3/6/2009 Leaving Cert Exams Begin

#Leaving Cert

News, views, analysis and features on the state examinations process and system.

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

CAO Round Two offers over 1,200 students college places for first time
CAO Round Two offers over 1,200 students college places for first time
Students who received an offer in this round will have until 3pm on Wednesday, September 10, to accept

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

Exam cheating rises
Number of Leaving Cert students who had results withheld due to cheating rises 
155 results have been permanently withheld because of cheating, up from the 71 results initially withheld last year

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

Stacked Coins And Piggy Bank
Your financial plan starts now: How to make most of your money when paying for college
Financial planner Karen Doyle offers valuable advice to students ahead of their entry to third-level education. She talks with Laurie O’Flynn

Fri, 29 Aug, 2025

ieExplains: How does the CAO's random selection process work?
ieExplains: How does the CAO's random selection process work?
Admission for the vast amount of college courses is based on exam results and CAO points that are awarded for different Leaving Cert grades.

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

A quick guide to navigating CAO offers
A quick guide to navigating CAO offers
Laurie O’Flynn offers answers to the most frequently asked questions by applicants to the Central Applications Office every year

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

eating apple
CAO: Important dates for offers, appeals and rechecks
Students are advised to note that there are only two days to accept offers from Round Two onwards

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Jess Casey: It goes without saying that the CAO process can be cruel
Jess Casey: It goes without saying that the CAO process can be cruel
Despite lower grade inflation, demand for college places pushed CAO points higher in 2025, leaving many students disappointed

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Students, take time to fully assess CAO round one offers 
Students, take time to fully assess CAO round one offers 
Career guidance experts outline the choices open to students in relation to this year’s CAO first round offers

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: Did the points for your course go up? See all the first-round cut-offs
CAO offers: Did the points for your course go up? See all the first-round cut-offs
Here, you can use the Irish Examiner's CAO interactive to find the latest points information for both Level 8 and Level 7/6 courses

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: Almost half of students miss out on first choice as course points rise
CAO offers: Almost half of students miss out on first choice as course points rise
CAO data shows that entry to 25 courses has been determined by random selection

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: What to do if you miss out on your top choice
CAO offers: What to do if you miss out on your top choice
Guidance counsellor David Drury advises students that now is the right time to stop and reflect on their choices. He talks to Jess Casey, Education Correspondent

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: Be ready to consider Plan B if things don’t go your way
CAO offers: Be ready to consider Plan B if things don’t go your way
Guidance counsellors advise that many people have enjoyed hugely success careers having taken up courses further down their CAO list of preferences  

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Group of cheerful students
Your CAO questions answered: What students and parents need to know
Over 83,000 students applied to the CAO this year as Leaving Cert results and college offers collide in a record-breaking admissions season

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Bogus insurance claims
Accommodation fraud jumps 22% as gardaí warn students of rental scams
It comes following Friday’s Leaving Certificate results and this week’s third-level CAO offers

Sun, 24 Aug, 2025

'Younger Kyle would be proud': Cork student overcomes adversity to celebrate Leaving Cert success
'Younger Kyle would be proud': Cork student overcomes adversity to celebrate Leaving Cert success
Cork student Kyle O’Connell reflects on overcoming stereotypes, financial struggles, and identity challenges to achieve Leaving Cert success

Sat, 23 Aug, 2025

Woman looking at houses and flats in the window of an estate agent in London, UK
S Mick Clifford: No country for young people if housing crisis is not fixed
Today’s school leavers should be better equipped that those who went before to go out in the world and make the most if it. However, inequality is draining hope

Sat, 23 Aug, 2025

Gareth O'Callaghan: It's the learning that changes your life, not the results
Gareth O'Callaghan: It's the learning that changes your life, not the results
The revamp of the Leaving Cert is unworkable because of AI, writes Gareth O'Callaghan

Sat, 23 Aug, 2025

Cork student earns eight H1s in Leaving Cert and sets sights on medicine at UCC
Cork student earns eight H1s in Leaving Cert and sets sights on medicine at UCC
Cork student Fiachra Wall achieved eight H1s in the Leaving Cert and hopes to study medicine at UCC next year

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Girl Pointing At Test Result While Standing With Students
'The Leaving Cert is one of those things that always works out'
Students urged to 'logically process' exam results

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Diary of a Gen Z Student: Why the Leaving Cert results aren’t the be-all, end-all
Diary of a Gen Z Student: Why the Leaving Cert results aren’t the be-all, end-all
It’s normal for results day not to pan out the way you might have envisioned it

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

'I flushed my Leaving Cert results down the toilet... I felt I’d let myself down'
'I flushed my Leaving Cert results down the toilet... I felt I’d let myself down'
Cork entrepreneur Karl Fitzpatrick has moved on to success after being disappointed by his Leaving Cert results, and he encourages students not to let their exams define them

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Ten students at Cork school achieve maximum 625 Leaving Cert points
Ten students at Cork school achieve maximum 625 Leaving Cert points
Christian Brothers College in Cork celebrates Leaving Cert results as ten students achieve maximum points and multiple H1 grades

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Leaving Cert 2025: Everything you need to know about this year's results
Leaving Cert 2025: Everything you need to know about this year's results
Schools have been asked to make arrangements to support the students receiving results today

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

The Mick Clifford Podcast: What do the Leaving Cert results mean in today’s world? 
The Mick Clifford Podcast: What do the Leaving Cert results mean in today’s world? 
Education correspondent Jess Casey is this week’s guest on the podcast

