2020 has been a highly unusual year with significant changes to the Leaving Certificate Examinations.

We have summarised the most important information below, as it currently stands. But please note that the information may change, and we will publish updated information as soon as it becomes available.

 The Leaving Cert Exam will not be held in July/August. Instead, students will be offered a State certificate of Calculated Grades.

Leaving Cert students will not automatically receive calculated grades.

Students have to opt-in to get their calculated grades under a new online portal on the gov.ie website. The Leaving Certificate 2020 - Calculated Grades Student Portal will be open from 10am on Tuesday 26 May to 10pm on Thursday 28 May.

On the portal, students will be required to confirm the subject level they initially entered for the examinations and they will have the option to change from higher to ordinary level.

All Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students are required to register on gov.ie/leavingcertificate between 10am Tuesday 26 May and 10pm Thursday 28 May

 The calculated grades – a two stage process

1. Teachers will provide an estimated percentage mark for each student for each subject, based on coursework and in-school assessments over the last two or three years. Estimated marks and rank ordering will then be discussed by all the teachers of a particular subject, after which teachers may adjust the grades where applicable. The principals will oversee and sign off on the grades before submitting them to the Department of Education.
2. The Department of Education will apply a national “standardisation” process to grades. This could result in the adjustment of grades up or down based a school’s achievements over recent years and the proportional distribution of grades nationally.

Read more about how grades are calculated here.

The grades will be provided in the same format as other years, i.e. Higher / Ordinary 1-8.

The plan is that calculated grades will be provided to students as close as possible to the normal results’ day (approx. mid-August)

 

Sitting the Leaving Cert Examination at a later date

Students will still have the opportunity to sit the Leaving Cert exam if they wish, but at a time when it is deemed safe and practicable to do so. No date has been announced as of yet. Students who receive an improved CAO offer on foot of these results, will receive a deferred college offer to start their course in the 2021/22 academic year.

Students who opt to sit the Leaving Cert exam at a later stage will not have their grades available for entry to college this academic year (2020-2021) and will not have to pay the examination fee.  Anyone who has paid already will be refunded.

 

 

Appealing calculated grades

Students and their parents/guardians are not allowed to try to influence the teacher in any way (including gifts) in relation to a student’s mark or ranking either before or after it has been assigned.

Students who are unhappy with the calculated grade they receive will have access to a three-stage appeals process:

Stage 1: Checks will be undertaken to ensure that the data was recorded correctly by the school and that it was transferred correctly into the data collection system.

Stage 2: There will also be a review to ensure that the data was correctly received and processed in the calculated grade model.

Stage 3: If the student remains unhappy with the outcome after stages 1 and 2 he/she can seek a review by Independent Appeal Scrutineers.

An alternative for students who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, is to sit the exams at a later stage.

 

Status of the certificate of Calculated Grades

The certificate of Calculated Grades will have the same status as Leaving Certificates awarded to students in previous years. That means that can the calculated grades be used to progress to further or higher education, or employment.

 

CAO applicants

Students’ calculated grades will be transferred directly to the CAO, in the same way that exam results usually are.

The CAO timelines will run as close as possible to normal to allow students to take up offers, to transition to college and to find accommodation etc.

College courses are due to start late September or early October, but formal arrangements and decisions have not been made yet. 

 

Studying abroad?

The pandemic affects all countries to some degree and the Department of Education has been in contact with counterparts in the UK and across the EU to explain the position regarding the Irish Leaving Certificate. Other countries are being asked for as much flexibility as possible and although the work is currently on-going, it is understood that the calculated grades will be recognised in the UK and EU.

 

Guidance counselling

Guidance Counsellors are continuing to provide guidance counselling support to 6th year students wishing to discuss their social, personal, education and career concerns.

However, guidance counsellor cannot discuss the calculated grading process, potential marks, student’s achievement or ranking in a class.

 

You can find more detailed information about the leaving cert, calculated grades and FAQs from the Government.

We will also update all relevant information as it be