Irish Leaving Cert pupils given calculated grade or exam option

Irish pupils preparing to leave secondary school will have the option of a calculated grade or a written exam.

The proposal was approved by the Republic of Ireland's education minister on Wednesday.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that the option of calculated grades would be available in all subjects.

The calculated grade would also be issued at the same time as exam results.

The Irish Leaving Cert exams are similar to A-Level qualifications taken in Northern Ireland whereby they are the final set of formal exams taken by pupils in schools.

Earlier this month, Northern Ireland Education Minister Peter Weir confirmed schools would calculate GCSE, AS and A-Level grades to be awarded to their pupils in 2021.

This ruled out the kind of statistical process used by CCEA which proved controversial in 2020.

The Irish government hopes the proposal will be an incentive to get students to sit the written exam.

Leaving Certificate exams were cancelled last year because of Covid-19.

Non-exam assessments, including orals and practicals, will also go ahead, with some changes due to public health requirements.

Speaking to RTÉ's Six One, Irish Education Minister Norma Foley TD said that students now have "clarity and choice".

She said the calculated grades will be overseen by the State Examination Commission.

On orals and practicals, Ms Foley said it was "very important" that accommodations were made to allow them to happen.

She said the written exams would begin on 9 June 2021.

On Wednesday, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin also said that the beginning of March is likely for the phased reopening of schools in the Republic, RTÉ reports.