More than half of Leaving Certificate grades bumped upwards this year
Grade inflation soared in 2020 and 2021, following Covid disruptions to education and the exam cycle, and grades have been kept artificially high since. File picture: Denis Minihane.
More than half of Leaving Cert students' grades have been bumped up as exam authorities begin attempts to tackle pandemic-era grade inflation.
A record 65,444 students will today receive their exam results, the highest number to do so in the past 30 years.
Exam authorities have continued again this year to adjust students' exam scripts upwards once marked.
Grade inflation soared in 2020 and 2021, following Covid disruptions to education and the exam cycle, and grades have been kept artificially high since.
Subject
<Irish
English
Maths
History
Geography
French
Spanish
Art
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Business
Irish
Total 2025: 24,053
Total 2024: 23,649
Irish
Total 2025: 23,661
Total 2024: 21,414
Irish
Total 2025: 2,307
Total 2024: 2,081
2025
2024
English
Total 2025: 46,193
Total 2024: 42,728
English
Total 2025: 13,853
Total 2024: 13,248
2025
2024
Maths
Total 2025: 23,450
Total 2024: 20,330
Maths
Total 2025: 33,364
Total 2024: 32,362
Maths
Total 2025: 3,385
Total 2024: 3,332
2025
2024
History
Total 2025: 9,849
Total 2024: 9,574
History
Total 2025: 2,669
Total 2024: 2,839
2025
2024
Geography
Total 2025: 18,207
Total 2024: 15,687
Geography
Total 2025: 3,396
Total 2024: 2,964
2025
2024
French
Total 2025: 14,124
Total 2024: 13,318
French
Total 2025: 4,016
Total 2024: 4,633
2025
2024
Spanish
Total 2025: 9,348
Total 2024: 7,978
Spanish
Total 2025: 2,315
Total 2024: 2,331
2025
2024
Art
Total 2025: 8,996
Total 2024: 8,451
Art
Total 2025: 1,374
Total 2024: 1,408
2025
2024
Physics
Total 2025: 6,592
Total 2024: 6,009
Physics
Total 2025: 1,154
Total 2024: 1,301
2025
2024
Chemistry
Total 2025: 8,577
Total 2024: 7,939
Chemistry
Total 2025: 1,420
Total 2024: 1,478
2025
2024
Biology
Total 2025: 30,650
Total 2024: 28,461
Biology
Total 2025: 5,283
Total 2024: 4,750
2025
2024
Business
Total 2025: 17,115
Total 2024: 16,565
Business
Total 2025: 3,127
Total 2024: 3,219
2025
2024
However, following a direction issued last year by Norma Foley, the previous minister for education, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) has begun the process of returning overall results to pre-pandemic levels.
This adjustment resulted in more than 52% of student's final grades increasing, slightly less proportionally when compared to 68% of grades adjusted upwards in 2024, and more than 71% in 2023.
Overall, the marks on average in 2025 are expected to be 5.9% higher than the overall marks issued in 2019, the last year the Leaving Cert exams ran as normal.
However, the number of students receiving 'top' H1 grades, 90% or above at higher level, and equating to 100 CAO points, this year remains more than double the number issued in 2019.
In 2019, 15,332 H1s were issued to students, compared to 35,618 in 2025. Proportionately, this translates to 5.9% in 2019, and 11.7% in 2025. Last year, this figure stood at 14.3% before the Leaving Cert appeals process.
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This rate varies by subject. In 2025, 8.3% of students who took higher-level geography received a H1 compared to 3.9% in 2019, and 11.2% in 2024. In maths, 11% of students who took higher-level maths received a H1, compared to 6.4% in 2019, and 12.6% in 2024.
In 2025, 12.9% of students who took higher level history received a H1 compared to 6.9% in 2019, and 14% last year.
Students who achieve a score of 40% or more in higher-level maths gain an additional 25 CAO points. 22,183 students received these bonus points this year (94.6% of all students studying higher-level maths. This compares to 16,882 (93%) in 2019.
2025 marks a record in the number of Leaving Cert students sitting exams for the first time. In 1995, 66,304 students sat the Leaving Cert exams, but this included 7,000 repeats, compared to an estimated 800 in 2025.
More students this year also opted for higher-level papers than before the pandemic; 68% took higher level in 2019, compared to 73% in 2025.
SEC chairperson Jacinta Stewart said this year's post-marking adjustment was formulated so that the overall Leaving Certificate results are at a point broadly midway between the 2020 and 2021 levels, but "still well above the 2019 levels when examinations were last run as normal."
Education minister Helen McEntee congratulated students on reaching this milestone which represents the "culmination of years of hard work, dedication and commitment".
“No matter what your results are, today is the beginning of a new journey."
Students can access their results through the SEC’s Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP) from 10am today. The SEC intends to issue the results of the appeals process to students on Friday, September 26.
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