 Listen | Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

 Listen |
More than half of Leaving Certificate grades bumped upwards this year
More than half of Leaving Certificate grades bumped upwards this year
Overall, the marks on average in 2025 are expected to be 5.9% higher than the overall marks issued in 2019, the last year the Leaving Cert exams ran as normal

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Leaving Cert 2025 marks the slow return to grade normality
Leaving Cert 2025 marks the slow return to grade normality
While normality has resumed in almost every other aspect of life post covid, it is taking a little longer when it comes to tackling grade inflation

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Parents in Youghal campaign for new type of school for autistic children
Parents in Youghal campaign for new type of school for autistic children
Bridging the Gap Youghal estimates there are almost 100 pupils attending autism classes in primary schools across the East Cork and West Waterford region 

Tue, 12 Aug, 2025

Universities to halve points needed from HPAT assessment to study medicine
Universities to halve points needed from HPAT assessment to study medicine
Leaving Cert scores above 550 will also no longer be moderated  from 2027

Fri, 18 Jul, 2025

High school students writing an exam in the classroom.
Beyond the exam hall: Reclaiming the purpose of Irish education
The proliferation and prominence of private grind schools has put Leaving Cert points as the ultimate arbiter of a student's potential and future, and shifted the emphasis away from nurturing the wellbeing and broader development of the student 

Tue, 08 Jul, 2025

Almost 6,000 applicants to receive early round CAO offers
Almost 6,000 applicants to receive early round CAO offers
The Round A offers are for mature applicants and deferred applicants, as well as applicants who have completed an access course, or those who may be required to make visa arrangements

Fri, 04 Jul, 2025

Michael Moynihan: Can you pass a Leaving Cert exam about Cork?
Michael Moynihan: Can you pass a Leaving Cert exam about Cork?
Cork Studies joins the Leaving Cert — in theory at least — with hilarious sample questions only true Corkonians could answer

Thu, 19 Jun, 2025

'It was an emotional moment': Students complete Ireland's first Leaving Cert Ukrainian exam 
'It was an emotional moment': Students complete Ireland's first Leaving Cert Ukrainian exam 
Thousands of students across Ireland have made history by sitting the first Leaving Certificate exam in Ukrainian which has joined the list of non-curricular languages tested in State exams

Mon, 16 Jun, 2025

'Accessible' Leaving Cert history exam will have left some students 'bitterly disappointed'
'Accessible' Leaving Cert history exam will have left some students 'bitterly disappointed'
overall, Teachers though it was 'a good paper' for students

Wed, 11 Jun, 2025

Exam cheating rises
Tough French comprehension exam challenges Leaving Cert students
Teachers say higher-level candidates needed strong vocabulary and careful reading, while writing topics offered broad appeal

Wed, 11 Jun, 2025

Glowing DNA Helix (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) concept gene/genome isolated on black background.
Leaving Cert students get 'really nice and well laid out' biology exam
Exams continued on Tuesday afternoon with 'fair' and 'student-centered' papers that would have been well received

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

Rory Gallagher and ‘Hurlamaboc’ feature on well-received Leaving Cert Irish paper
Rory Gallagher and ‘Hurlamaboc’ feature on well-received Leaving Cert Irish paper
Students praised the accessible texts, straightforward questions, and welcome appearance of the long-anticipated short story

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

AI Learning and Artificial Intelligence Concept. Business, modern technology, internet and networking concept.
'Very topical' Leaving Cert Irish paper covers areas students would have expected
The aural section questions were 'generally fair' while the essay options gave students a wide range of current and relevant topics

Mon, 09 Jun, 2025

Leaving Cert students face tougher maths paper with 'some curveballs' 
Leaving Cert students face tougher maths paper with 'some curveballs' 
Maths paper 2 was a tougher paper than Friday’s paper 1, according to one teacher

Mon, 09 Jun, 2025

Mixed feelings around Leaving Cert maths but students avoid getting caught in spider web question
Mixed feelings around Leaving Cert maths but students avoid getting caught in spider web question
Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) subject spokesperson, Niall Duddy, said each question had a 'bogey' last-part

Fri, 06 Jun, 2025

Leaving Cert English Paper 2 tests depth of knowledge with 'trickier' but fair questions
Leaving Cert English Paper 2 tests depth of knowledge with 'trickier' but fair questions
Teachers say higher-level paper rewards well-prepared students, with familiar poetry and creative comparative tasks

Thu, 05 Jun, 2025

FRANCE-TRANSPORT-HYDROGEN-AIR-LIQUIDE-HYUNDAI
State exams: 'Extremely relevant' climate change questions feature
Also, Junior Cycle Irish was fair and covered relatable topics for students, according to Studyclix subject spokesperson Stephen Doyle

Thu, 05 Jun, 2025

Leaving Cert home economics paper praised for clarity, relevance, and focus on sustainability
Leaving Cert home economics paper praised for clarity, relevance, and focus on sustainability
Teachers say 2025 exam was student-friendly, topical, and allowed learners to showcase practical and research skills

Wed, 04 Jun, 2025

Could you pass English paper 1? First Leaving Cert exams of 2025 'very balanced'
Could you pass English paper 1? First Leaving Cert exams of 2025 'very balanced'
Meanwhile, a Junior Cycle question on short stories may have caused some students to stumble

Wed, 04 Jun, 2025

Cork students feeling a mix of nerves and excitement as 2025 State exams get under way
Cork students feeling a mix of nerves and excitement as 2025 State exams get under way
The wait is over for more than 140,000 students sitting the Leaving and Junior Cert exams 

Wed, 04 Jun, 2025

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