Around 30,000 students will be granted ten minutes of extra time in this year's Leaving and Junior Cycle written examinations as part of an interim initiative for candidates with additional needs.
The measure has been introduced as part of an ongoing review by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) of its RACE scheme which allows for direct intervention accommodations for students who qualify.
The decision will benefit candidates who may have a visual or physical impairment or a condition such as dyslexia.
Announcing the decision, the Department of Education said the SEC emphasised that the fairness and integrity of the examination system remained paramount, and for this reason, the new measure was an interim one for 2026 only.
In a statement it said: "The SEC is taking a careful approach that will assess thee impact of the measure alongside existing accommodations that operate in lieu of additional time.
"The SEC intends to build on this year's arrangements for 2027 and beyond, informed by the ongoing research and what can be learned from this scheme in 2026."
Welcoming the move, Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton said it represented "an important step forward in ensuring that students with specific needs are supported in a fair, consistent, and effective way".
"The SEC has already engaged with stakeholders on the review, including Dyslexia Ireland, Dyspraxia Ireland, the Children's Rights Alliance, and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children.
"This engagement will continue throughout the review and SEC intends to build on this year's arrangements for 2027 and beyond," she said.
Schools and students do not need to make any further RACE applications, as those eligible will be granted this accommodation on the basis of existing applications.
The SEC has issued a circular to schools setting out specific details of who is now eligible for additional time.
In 2025, 26% of candidates in the State examinations had an accommodation under RACE.
Additional time is already granted to some students within the RACE scheme but under limited circumstances.
Dyslexia Ireland described the move as "a small first step". It said it was "extremely disappointed" however that students were not being given more extra time.
"We know that 10 extra minutes is unlikely to have any significant impact in terms of reducing the time deficit that dyslexic learners experience," the organisation said.
More information as to who will be eligible under the 2026 measure is available on the State Examination Commission website.
Dyslexia Ireland described the move as "a small first step".
It said it was "extremely disappointed" however that students were not being given more extra time.
"We know that ten extra minutes is unlikely to have any significant impact in terms of reducing the time deficit that dyslexic learners experience", the organisation said.
