Leaving Cert Students of 2024 are the final year to receive a pandemic-adjusted Leaving Cert

This is the final Leaving Cert year where allowances will be made due to the impact of Covid-19 on studies. This year’s Leaving Cert students were in first and second year when the pandemic began. On Wednesday morning, students across the country will sit English Paper One. 

English

Higher Level;

Paper One- No adjustments made.

Paper Two- 

• All three comparative  modes will appear, rather than just two.
• Students will have to answer just one mode. 
• Students will have an option of five poets rather than four. 

The poets on the Higher Level English curriculum this year are; 

• Emily Dickinson
• John Donne
• Seamus Heaney
• Sylvia Plath
• William Butler Yeats
• Gerard Manley Hopkins
• Paula Meehan
• Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin

This year's Shakespearean Single Text is 'Hamlet'.

Ordinary Level

Paper One- no adjustments made

Paper Two-

• There will be no compulsory questions for the single text.
• Q1 & Q2 will be joined together as one 3 part question
• Q3 will be split into 3 individual questions worth 30 marks to offer more choice
• The 3 modes will be offered for the Comparative
• There will be 2 additional poems in the Prescribed poetry section.

Irish;

For the Irish Oral;

• students of both Higher Level and Ordinary Level only had to learn 10 sraith pictúirs, rather than the usual 20. 

Paper One- no adjustments made. Students will sit the Irish Aural listening test and write an essay. 

Higher Level-

• Students must complete both reading comprehensions
• 2 poems will appear in the poetry section, students must answer only one. 
• 2 stories will appear in the Prose section, students must answer only one
• There is no change to the additional text question (Q4) 

• Students will have to complete both reading comprehensions 
• 3 poems will appear in the poetry section, you must answer 2
• 3 stories will appear in the Prose section, you must answer 2

Maths 

The adjustments made to the Maths papers apply to both Higher Level and Ordinary Level.

 Section A (Concept and Skills)

• You have a choice of 6 questions. You have to do 5
• Each question is worth 30 marks and the section will be worth 150 marks in total. 
• Questions will be of similar length and cover the same type of content as previous years, you will just have to answer one less question. 

Section B (Contexts and Applications)

• You will have a choice of 4 questions. You must do 3
• Each question is worth 50 marks. This section in total is worth 150 marks