Projects and portfolios worth 40% to students ahead of exams

PROJECTS and portfolios completed before the final exams will be worth 40% of marks for all subjects in the qualification to replace the Junior Certificate from 2017.

At present, just 10 of the 26 Junior Certificate subjects have an obligatory second component that is completed before the written exams each June. These include projects, practical tests and coursework booklets, mostly in optional subjects such as music, metalwork, art, home economics and technology.

But as part of the new qualification: