Leaving Certificate 2020
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From: Department of Education
- Published on: 8 May 2020
- Last updated on: 15 April 2025
- Leaving Certificate 2021
- 2020 Leaving Certificate Written Examination Results
- Calculated Grades Appeals
- Upgrades to certain Calculated Grades
- Results of Appeals
- Get your Calculated Grades
- Message from Minister Foley to Leaving Cert students
- Your questions answered
- Calculated Grades explained
- Supports and wellbeing information and resources
- CAO offers
- Sitting the Leaving Certificate examinations in November
- Calculated Grades - Document Library
Leaving Certificate 2021
The information on this page is for Leaving Certificate 2020.
For information on Leaving Certificate 2023 see:
2020 Leaving Certificate Written Examination Results
The results of the 2020 Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle written examinations which took place in November and December 2020 are available to students from Tuesday 2 February 2021.
Leaving Certificate Students
Results of the written examinations are now available on the State Examinations Commission (SEC) Candidate Self-Service Portal
Leaving Certificate Applied
Leaving Certificate Applied students will have their results issued to them directly by email.
Examinations Results
Leaving Certificate students will receive results for the written examinations only, except in the case of five subjects, where the coursework involved was marked as this had been completed prior to school closure and these marks are included in the grading of these subjects. These subjects are:
- Home Economics journals (already marked by the SEC)
- LCVP Portfolio
- Design and Communication Graphics coursework
- Physical Education (PE) Physical Activity Project
- Engineering coursework.
Appeals Process
Students unhappy with their results will have access to an appeals process. Details of this process will be available at the time of issue of results.
Final Certificates
Final certificates will issue to all Leaving Certificate 2020 candidates later in the year. In the case of students who received Calculated Grades and opted to sit the examinations, their certificates will show the better grade awarded. Students may also continue to access their Calculated Grades via the Self Service Portal.
CAO Process
The SEC will provide the Central Applications Office (CAO) with the following information:
- the Leaving Certificate written examinations results of students who did not receive Calculated Grades
- the results of the written examinations, in cases where a higher grade has been achieved by students who received Calculated Grades and sat the written examinations.
Leaving Certificate students who are entitled to a higher CAO offer on foot of these results, will receive a deferred college offer to start their course in the 2021/22 academic year. Higher education institutions making improved offers to students will be in contact with them during the week commencing 8 February. In order to take up a deferred offer, students who have not already done so must make a 2021 application to the CAO. Formal CAO offers of deferred places will issue in July.
If a student who has started first year of a course becomes entitled to a higher CAO offer following the written examinations and chooses to accept this offer in the 2021/22 academic year, attendance for the first year on the new course will remain eligible for free fees and SUSI funding as appropriate.
Helpline
The National Parents Council-Post-Primary, with the support of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, will operate a helpline for students receiving their results next Tuesday, 2 February 2021. The helpline will be staffed by qualified guidance counsellors and will provide advice to students and parents regarding the examination results. The helpline can be contacted at 1800 265 165, and will remain open until Friday evening, 5 February.
Junior Cycle Results
Results of the Junior Cycle examinations for adult learners and early school leavers will issue to the centres where they sat the examinations.
Calculated Grades Appeals
The outcome of the review of Calculated Grades appeals by the Independent Appeals Scrutineers will be released to students on Tuesday 2 February. Students will receive the outcome via e-mail with a text message alerting them to this.
Upgrades to certain Calculated Grades
Results of Appeals
The Calculated Grades Student Portal reopened on Friday 16 October to provide results to students who appealed their Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades.
Access the Calculated Grades Student Portal.
Applications for appeals were submitted between 9am on 14 September 2020 and 5pm on 16 September 2020.
See answers to some of the more common questions about the appeals process.
The closing date for receipt of completed forms for review by Independent Appeals Scrutineers is 5pm on Friday 23 October 2020.
Get your Calculated Grades
Your Calculated Grades will be available through the student portal from 9am on Monday 7 September.
A Student Information Guide on the Leaving Certificate 2020, Results of Calculated Grades has been published. This document provides a brief guide to the calculated grades process and how it applies to the 2020 cohort of Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and Leaving Certificate Applied students. Read this guide.
Message from Minister Foley to Leaving Cert students
Your questions answered
Calculated Grades explained
- read a Student Information Guide on the Leaving Certificate 2020, Results of Calculated Grades
- read answers to some common questions that students and parents have about Calculated Grades, the process involved and Leaving Certificate 2020
- see more information about the Calculated Grades system, standards and quality assurance
- information and guidance documents published prior to September 2020 in relation to the calculated grades process
Supports and wellbeing information and resources
The link below will take you to specific information on minding your wellbeing during the current uncertainty and to a range of wellbeing resources and supports.
CAO offers
First round CAO offers will issue to applicants on Friday 11 September. You can see more on the CAO website.
Sitting the Leaving Certificate examinations in November
Examinations Helpline
Information on the examinations, including regular updates throughout the examinations period, is available from the website of the State Examinations Commission. The phone numbers for all enquiries are 1800 111 135 and 1800 111 136.
Throughout the written examinations period (16 November to 11 December), staff members are on hand to deal with queries from 8.30am to 9pm on week days and from 9.30am to 5pm at weekends. Outside of these hours contact may be made through the main number 090 6442700 and a brief message can be left with the security staff.
The closing date for registration for the November examinations was 5pm on Wednesday 7 October.
Even if you opted to receive Calculated Grades, you still have an opportunity to sit the written Leaving Certificate examinations in one or more subjects. The examinations will be held in November 2020.
This page will be updated as further information becomes available.
If you sit the Leaving Certificate examination, your final Leaving Certificate will reflect the best results for you.
For example:
- if you sit the later examinations and you receive a grade lower than the Calculated Grade that you received in the subject, your certificate will display the Calculated Grade, as this is higher
- if you receive a higher grade in the later examination, then this is the grade that will appear on your certificate
However, it is important to note that grades from the later examinations will not be available in time for CAO and UCAS in the 2020/2021 academic year.