Leaving Cert students urged to ‘keep options open’ as registration portal opens

Students are being urged to “keep their options open” when deciding whether to sit the Leaving Cert, receive accredited grades, or both, when an online registration portal opens from Wednesday.

The portal (gov.ie/LeavingCertificate), which is open from noon on Wednesday March 10th until Tuesday March 16th at 6pm, will allow students to formally register for exams and/or accredited grades.

Students will have another opportunity to review their choices at the end of April/early May.

However, candidates are being urged to give themselves the option of taking written exams in advance of then.

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This is because students who fail to participate in language orals or do not submit coursework due across a range of subjects over the coming weeks will forfeit these marks if they later choose to do the written exam.

Oral tests, for example, are due to take place between March 26th and April 15th.

Students who have opted for both the exam and accredited grade options will automatically receive the better grade in each of their subjects. There are no fees to pay for either exams or accredited grades.

When it comes to accredited grades, the levels selected for subjects – higher, ordinary or foundation – by candidates at the end of April/early May will be “absolutely final” .

This is because teachers are due to enter the formal estimation process for the accredited grades process shortly afterwards.

Candidates opting to sit the written exams will be permitted to change their levels on the day of the exam, as they do in a normal year.

To register, students need their exam number; PPS number; mobile phone number; and email address.

Guide for students

Minister for Education Norma Foley said a clear guide for students on how to use the portal and the choices that they need to make is available online (gov.ie/LeavingCertificate) and has been circulated to schools.

“I would encourage all students, when creating their account on the portal, to examine carefully the options available to them in sitting the written examinations and receiving the SEC [State Examinations Commission] accredited grades,” she said.

“It is also important that students continue to engage with the in-person learning and assessment process which provides further data for teachers to draw from in the process of estimating marks.”

In relation to the accredited grades process, further details concerning arrangements for students attending recognised schools but studying additional subjects out of school and students studying entirely outside of schools will be available shortly.

The Department of Education said that these students will need to be able to provide substantial evidence of their learning to be eligible for consideration for accredited grades for reasons of “equity and fairness”.

Ms Foley urged students in these situations to confirm their entry for the Leaving Cert exams.

She said there was no guarantee that all of these students can be provided with accredited grades.

The evidence that these students provide will need to be considered sufficient in order to provide them with an estimate of their performance in the Leaving Certificate, she said.