Leaving Cert exams are set to be pushed back to the end of July or early August due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was announced today.
Education Minister Joe McHugh TD confirmed the news at a press briefing today.
Written exams for the Junior Cycle have been scrapped and will be rearranged as school-based tests when schools reopen.
Additionally projects and coursework which had been due by May 15 has been extended to immediately prior to the start of the written Leaving Cert exams in July/August.
Practical tests in art, engineering, and construction studies which were due to start on April 27 and oral and practical performance tests for the Leaving Certificate Applied programme due to take place in May have been rescheduled for the July/August period.
A spokesperson for the State Examinations Commissions said: “The decision to postpone the Junior Cycle examinations recognises the need to prioritise the running of the Leaving Certificate examinations in order to allow 6th year students to progress to higher and further education or to the world of work.
“Retaining all of the available space that was to be used for both sets of examinations will allow the SEC to significantly reduce the number of Leaving Certificate candidates in each examination centre.
“The SEC will be making every effort to run the examinations as close to normal as possible and plans to publish the July/August Leaving Certificate examinations timetable in early June, along with the other detailed arrangements for the rescheduled examinations.
“At all stages, the health and safety of candidates, examination superintendents, school staff and others involved in the delivery of the examinations system will be at the forefront of the SEC’s approach.”
