Update on Leaving Certificate and calculated grades

The Leaving Certificate 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Students got a State Certificate of Calculated Grades in each leaving certificate subject. It has the same status as the Leaving Certificates awarded to students in previous years.

You can still choose to sit the conventional written Leaving Certificate 2020 examination in November 2020. You can use your highest grade in a subject from either the State Certificate of Calculated Grades or the written Leaving Certificate 2020 when calculating your points for access to higher education. However, grades from the written exam will not be available in time for CAO and UCAS in the 2020/2021 academic year.

From 28 September 2020, you can apply to sit the Leaving Certificate 2020 written examination. The closing date for applications has been extended to 5pm on Wednesday, 7 October 2020.

Students can get their calculated grade results and their rank as set by their teacher through the Calculated Grades Student Portal.

On 30 September 2020, the Department of Education and Skills announced that errors were found in the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades process. As a result, incorrect grades were issued to around 6,500 students.

Related Articles:

• Leaving Cert Q&A: When will I start college in light of the delay issuing results? (The Irish Times)
• Home-schooled Leaving Cert students feel abandoned by predicted grades scheme (The Irish Times)
• Universities caution it may not be possible to accommodate all impacted students (RTE)
• How the pandemic has affected the Class of 2020's mental health (RTE)