Record numbers are set to sit this year’s Junior and Leaving Cert exams as they begin this morning.
There are more than 63,000 candidates set to undertake the Leaving Cert and more than 71,000 set to sit Junior Cycle exams.
This indicates a rise of 3% from last year as the exams head underway in over 800 secondary schools in the country.
There has also been a significant increase in those registering for the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme, with a 20% rise in those sitting these exams from last year.
The LCA is focused on developing practical skills and involves more continuous assessment.
The main Leaving Certificate programme specifically has seen a slight reduction in candidates with 59,727 set to sit the exams compared to 60,210 last year.
There has been a 5% increase in those sitting the Junior Cycle papers as the figure rises to 71,494.
This morning, the Leaving Cert begins with English Paper 1 at 9.30am while LCA students will start their English and Communication exam at 9.45am.
Students are advised to be at the exam centre 30 minutes ahead of the start time. For the remaining exams that follow, they should arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time.
Leaving Cert candidates who may be unavoidably absent for the exams due to close family bereavement or on certain medical grounds will be allowed to defer their exams and resit them on June 29th.
This option will also be given to students who experience an extreme medical emergency during an examination for the first time.
The results of the Leaving Cert are due to be issued on August 25th.
The Leaving Cert is set to run until June 27th, with the LCA running until June 15th and the Junior Cert until June 19th, depending on your chosen subjects.
