Kerry’s Junior Cycle candidates should celebrate an outstanding achievement as exam results again issued early says Billy Ryle…
Junior Cycle exam results were issued by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) today, Wednesday, to 72,828 candidates nationwide, including 2,186 from Kerry.
Junior Cycle results are available to candidates in their schools from early morning. Junior Cycle exam results in Kerry were superb and on par with the very high standard of last year. The results again confirm that candidates have adapted well to the new grade descriptors.
The number of candidates who sat for the Junior Cycle exam this year was 2,101 or 3% up on the 2023 figure of 70,727 and a whopping 5,693 or 8% up on the 2022 figure of 67,135.
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Last year was the first time that a Junior Cycle exam – or its predecessors, the Intermediate Cert exam and the Junior Certexam – has exceeded 70,000 candidates, indicative of substantial population growth in that age profile and higher retention rates in post-primary education.
Six grade descriptors – Distinction, Higher Merit, Merit, Achieved, Partially Achieved, Not Graded – are now used in the reformed Junior Cycle programme, replacing the old A, B, C, D, E, F and NG grades.
The Junior Cycle exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid concerns and replaced with a system of school assessments. Since 2022, when the Junior Cycle exam was once again held, all subjects are examined under the new Junior Cycle grade descriptors.
English, Irish and Mathematics are examined at both higher and ordinary levels while all other subjects are examined at common level. In the Junior Cycle exams, Irish is examined at two strands with T1 aimed at native speakers and T2 aimed at non-native speakers.
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The Junior Cycle exam results were issued later last year on 18th October, so Minister Norma Foley and the SEC must be commended for getting the results out nine days earlier this year, on the 9th October, and very close to the pre Covid 2019 Junior Cycle results date of 4th October.
The increased availability of markers and a major move to online marking in almost all subjects has seen the state exam results return to a more normal timeframe. It’s wonderful also that students, are once again getting state exam experience after the disruption of the Covid years.
The old Junior Certificate exam and its predecessor, the Intermediate Cert, fulfilled their purpose back in the day, but the reformed Junior Cycle programme is far more suitable for the current student body.
When you combine this achievement with the reforms that are currently in train at Leaving Cert level, there’s no doubt that post-primary education in Ireland is as good as you’d get in any country in the world.
The icing on the cake is the, once again, publication of the 2024 state exam results close to the pre covid 2019 timeline for the convenience of Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle students.
The reporting process at Junior Cycle culminates in the awarding of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA)to students. The JCPA replaces the Junior Cert and consequently the SEC no longer issues these certificates.
The JCPA confirms the level of achievement in learning, under five descriptors – exceptional, above expectations, in line with expectations, yet to meet expectations and not reported, across all areas of learning including Classroom-Based Assessments (CBA), Short Courses, Priority Learning Units and other areas of learning, as well as the SEC exam results.
The Junior Cycle exam is often overshadowed by the more public Leaving Cert exam but it’s a very important exam in its own right. It’s a prestigious exam of the State Examinations Commission and it’s the first opportunity for second level students to engage with a public exam of this nature.
With very few students now leaving school after this exam, the Junior Cycle is proving to be a significant safeguard against early drop out of at-risk students and a major force in the reduction of inequality in Irish education. Its primarily a passport to Senior Cycle education, which is a further two years – three years if the optional Transition Year is included. During the final two years of Senior Cycle, students take the traditional Leaving Certificate (LC), the Leaving Certificate Vocational Program (LCVP) or the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA).
Most schools will now give those moving on to 5th year a few days to finalize their subject grouping for Senior Cycle. Consider your Leaving Cert subject choice very carefully.
Start thinking about your college course options and the related careers because, this time next year, it will be your turn to apply for college. Congratulations to all candidates, who received Junior Cycle exam results. Be proud of your achievement and good luck in the Senior Cycle.
✓ 72,828 candidates, including 2,186 from Kerry received Junior Cycle results
✓ Junior Cycle exam results in Kerry were superb
✓ Six grade descriptors are used – Distinction, Higher Merit, Merit, Achieved, Partially Achieved, Not Graded
✓ The Junior Cycle exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid concerns
✓ English, Irish and Mathematics were examined at both higher and ordinary levels
✓ All other subjects were examined at common level
✓ Junior Cycle students are awarded the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA)
✓ The JCPA confirms the level of achievement in learning, under five descriptors – exceptional, above expectations, in line with expectations, yet to meet expectations and not reported
✓ Junior Cycle is a passport to Senior Cycle education- LC, LCVP or LCA
✓ Congratulations to all candidates, who received Junior Cycle exam results on Wednesday
• Billy Ryle is a Career Guidance Counsellor and Educational Commentator