Leaving Cert exam timetable is published

The Leaving Certificate exam timetable for this year was published by the State Examinations Commission on Thursday.

The written exams will begin on Wednesday, June 9th, with English paper 1, and end on Tuesday, June 29th. Their timetable remains similar to previous years, with both of the English papers, home economics, geography, maths paper 1, and engineering among the exams to take place over the first week.

Maths paper 2, both Irish papers, biology, French, history, business, art, German and construction studies are scheduled for the second week of the exams.

Italian, Russian, classical studies, Latin, technology, Japanese, politics and society, Arabic and physical education are among those papers timetabled for the final days of the exam period.

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The timetable for the Leaving Certificate Applied exams has also been published, with exams running from Wednesday, June 9th, until Thursday, June 17th.

Choice

The Government confirmed on Wednesday that all Leaving Cert students will be given the option of choosing to get predicted grades for all subjects or sitting exams in June this year. Those students who choose to sit exams will secure whichever grade is highest between their predicted grades and their exam results.

Oral exams will be held during the Easter holidays or shortly afterwards for students who opt to take exams. Students who opt for predicted grades only will not be required to complete these exams.

In some subjects, the holding of practical exams will not be possible due to public health considerations amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year’s Junior Cert exams for 60,000 students will be cancelled to make way for a greater focus on facilitating the Leaving Cert. Alternative assessment arrangements will be implemented for Junior Cert students in a similar manner to last year.

‘Fairest option’

Minister for Education Norma Foley said on Thursday that the option of choosing predicted grades or sitting exams in the summer "I believe is the fairest option".

The Minister said that rank orders would not be published and that the format for standardisation of grades would be set by the State Examinations Commission.

Ms Foley also said that anyone who attempts to lobby teachers over calculated grades for this year’s Leaving Cert will face penalties.

Teachers' unions have meanwhile expressed "serious concern" over the plans for the Leaving Cert and use of calculated grades for students. However, neither the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) nor the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) has yet rejected the plan.