News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

RTÉ broadcaster Sarah McInerney sat her Leaving Cert in 1999

Watch: Leaving Cert and Me - Sarah McInerney

The Leaving Certificate can be a time of stress often accompanied with exam-themed anxiety dreams.

Leaving Cert • 03 Jun 23

RTÉ News Newscaster Sharon Tobin sat her Leaving Cert in 1997

Watch: Leaving Cert and Me - Sharon Tobin

There are some Leaving Cert papers you never forget for the rest of your life.

Leaving Cert • 03 Jun 23

Work & Technology Correspondent Brian O'Donovan sat his Leaving Cert in 1999

Watch: Leaving Cert and Me - Brian O'Donovan

The Leaving Certificate begins in a few days. But for our Work & Technology Correspondent, Brian O'Donovan, it has been 24 years.

Leaving Cert • 03 Jun 23

Jamie Lyons, Karl Mescal and Cillian O'Mahony among the thousands who got results today (Pic: RollingNews.ie)

More than 61,000 students receive Leaving Cert results

More than 61,000 Leaving Cert students are receiving their results, which were artificially boosted in order to comply with a commitment made by the Minister for Education earlier this year.

Education • 02 Sep 22

Leaving Cert students were left puzzled after a mathematical formula was incorrectly translated

Error in Irish-language version of Leaving Cert Maths

The State Examinations Commission has confirmed there was a mistake in the Irish-language version of Monday's Higher Level Maths Leaving Cert exam.

Ireland • 16 Jun 22

Top tips: Supporting your teen during Leaving Cert

Education • 07 Jun 22

Top tips: Managing your Leaving Cert stress

If you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed by what is ahead, here are some top tips for Leaving Cert students.

Education • 08 Jun 22

Simon Harris said the results date should be released as soon as possible

Harris calls for clarity on Leaving Cert results date

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has called on the State Examinations Commission to release the date for this year's Leaving Cert results as soon as possible.

Ireland • 02 Jun 22

Exam results are traditionally issued in mid-August, with college offers following a few days later

Calls for clarity on date of Leaving Cert results

The chair of Central Applications Office has called on Government to clarify "as a matter of urgency" when Leaving Certificate students will receive their results amid concerns of a Covid-19 related delay to the traditional results date.

Education • 16 May 22

Students may be disappointed they did not get accredited grades, but teachers believe what they did get is 'as good as'

Teachers look forward to detail of Leaving Cert plan

Students may be disappointed that they did not get what many of them wanted – accredited grades, but their teachers believe that what they did get is "as good as".

Analysis and Comment • 05 Feb 22

Fees for this year's exams are being waived (File: RollingNews.ie)

Fees for Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle exams waived

Students sitting this year's Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle exams will not have to pay fees, Minister for Education Norma Foley has confirmed.

Education • 03 Feb 22

Leaving Cert students will get "considerable choice" with "less content required to be studied", according to the Minister

What are the updated plans for the Leaving Cert?

The Government has announced that an exam-only Leaving Cert will go ahead this year after ruling out a hybrid option. But what exactly is in the new plan?

Ireland • 01 Feb 22

Norma Foley said the Junior Cycle exams will be held this year

Minister confirms exam-only Leaving Cert to go ahead

Minister for Education Norma Foley has confirmed that this year's Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate will be held as exams only.

Politics • 01 Feb 22

A final decision on the precise format of this year's assessment process is expected shortly (file pic)

Leaving Cert solution 'can't include school profiling'

Both Sinn Féin and the Labour Party have said that a solution to assessment for this year's Leaving Certificate cannot include school profiling.

Education • 27 Jan 22

The data lays bare the extent of grade inflation that has taken place over two years of disruption to the normal exams process

Fivefold increase in number of top Leaving Cert grades

The number of students achieving six H1s in the Leaving Certificate increased almost fivefold between last year and 2019, new figures released by the State Examinations Commission reveal.

Education • 23 Jan 22

The ASTI and the TUI have called for a normal Leaving Cert exam this year

Teaching unions say normal Leaving Cert must go ahead

Teacher unions say the traditional Leaving Cert exams must take place this year saying there is no justification for offering students additional options.

Ireland • 10 Jan 22

Demand for third level places has risen strongly this year

Significant rise in points for most third level courses

There has been a significant rise in the points requirement for most third level courses this year, with three quarters of Level 8 courses and almost two thirds of level 7/6 courses recording an increase.

Education • 07 Sep 21

The portal will remain open until 6pm on Friday

Portal reopened for students to confirm exam choice

The Leaving Cert online portal reopened today for candidates to review and confirm their written exam choices, accredited grades or both.

Education • 27 Apr 21

Students can register for examinations, accredited grades, or both options (Pic: RollingNews.ie)

Portal for Leaving Cert students opens

The online self-service portal for this year's Leaving Certificate students opened at midday and can be accessed over the next seven days.

Education • 10 Mar 21

Minister Norma Foley had appealed against the High Court's decisions in two separate cases

Minister loses appeals over homeschooled students

The Minister for Education has lost her appeals against findings that two homeschooled students were unfairly excluded from the Leaving Certificate calculated grades process.

Courts • 09 Mar 21

Presenter Paul Cunningham is joined by Tommy Meskill, Mary Regan and Mícheál Lehane

Podcast: Leaving Cert crammers

After weeks of tortuous negotiations, the Government announced a plan for the Leaving Cert. Students will be offered the choice of a written exam or calculated grades.

Your Politics • 18 Feb 21

The ASTI pulled out of talks on the Leaving Cert yesterday

Harris: 'Beyond unhelpful' to walk away from exam talks

The Minister for Further and Higher Education has said that it is "beyond unhelpful that anyone would walk away" from talks around this year's Leaving Certificate exams.

Education • 12 Feb 21

The Minister for Education is inviting education stakeholders to take part in the talks

Talks on Leaving Cert exams and possible alternative

This year's Leaving Certificate students could be offered a choice between examinations and an alternative measure, according to the Department of Education.

Education • 05 Feb 21

Kieran Christie said teachers are in a worse position for the calculating of grades than they were last year

'Viable' prospect of Leaving Cert going ahead - ASTI

The possibility of Leaving Certificate exams going ahead as normal is still "a live and viable" prospect, according to the General Secretary of one of the country's secondary school teachers' unions.

Education • 24 Jan 21

Universities caution over places for impacted students

The president of the University of Limerick has said there may not be places at the university for all of the students affected by errors in Leaving Certificate results.

Education • 04 Oct 20