Number of Leaving Cert students who had results withheld due to cheating rises
A spokesman SEC said: 'The numbers of results withheld do fluctuate on an annual basis in the context of very small numbers overall.' Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA
The number of students to have their Leaving Certificate and Leaving Cert Applied results permanently withheld because of cheating in this year’s exams has risen significantly.
New figures provided by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) show that the 155 results have been permanently withheld because of cheating, up from the 71 results initially withheld last year.
The SEC has also provisionally withheld two other 2025 results pending further communication with the schools and candidates concerned.
The 2025 numbers compare to 71 results permanently withheld and 43 results provisionally withheld at the same point in 2024.
The final number of Leaving Certificate results withheld in the 2024 Leaving Certificate examinations was 105.
A spokesman SEC said: “The numbers of results withheld do fluctuate on an annual basis in the context of very small numbers overall.”
The spokesman said that the SEC “would strongly caution any student that might be tempted to cheat in the State examinations that serious consequences can result”.
There may also be serious consequences for any person who provides candidates with inappropriate assistance under the Education Act 1998."
With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software, such as ChatGPT, the SEC has provided guidance to school authorities about AI in the completion of coursework.
The SEC instructions make clear that any material generated by AI software will be treated in the same way as any other material that the candidate has not generated themselves.
Asked did the unauthorised use of AI play a part in any of the cheating by students, the SEC spokesman said: “Due to the small numbers of candidates involved, for privacy reasons, the SEC does not provide any further detail about these cases, including the specifics of the incidents, or details of the school or location or the gender of those involved."
On the penalties imposed for cheating, the spokesman said that “the most common penalty applied is the withholding of the marks of a component or the full result in the subject in question".
“Where a more serious breach of the regulations occurs such as copying in more than one subject, withholding of all results and/or debarring from repeating the examination may be applied. The regulations apply equally to practical and project work as well as to the work presented in the written examination.”
