Good luck: Over 2,000 students to begin State exams in Laois this morning

More than 2,000 students will begin their Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations in Laois this morning. 

The State Exams Commission says it is a record year for State exams with 135,033 candidates applying for the Leaving, Junior and Leaving Certificate Applied exams this year.  

In Laois, the number of students taking the Leaving, Junior and Leaving Cert applied exams is 2,332, up slightly on last year when 2,247 sat the exams. 

The numbers reflect a national increase as some 135,033 will take their exams, up three percent from 131,431 in 2022. 

There are more Junior Certificate students, in total 1,224,  sitting exams in Laois this morning than Leaving Cert students, 1,108.of whom will begin their exams. 

More males will sit the leaving Cert in the county than females this year with 585 males and 523 females taking the exam. The Junior Certificate is almost an equal split with 610 females and 614 males taking exams. 

Last year there was 1,050 students - 537 male and 513 female- sat the Leaving Cert - while a further 1,197 Junior Cert students, comprising 623 male and 547 females sat exams. 

This year’s figures are also up on 2019, when the Leaving and Junior Certificate took place before the Covid 19 brought an end to the traditional exam format until 2022.

In 2019 there were 2,134 secondary school students sitting State exams. In total, 1,141 students sat the Junior Cert and 939 pupils sat the Leaving Cert exam - up from 904 in 2018 and 875 in 2017.

Nationally, this year’s 135,033 students will take their exams in 5,697 main and some 9,000 special examination centres through the network of over 800 post-primary schools and other venues recognised by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) to hold the certificate examinations. 

Delivery of the state examinations is a massive logistical exercise involving the secure distribution of 8,000 strong boxes containing four million examination papers to the examination superintendents responsible for supervising the written examinations.

The exams will run until Tuesday, June 27  for Leaving Certificate (Established and Vocational); Thursday, June 15 for Leaving Certificate Applied; and Monday, June 19 for Junior Cycle examinations. 

Chairperson of the State Examinations Commission (SEC), Mr Pat Burke said wished the students well. 

“The state examinations are a significant milestone for candidates, their families and school authorities.  The examinations this year have been subject to appropriate adjustments, proportionate to the educational experience of the class of 2023 over the course of the pandemic.  On behalf of my fellow Commissioners and all of the staff of the SEC, I wish to offer sincere best wishes to all those taking the certificate examinations this year,” he said.   

Following a review, the SEC will again provide a deferred sitting of the Leaving Certificate examinations for eligible candidates who miss their examinations in the main sitting due to serious illness, accident or injury or a close family bereavement.  

The main change this year provides for a candidate who experiences an extreme medical emergency during an examination. There is also a change to the timing of eligibility for access on grounds of bereavement and an increase in the timeline for the completion of an application from four to five working days.  

Following public health advice, the SEC is advising that Leaving Certificate candidates who only have nasal symptoms, such as a runny nose or a sneeze, but otherwise feel well should attend for their examinations but candidates with Covid-19 may apply for access to the deferred sitting and will be subject to a mandatory absence period of five days.  

The deferred examinations series will commence on 29 June at a limited number of regional venues and will run until July 15. Full details have been issued to schools and candidates.  Eligibility criteria have been determined with due regard to the principles of equity, fairness and integrity which govern all aspects of the examinations system and these will be strictly applied. 

Mr Burke said “following a review by the SEC of the eligibility criteria for deferred examinations, the inclusion of candidates who experience an extreme medical emergency during an examination represents a further significant improvement to the examinations system, providing an appropriately supportive response for candidates who find themselves in very challenging circumstances at examinations time and unable to take their examinations as a result.” 

Under the scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations (RACE) Scheme, there are arrangements designed to support candidates experiencing challenging circumstances at examinations time.   These continue to be available to Junior Cycle candidates; to Leaving Certificate candidates who do not meet the eligibility criteria for access to the deferred examination series; and to those meet the eligibility criteria for the deferred examination series but who choose to proceed with their examinations in the main sitting. 

Tthe SEC intends to issue the 2023 Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied examination results to candidates on Friday, August 25.   The intended Leaving Certificate results day of Friday 25 August is a full week earlier than the 2022 results date.

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Following Minister for Education Norma Foley’s announcement of the adjustments to the assessment arrangements for students taking examinations in 2023, and the Minister’s commitment that there would be no ‘cliff edge’ or automatic return to pre-pandemic grade profiles for Leaving Certificate results this year, the SEC has been engaged in the planning and delivery of all aspects of the examinations across Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle examination programmes. 

The commitment to avoid a “cliff-edge” in the profile of results will require an adjustment to the marks awarded to students through the marking process which can only be applied once all of the marking has been completed. The results issue date of Friday, August 25 takes account of the time needed for this step

Mr Burke expressed his appreciation to those involved in the conduct of the examinations. 

“I wish to fulsomely acknowledge the support of all involved in delivering the examinations this year. This includes school principals, deputy principals, teachers, and other school staff. This also, of course, includes parents and guardians, as the ultimate source of care and support for students.  We are particularly grateful this year for the generous response of teachers to our appeal for examiners for the oral, practical and written examination and the education partners for their active support in our ongoing review of this important whole of system issue.  Having greater numbers of examiners this year was central to the SEC being able to confirm the intended date for Leaving Certificate results of 25 August,” he said.      

“The Board and staff of the State Examinations Commission are very aware of the effort which students and their families have invested in the forthcoming examinations and extend their best wishes to all.  For our part, we in the State Examinations Commission will continue to do our utmost to deliver the examinations as smoothly as possible and ensure that the examinations meet the expected high standards of quality and fairness,” he concluded.