CAO

Irish paper two praised as fair and manageable

Prose and poetry questions were approachable but some of the reading comprehensions may have been challenging

Don’t let a tricky maths question put you off piano tuning as a career

Ordinary-level Leaving Cert Irish paper considered fair, manageable and accessible for students

Second week of State exams begins for more than 140,000 students across junior and senior cycle

Jean Kelly, a maths teacher, said that the ordinary-level paper was fair, modern and thoughtfully designed

Kat Ruane (18) has ADHD and dyspraxia, and finds it hard to manage the timings of exams

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.

Geography exam earlier on Friday seen as ‘fair, well-balanced and student friendly’

Students sitting the Leaving Certificate geography exams were happy with a paper that rewarded preparation while avoiding unexpected questions, teachers have said

When it comes to our Junior Cycle students, it’s all about continued support and motivation

Momin Bari is studying seven higher-level subjects and also French at ordinary level

Leaving Cert students sit engineering and English paper two

Paper two challenged candidates but was ‘manageable’, teachers say

The musician and broadcaster sat the exams in the summer of 1984

Guidance counsellor says students should focus ‘on what they know’ rather than what they feel they do not

‘Accessible’ higher level paper ‘fully aligned with the syllabus’ across ‘wide range of topics’

State exams season for 2026 gets under way with English paper one and home economics

Thank you to each of the students, parents and teachers who have shared their views with us

Students relieved and happy after sitting test with ‘terrific’ essay options and variety in reading comprehensions

Erin McGreehan, TD for Louth

Grace McNamara (18) is hoping to do well in English and history

Kayleigh Quinn says a comment from a psychiatrist pushed her to do the Junior Cycle exams, which has now led to tackling the Leaving

Author Liz Nugent sat her Leaving Certificate in 1985 and still has nightmares about it

Four Chinese students on sitting the gaokao, a challenging national test that will shape their futures

More than 100,000 households begin the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert exams this week. Yes, we said it, because if one person is sitting the June exams, everyone in the family is.

Eoin Murphy found you sometimes can’t win as a Leaving Cert student, such as when you get too much sun

Fionnuala Moran, broadcaster, sustainability influencer and DJ

Study tips, expert advice and live reaction to the State exams

Pointers on how best to help and encourage a son or daughter in what can be a stressful period

Danny Goff is the eldest child in his house - a positive and a negative when it comes to exam pressure

High costs put tutoring out of reach for many students but jumpAgrade, a free tuition service, is changing that for some

This week in The Irish Times, Conversations with Parents brings you a special episode to help parents and students navigate the next few weeks

Hear and Dare connect students to supports including financial assistance, academic guidance and orientation

Applications for UK universities take longer and involve more planning compared to CAO’s

Classroom to College: Whatever comes next for a Leaving Cert student, money-wise it can be big strain

Ask Brian: Maintenance grants and fee grants are available to eligible undergraduate students

We will be running a series of interviews with Leaving Cert students and their parents before, during and after the exams

There is so much to prepare for, and plenty to digest in the aftermath, too – if you can imagine a world where this is actually over!

Parents should ensure that the correct Leaving Cert number is recorded when the Central Applications Office email arrives