10-year high in students taking Junior Certificate

The state exams begin this morning with a drop in numbers for the Leaving Certificate but a 10-year high of almost 60,000 Junior Certificate students.

English papers set by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) kick off both sets of exams at 9.30am in almost 4,800 centres, including prisons where about 200 students are entered for exams.

The exams will also be the first test of all Leaving Cert students in part of the new Project Maths syllabus, which is a focus in the drive to push up student achievement in the subject.