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Minister Norma Foley with Aoife Hickey, Julia Szarota, Ciara O’Mahony and Hayley Lynch after receiving their Leaving Cert results on Friday morning at Presentation Primary School. Photo by Dermot Crean
Guidance Counsellor Billy Ryle congratulates Leaving Cert students on their results, but after the celebrations it’s important to pay attention to what comes next…
The long wait for 61,125 Leaving Cert candidates (57,952 LC Established & 3,173 LC Applied), including 1806 candidates from Kerry (1700 LC Established & 106 LC Applied) finally ended at 10am today, Friday, 3rd Sept. when results were issued by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) directly to candidates through the Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP).
Leaving Cert results were also available in candidates’ schools at 10am. Overall grades have increased by about 2.5% on the 2020 results but the percentage of high grades awarded has risen significantly on last year.
For example, the H1 grades in Higher Mathematics have increased from 8.6% to 15.1%. H1 grades in Accounting jumped from 17.9% to 25.9%.
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Similarly, in Higher History, 18.2% scored a H1 grade compared to 11.0% last year. That trend runs right across most higher-level subjects.
The outstanding results may push up the points for some competitive CAO courses but that’s an issue for next Tuesday. Today is a day for enjoying the achievement.
Considering the hardship endured by the 2021 Leaving Cert cohort, they have done themselves and the country proud!
Leaving Cert results in Kerry are superb. Offers of third level college places will pour into the region when Round One is issued by the CAO at 2pm next Tues., 7th Sept.
It looks as if Kerry’s CAO applicants will be top of the class in securing college places. More than 70% of Kerry’s Leaving Cert candidates are likely to progress to higher education.
A further 20% will secure places in Further Education, Apprenticeships and Traineeships.
In any subject where candidates sat the exam and also opted to receive accredited grades, they were credited with the better of the two results.
Candidates will have access to their written exam marks, their accredited marks and teachers estimated marks from 5pm, Tues., 7th Sept.
That means that candidates will be able to compare their written exam grades with their accredited grades. Candidates will also be able to compare their accredited marks with the teachers estimated marks. It should lead to some very interesting comparisons!
Candidates can make an application to view their scripts from 5pm, Tues, 7th Sept. until 8pm, Wed., 8th Sept. It’s well worth viewing your marked scripts before deciding to appeal any subject(s) results.
Both scripts marked on paper and scripts marked online will be available to candidates for viewing. In the case of the former, each candidate will be assigned one of three sessions on Sat., 11th Sept.
Session One is from 9am to 11am, Session Two is from 12pm to 2pm and Session Three takes place from 3pm to 5pm.
Schools have been given the option of an additional session on Sun. morning, 12th Sept., if required. Online access to view scripts that were marked online will also be available from 9am, Sat., 11th Sept. to 12pm, Sun., 12th Sept.
Any candidate who wishes to submit an appeal application against an awarded grade – commonly called ‘applying for a recheck’ – can do so between 9am, Sat., 11th Sept. and 12pm, Mon., 13th Sept.
Appeals can be submitted against both the exam grades and the accredited grades. There is no appeal fee this year. Until such time as the number of appeals is known, the SEC won’t commit to a specific date for publishing the appeal results.
This year’s timelines for candidates to apply to view scripts and to lodge their appeal applications are very tight.
The SEC maintains that these timelines are essential to ensure that the remaining stages of the appeal process can be completed as quickly as possible.
I sincerely hope that the appeal results will be issued in time for candidates, who benefit from a CAO offer as a result of an upgrade, to take up the offer this year rather than having to defer until 2022.
Round One, the main round of CAO offers, and points requirements will be available online at www.cao.ie from 2pm, Tues., 7th Sept., and successful applicants will also receive offer notification by email and text message, if they have selected this option.
There will be no postal offer notices. CAO Round One offers must be accepted by 3.00 pm, Mon, 13th Sept. CAO Round Two offers and points requirements will be available at www.cao.ie from 10am, Mon., 20th Sept. CAO Round Two offers must be accepted by 3.00pm, Wed, 22nd Sept.
The very best of luck to all candidates getting Leaving Cert results on Friday. If any Leaving Cert cohort ever deserved success, the 2021 Class certainly does after two very challenging academic years.
SEC/CAO TIMELINE
• Fri., 3rd Sept: Leaving Cert results issued online at 10am
• Tues., 7th Sept: CAO Round One offers online from 2pm
• Tues., 7th Sept: access to written exam/accredited/teachers estimated marks from 5pm
• Tues., 7th Sept: Application to view exam scripts opens at 5pm
• Wed., 8th Sept: CAO vacant place facility opens
• Wed., 8th Sept: Application to view exam scripts closes at 8pm
• Sat., 11th Sept: viewing of scripts marked on paper from 9am to 11am (Session 1)
• Sat., 11th Sept: viewing of scripts marked on paper from 12pm to 2pm (Session 2)
• Sat., 11th Sept: viewing of scripts marked on paper from 3pm to 5pm (Session 3)
• Sat., 11th Sept: viewing of scripts marked online from 9am
• Sat., 11th Sept: appeal application against an awarded grade(s) opens at 9am
• Sun., 12th Sept: viewing of scripts marked online closes at 12pm
• Mon., 13th Sept: appeal application against an awarded grade(s) closes at 12pm
• Mon., 13th Sept: accept Round One offer by 3pm
• Mon., 20th Sept: CAO Round Two offers online at 10am
• Wed., 22nd Sept: accept Round Two offers by 3pm
• Tues., 28th Sept: CAO Round Three offers online at 10am
• Thurs., 30th Sept: accept Round Three offers by 3pm
• TBC: results of Leaving Cert appeals released
• Many Post-Leaving Cert (PLC) Courses still have vacancies
• Apply now to State Agencies for training courses
• Many schools cater for repeat Leaving Cert students
• The confidential help line free phone number is 1800 265 165
• Good luck to all candidates getting Leaving Cert results on Friday
• Billy Ryle is a Career Guidance Counsellor and Educational Commentator
