Record number of students to begin Leaving and Junior Cert exams

RTÉ News​

04-06-2025

A record number of candidates will begin the State Leaving and Junior Certificate exams today.
140,457 students will sit the exams, the first time the number has exceeded 140,000. The rise is due to population growth.
61,632 candidates will take the main Leaving Certificate written exams over the next several weeks, an increase of 5% compared to last year.
There has been an 11% rise in students opting for the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. 4,512 students have chosen that pathway.
74,313 candidates will begin their Junior Cycle exams this morning.
The State exams will take place in examination centres across more than 800 post-primary schools and other centres across the country.
The State Examinations Commission has described the process as "a massive logistical exercise involving the secure distribution of circa four million examination papers".
The exams begin at 9.30am with English Paper 1 for most Leaving Certificate students. LCA and Junior Cycle candidates will also sit English papers.
The last Leaving Certificate exam takes place on 24 June.
Leaving Certificate results this year will once again be artificially inflated through a post-marking adjustment which will be applied after all marking of individual papers has been completed.
Post-marking adjustments were introduced following the Covid pandemic in an attempt to compensate students who had missed out as a result of school closures and other restrictions arising from the pandemic.
Following a request from the Department of Education and in order to facilitate a gradual return to normal pre-Covid outcomes, this year's post-marking adjustment will be reduced to bring results in aggregate on average to a point broadly midway between 2020 and 2021 levels.
Leaving Certificate results will be issued to candidates on Friday 22 August.
The State Examinations Commission said this date took account of the time needed to apply the post-marking adjustment.
It said the timeline for results also had to allow sufficient time for an extensive range of quality assurance checks to be undertaken.
Minister for Education Helen McEntee is among many public figures and organisations who have wished the Class of 2025 good luck.
Sending her best wishes, Ms McEntee said: "I know the amount of work and effort you have put in to reach this point. It is the culmination of many years of effort.
"This can be a very stressful time so I would remind everyone that when it comes to examinations, all we can do is our best.
"We are all very much behind you over the next few weeks, and I know that regardless of the outcome of these examinations, there will be many great opportunities ahead for you all," she said.