last year, the State Examinations Commission piloted the provision of digital versions of examination papers to Leaving Certificate candidates who are vision impaired.
The provision means that candidates can zoom in and enlarge sections of the paper as they require.
This year – following a successful legal challenge by a 14-year-old Junior Cycle student with a visual impairment – the scope of that pilot has been expanded to include Junior Cycle candidates.
A total of 26 candidates have been approved to be provided with digital papers under these pilot arrangements.
Minister for Education Norma Foley is among those extending best wishes to all candidates sitting the exams. Saying the tests were the culmination of many challenging years of hard work, she urged students over the coming days to “give it their best”.
