Leaving Cert week three: How to stay motivated for the final hurdle
‘It takes resilience. Keep going, the finish line is in sight’
Leaving Certificate
Discover the latest updates on the Leaving Cert syllabus, with news and adivce on exams, results and your educational journey
A new approach to Irish-language exemptions
Why not acknowledge that many exemptions are being granted to students newly arrived in Ireland, and provide an alternative qualification?
‘I haven’t cried yet, which is a win’: Leaving Cert diarists on the exams so far
Students found history and maths particularly challenging
Classroom to College: A tough Leaving Cert week as core subjects finish
Higher level papers in both French and history were particularly tricky
Leaving Cert art: State Examinations Commission listens to criticism of last year’s paper
‘This paper gave students a lot of opportunities to show their knowledge of the subject’
Leaving Cert German: The fairest paper so far this year
Teachers report accessible questions, familiar vocabulary and manageable grammar
Leaving Cert construction studies paper praised for accessibility
‘Paper contained questions on household extensions and adapting them for ... disabled or elderly people’
Leaving Cert business: Largely fair paper with a tough compulsory question
‘A good, balanced paper allowing students to display their knowledge’
Leaving Certificate Applied: ‘If you’re a more practical person, it is really good’
Reduced emphasis on exams can suit some students
Annual obsession with the Leaving Cert
Letter writer wonders whether young people consume the media offering Leaving Cert advice
Leaving Cert history: ‘Very challenging’ paper with few predicted staples
No major shocks, but very few questions that could be described as highly predictable
Leaving Cert history paper was ‘very challenging’; Junior cycle French ‘an absolute horror show’
State Examinations Commission apologises for error in higher level biology
Leaving Cert French exam gets mixed reaction from teachers: ‘Odd, challenging, balanced’
Some feel the higher-level paper was accessible and fair, but others think it contained tricky vocabulary
Leaving Cert maths paper one: what were those who set it trying to achieve?
Were they trying to ensure that students left the exam hall in tears? Or were put off higher-level maths forever?
Leaving Cert biology paper contains mistake that may have caught out students
State Examinations Commission apologises for error, which will be taken into account in marking
Leaving Cert 2026: Exams body apologises for error in biology paper
Irish paper two praised as fair and manageable
Leaving Cert Irish paper two contained more challenging unseen elements than in previous years
Prose and poetry questions were approachable but some of the reading comprehensions may have been challenging
Sophie should be doing her Junior Cert exams, but instead she’s sorting out her wardrobe
Mother of student with dyslexia made the difficult decision that her daughter shouldn’t sit the exams
Piano tuning and Leaving Cert coverage
Don’t let a tricky maths question put you off piano tuning as a career
Leaving Cert: Happier Monday for students following Maths paper two
Hopefully, Leaving Cert students who left school halls drained and miserable last Friday after the higher-level maths paper were a little happier following the second paper
Leaving Cert Irish paper one: Students glad to see predicted topics
Ordinary-level Leaving Cert Irish paper considered fair, manageable and accessible for students
Leaving Cert Irish paper one contains surprising omission
Second week of State exams begins for more than 140,000 students across junior and senior cycle
Leaving Cert maths paper two gets far more positive response from students
Jean Kelly, a maths teacher, said that the ordinary-level paper was fair, modern and thoughtfully designed
Siblings at exam time: ‘You will be unfairly treated... When it’s your turn the same will apply to you’
Psychotherapist Colman Noctor would much prefer to see a child approaching the exams in a ‘chilled’ fashion, rather than ‘stressed out of it’
Last-minute tips ahead of the Leaving Cert Irish exams
Irish teacher Hugh Gallagher suggests it’s better to stick to simple, accurate sentences when writing answers, as opposed to more complex ones, where mistakes can occur
Leaving Cert: ‘It requires a lot of mental energy to sit a full exam paper’
Kat Ruane (18) has ADHD and dyspraxia, and finds it hard to manage the timings of exams
On the Leaving Cert: Students do best when they can choose subjects that best suit them
A broad education is important, especially in the early years, but by senior cycle many students are ready to build on their strengths
Leaving Cert: It’s time to relax, recover and recharge
Okay, it was a short week, but it probably didn’t feel like that for anyone sitting the tests.
Leaving Cert maths, paper one: A song and dance about a bum note
Students were generally relieved with an approachable higher-level maths paper one, but the element of choice allowed them to swerve trickier questions, teachers said.
Leaving Cert maths paper one ‘strikes the right tone’, teachers say
Geography exam earlier on Friday seen as ‘fair, well-balanced and student friendly’
Leaving Cert geography: Students generally pleased but some difficult questions
Students sitting the Leaving Certificate geography exams were happy with a paper that rewarded preparation while avoiding unexpected questions, teachers have said
Let’s not make the same mistake as the UK. ‘Sensible’ degrees are overrated
Coding and accountancy were once trumpeted as secure careers, but AI is showing otherwise
Leaving Cert: ‘You just have to go with the child that’s in front of you’
When it comes to our Junior Cycle students, it’s all about continued support and motivation
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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