Summary: Ireland’s Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, has confirmed that the gradual removal of post-marking adjustments for the Leaving Certificate will continue in 2026. Aggregate results will be brought just below 2020 levels, while assessment adjustments introduced during the pandemic will remain in place until new curricula and exam formats are rolled out under the Senior Cycle Redevelopment.
Return to Pre-Pandemic Standards
Minister McEntee announced that the 2026 Leaving Certificate will mark another step in the return to pre-pandemic grading norms. The post-marking adjustment, introduced in 2020 to prevent students from being disadvantaged compared to earlier cohorts, began to be phased out in 2025. Next year’s results will fall just under 2020 levels, which were more than four percentage points above 2019 outcomes.
The Minister stressed that the process will remain gradual, ensuring students are not faced with a sudden “cliff-edge” in grades. The State Examinations Commission will conduct a detailed analysis of raw results in 2026 to determine whether further post-marking adjustments are necessary.
Assessment Adjustments to Remain
While grade inflation is being addressed, assessment adjustments—such as greater choice on exam papers, reduced coursework requirements, and fewer sraith pictiúir in oral Irish—will continue for the 2026 cohort. These measures, first introduced during the pandemic, will remain until they are replaced by revised subject specifications under the Senior Cycle Redevelopment.
This means that students sitting the Leaving Certificate in 2027 will still benefit from adjustments in Irish, English, Maths, and 29 other subjects. A similar gradual approach will apply to the Leaving Certificate Applied, where reduced Year 2 tasks and a scaling factor of 1.15 on written exams will remain until 2029.
Junior Cycle Adjustments
For the Junior Cycle, students sitting exams in 2027 and 2028 will continue to complete only one Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) instead of two. Adjustments to coursework and practical requirements in subjects such as Visual Art, Music, and Home Economics will remain in place for the 2027 cohort but will end for students entering first year in 2025, who will sit exams in 2028.
Minister McEntee said this approach allows time to review and refresh CBA content, ensuring it aligns with the skills-based learning goals of the Junior Cycle while supporting students’ transition to the Senior Cycle.
Broader Context
The Calculated Grades of 2020 and Accredited Grades of 2021 pushed aggregate results significantly above 2019 levels. Written exams returned in 2022, but adjustments were retained to account for pandemic-related disruption. Since 2025, the Department of Education has been incrementally reducing grade levels to restore long-term fairness and consistency.
In short: The 2026 Leaving Certificate will see results adjusted to just below 2020 levels, while pandemic-era assessment flexibilities remain in place until new curricula are introduced. The phased approach aims to balance fairness for current students with the need to restore the integrity of Ireland’s state examinations.
References: Department of Education and Youth – Press Release gov.ie; RTÉ News RTÉ; ASTI Statement Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland.
