71,698 people are expected to sit the Leaving cert exam this year, this is 9% more candidates than last year.
Overall, there are 146,553 registered to sit the State exams, making it a 4% increase compared to last year.
30,000 students will receive ten minutes of additional time in each exam as a new measure has been introduced. The Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme is for students who have additional needs and allows them to a range of accommodations under pre-existing rules.
Chairperson of the State Examinations Commission Jacinta Stewart said of the new accommodation scheme: "Our work on the review of the RACE Scheme continues, guided by two key principles which seek to balance, on the one hand, access for candidates with special educational needs and, on the other, equity and fairness for all candidates undertaking their examinations. The introduction of 10 additional minutes in each examination for candidates with special educational needs is a major milestone providing that 30,000 candidates eligible for support and access arrangements under the RACE Scheme will have additional time in all of their written examinations."
Jacinta said before the State Exams began: “For candidates, their families and school authorities across the country, the state examinations are a landmark event marking years of learning, commitment and preparation. On behalf of my fellow commissioners and the staff of the SEC, I want to wish every candidate the very best as they begin their examination.”
The exams will run until the 23rd of June, with the Leaving Cert exam results to be published on Friday 21 August.
This year will see marks boosted in a post-marking adjustment, a Government commitment in order to achieve a gradual return to pre-pandemic results levels.
The State Examinations Commission said in a statement: "Continuing this trend in 2026, will see the overall Leaving Certificate results just below 2020 levels which were ahead of 2019 levels by four percentage points."
The Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle kicked off this morning with English Paper 1, and according to The Irish Times, the inital reaction has been positive with teaching sayingh the paper was student friendly and approachable.
Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton reminded those sitting the State exams that their worth cannot be defined by one exam. “While exams are important, they do not define you or determine a young person’s future on their own. Each student has unique talents, strengths and ambitions, and there are many different pathways available to help achieve your goals," she said.
