Leaving Certificate exams finally bring an end to a senior cycle like no other 

This year’s Leaving Certificate class spent approximately a quarter of their senior cycle learning remotely due to two extended school closures. 

Today marks the beginning of a Leaving Certificate like no other, with thousands of students finally rounding off a senior cycle which saw them learning from home for months on end.

While the written exams begin with English paper 1, almost three out of ten students will not take a written paper in the subject after opting for accredited grades only under the 'two-track' approach to assessment. 

This year’s Leaving Certificate class spent approximately a quarter of their senior cycle learning remotely due to two extended school closures. 

To account for this, they have been given the choice of written exams, accredited grades, or both.

Approximately 90% of students will sit at least one exam, with the majority of students opting for both exams and accredited grades in all subjects. 

Almost 40,000 students have indicated they intend to sit exams in five or more subjects.

In total, 61,519 students are entered for the Leaving Certificate this year, with 3,177 of these students entered for the final year of the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.

Ann Piggot, president of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland said students have shown "tremendous resilience" as she wished them luck.  

"Your job in the coming weeks is to look after yourself. Pace yourself, eat well, take plenty of breaks and time for relaxation, set aside time to organise yourself, and get plenty of sleep.” 

Martin Marjoram, president of the Teachers' Union of Ireland, also wished students luck. 

"Final-year students have worked unbelievably hard in circumstances that would have been unimaginable 18 months ago, displaying great resilience throughout extremely stressful times."