Junior Cert results to be available on November 23 as Foley launches 'root and branch' review

Some 68,000 students sat their Junior Certificate Exams between Wednesday, June 8 and Monday, June 20. File Picture: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

The Education Minister has launched a “root and branch” review of the timing of the State Exam results, following the news that Junior Cert students will receive their results in late November.

The results will be available in schools on November 23, but candidates will also be able to access their results online from 4pm that day.

Some 68,408 students sat their Junior Certificate Exams between Wednesday, June 8 and Monday, June 20, a 5% increase on the number of candidates in 2019.

The examinations were the first held in-person for two years given that both the 2021 and 2020 cycles were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the past, exam results would usually be issued in September, but this year's results have been delayed significantly.

Norma Foley said she is conscious of the need to “do things differently”.

“It’s important that we do have a date, and that we do have clarity,” she said.

“But this year I do appreciate it's frustrating from a student's point of view, and staff point of view and from a family point of view.

“Equally I’m conscious of the challenges the SEC faced this year.”

In a statement, the SEC blamed a delay in issuing the results on an examiner shortage and the prioritisation of the Leaving Certificate. It said the number of examiners available to mark Junior Cycle examinations this year was 1,270 — 30% less than the 1,756 who marked the 2019 exams.

Ms Foley said: “I have asked my officials in my department for a root and branch review of the timings, the issuing of results and also [how] to attract more correctors into the system.

“We will seek to ensure that the results can issue in a more timely fashion, notwithstanding that this year was a particularly challenging year for the SEC.”

The SEC said it appreciated that candidates and their parents/guardians "may be disappointed" that the results are being issued later than normal.

"This has arisen due to a combination of factors which include a later issue date for the Leaving Certificate results and, most especially, the impact of a shortage of teachers to mark the examinations over the summer marking period," the Commission said.

"In most subjects, the number of teachers available to undertake roles as examiners was less than the number required to mark that subject within the normal summer marking window. In all subjects, marking continued for an extended period of time in the summer and with many examiners agreeing to take on additional scripts to mark."

The SEC said it has taken several steps to address the issue of examiner supply, including increased rates of payment and the recruitment of additional examiners in advance of next year's exams. 

"The SEC will be reviewing with all of the stakeholders how best to ensure the availability of teachers in the required numbers to complete this important examination work," it said.