Long-awaited Junior Cert results to be released today

Students Belle Cotter, Emma Browne, and Savannah Lucey looking forward to receiving the Junior Cert results at Regina Mundi College, Douglas, Cork. Pictures: Dan Linehan

Students across the country are set to receive their long-awaited Junior Cert results today, the first year in which all exams have been delivered under the new curriculum.

Usually given to students closer to the start of the new school year, more than 67,100 students will today receive their results following delays due to a shortage of examiners.  

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) said further contingency arrangements were necessary in some subjects to complete the marking in recent weeks. 

The commission added that it was “extremely grateful” to the thousands of teachers each year who undertake the critical work of marking the examinations.

“We are especially grateful to those who have recently supported us in completing the junior cycle marking noting that many of these teachers were back in school and gave up their evenings and weekends to this work.

“Pre-pandemic the SEC had been experiencing significant difficulties in attracting, recruiting, and retaining sufficient numbers of teachers to undertake this vital work which came into sharp focus this year.” 

Principal of Regina Mundi College Yvonne Lucey surrounded by her pupils as they prepare to receive their Junior Cert results. Included are, Emma Browne, Belle Cotter, Jane Egan, Chaoimhe Hayes, Arden Mallari, Savannah Lucey, Fódla Ní Bhrádaigh, and Ellen Clarke. 

Results will be available in schools today, or online from 4pm. Due to the pandemic, this is the first year since 2019 that all Junior Cycle students were required to sit exams. 

In November 2020 and 2021, Junior Cert exams were held for adult learners and early school leavers only, with exams cancelled for all other students and replaced by school-based assessments.

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It is also the first year in which all exams have been delivered under the reformed junior cycle curriculum. The exams in 2017 saw the first changes under the new junior cycle reform process when the new specification in English was first examined, and a new junior cycle reporting structure was introduced. 

Until 2019, only English, science, and business studies had been examined under the reformed Junior Cycle curriculum. 

Apart from Irish, English, and maths which are examined at higher and ordinary level, all other junior cycle subjects are now examined at 'common' level. 

Due to the revised subject specification, assessments, and grading system, the results from this year aren’t directly comparable like-for-like with previous years.

Previously just English, science, and business studies were previously examined in 2019 under the reformed Junior Cycle specification.

The percentages of students achieving distinctions in English in 2022 remain broadly in line with 2019, while this increased in science from 2% in 2019, to 3.7% in 2022. 

Business studies also saw a higher percentage of students receive distinctions, from 1.9% in 2019 to 3.3% in 2022.

Applications for review of junior cycle exam results, which must be made through the candidate’s school, should be received by the SEC no later than 5pm on Wednesday, November 30. 

The marking schemes will be published on examinations.ie[/url by the end of this week. 

Further information will be issued to schools from the Department of Education about the production of the 2022 Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement for students.