Adjustments will be made to the 2022 leaving certificate to take into account the disruption of students’ education due to the pandemic, the Department of Education said today.
The department also said that it is intended that an “alternative” set of leaving certificate exams will be held for students who cannot sit the main exams due to bereavement, coronavirus or other serious illnesses yet to be determined.
The adjustments will be similar to those made to the 2021 leaving certificate.
This year’s leaving certificate candidates had the option to either sit regular exams or to avail of “accredited”, or predicted, grades due to the disruption to teaching caused by the pandemic.
This year’s leaving certificate students missed out on around six months of classroom time when schools were closed due to lockdowns.
Students could opt to sit all their exams, receive predicted grades for all their subjects or a combination of the two. They could also sit the exam and receive a predicted grade, in which case the higher of the two will be the student’s official result.
A press statement from the Department of Education said: “The adjustments to be put in place will play to student strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice for students in the examinations.”
There will be no change to the length of the written examinations.
Minister for Education Norma Foley said: “Students going into their final year at Leaving Certificate have had a difficult year, and it is important that we acknowledge this.”
“I am confident that the adjustments announced today acknowledge the disruption faced by these students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also being proportionate to the students’ experience and loss of learning, and are educationally appropriate”, she said.
“I am pleased that the voices of students, parents and teachers have been a part of this process of discussing the arrangements for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate 2022, and I am glad to be able to provide this clarity to the class of 2022.”
The department says the full details of the adjustments will be announced in July.
