What you need to know ahead of the Leaving Cert results...

THERE is no doubt that the path to the Leaving Certificate has been challenging for the class of 2022, but the end to that journey is in sight with results to be issued on Friday, September 2 at 10am.

Students will be able to access their results online, through the Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP) from 10am and will also have the option of receiving their results in school. Students will need their examination number, CSSP and PPS number to access results online.

Some 63,383 students sat the Leaving Cert exam this year, including 3,173 Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) students, so there are bound to be many households where stress levels are high while students await the results. This is an extremely anxious time for students and parents.

Leaving Certificate results’ day is a significant milestone, marking the end of secondary school and the beginning of the next part of the journey for thousands of teenagers. It is important however to keep the results in perspective and that the results neither define a student nor prevent them from realising their potential in their chosen pathway after school.

Where possible it can be a real comfort to students to have company when getting the results. 

There is nothing like having the of a parent/guardian, sibling, relative or friend on a day that is filled with lots of different emotions. When students receive their results, they will see the subject, level and grade achieved such as H1, H2, H3, 02, 03 and so on. They will not see actual percentages, the breakdown of marks or the points achieved.

Students who wish to calculate their points can do so on the Careers Portal Leaving Cert CAO Points Calculator App, so it is advisable to that beforehand.

Access to Examination Data and Viewing of Scripts

Once the results have been issued there are very important dates and deadlines which students must be aware of. From 12pm on Tuesday, September the 6 all students will get access to their examination data which will include a detailed breakdown of marks in each subject, including each component of the paper such as practicals, project work, orals and so on. This important data can be accessed through the Candidate Self Service Portal. Students will then have the option to apply to view their examination scripts.

There will be students who are disappointed with their grade in one of more subjects and may wish to appeal the result. 

It is strongly recommended to all students that they view their examination script before applying to appeal as this gives them the opportunity to check for errors in of correction. Detailed marking schemes for each subject are also made available to all students.

The timeline to apply to view the script is very short. Leaving Certificate students can apply online only via the CSSP from 5pm from Tuesday, September 6 until Wednesday, September 7 at 8pm while LCA students must apply by email.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) have stated that all deadlines will be strictly adhered to and late applications to view scripts and to appeal results will not be accepted. They have also said that all those waiting results will be emailed a detailed Candidate Information Guide to Results & Appeals in advance of the results on Friday 2. This will include information on which examinations were corrected manually and which were corrected online. Scripts in subjects which were marked online will be available to view online between 9am on Saturday September 10 and 12pm on Sunday September 11. Scripts in subjects which were marked manually will be available for viewing in the schools. Students will be assigned to one of three sessions on Saturday 10 September, 9am – 11am, 12pm – 2pm or 3pm – 5pm.

Applications to appeal

Once students have viewed examination scripts and marking schemes for their subjects, there is the option to apply to appeal the results. Applications to appeal can be made through the CSSP from 9am on Saturday, September 10 up to 12pm on Monday September 12. For those who are disappointed with results in particular subjects it is very likely that they will want to appeal. 

It is very important to look carefully at the scripts before applying as it is possible to students to be downgraded as well as upgraded on appeal. 

No date has been issued for the results of appeal by the SEC, this will be confirmed once the number of applications to appeal are known.

As well as the timeline for results and appeals, the coming weeks will also see the beginning of the CAO offers with Round 1 offers out on September 8 at 2pm. This means that while students will find out their results on Friday 2nd, there is still an anxious wait to learn about what college places they are to be offered. This will be covered in articles as well as all the other options available to students on leaving school.

The most important thing to reflect on coming up to the results is that there is not just one pathway open to students but several. Students should celebrate reaching this milestone, safely and appropriately, and be assured that regardless of what results they get, there is a bright future ahead.

Helplines

If a student or parent/guardian need to the SEC around the time of the results, call 090-6442702 or email [email protected]. At the time of the issue of the results a Candidate Helpline will be available. Details of this will be provided to candidates.

The National Parents Council Post Primary (NPP) will also be running their annual helpline which is ed by qualified guidance counsellors from September 2 to 14 from 2pm-8pm. Students, parent and guardians can the Freephone number on 1800 265 165 with queries on results, CAO offers and other education and training opportunities, study abroad and SUSI grants.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Niamh Dwyer is a Guidance Counsellor in Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, and Chairperson of the Kerry Branch of Guidance Counsellors. She is also a Careers Advisor - See www.mycareerplan.ie or follow @mycareerplan on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.