Press release
Minister Foley welcomes certainty for schools and students on the timing of Leaving Certificate Oral examinations in 2024
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has confirmed that the 2024 Leaving Certificate Orals will be held during the Easter holidays.
The Leaving Certificate Orals examinations were moved to the Easter holiday period in 2022 and again last year. These oral examinations were previously held during school term time either before or after the Easter break, depending on how early or late Easter fell in that year.
Minister for Education Norma Foley said she had received confirmation from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) that this year’s Leaving Certificate Oral examinations would be held during the Easter Holidays:
“I welcome the clarity that has been provided for school staff and students. It is important that they know the date of the oral examinations as soon as possible."
For the 2024 Leaving Certificate, Oral examinations will be held in Irish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Lithuanian and Portuguese.
Minister Foley paid tribute to the role of teaching staff who take up the roles of oral examiners:
“I am very conscious of the huge commitment of teachers to undertake the critical work of examining and as Minister I want to thank teachers for their engagement in this work every year.”
The 2024 Leaving Certificate Oral examinations will be undertaken by SEC appointed examiners in schools in the first week of the Easter holiday period from Saturday 23 March to Thursday 28 March inclusive.
The SEC will commence the recruitment of Leaving Certificate Oral examiners for 2024 next week. The rate of remuneration for oral examiners will again include a premium for examining over the Easter holidays, similar to last year.
The holding of the oral examinations during the Easter holidays, instead of during term time, assists in minimising disruption to teaching and learning in schools and in particular for those candidates preparing for their examinations.
The SEC is currently carrying out a detailed evaluation of the timing of oral examinations into the future. It has commissioned research to explore parent, student, teacher, examiner, and school leadership opinions about the timing of these examinations.
The SEC considered it was best to provide certainty now to the system and to students in relation to the 2024 oral examinations, so it has confirmed that they will take place during the Easter Holidays for this year.
The SEC has found in its preliminary evaluation that there were some challenges with the holding of the oral exams during the Easter Holidays due to the fact that students did not have access to normal term-time school support structures, such as their teachers.
In response, schools are being given additional funding for the Leaving Certificate Oral examinations in 2024 to appoint a teacher to provide pastoral support to candidates, and ensure their attendance for the exam during the Easter holidays.
This is being funded by giving schools an additional five Examination Aide days on top of the existing eight to ten Examination Aide days (depending on student numbers) which were provided last year.
School authorities have also been asked to be cognisant of the demands on individual candidates who have oral exams in more than one language by avoiding scheduling multiple tests on one day to the greatest degree possible.
The SEC will provide further advice on the timing of the Leaving Certificate Oral examinations in the future following the completion of the wider evaluation process.
For the 2024 Leaving Certificate (Established), Oral examinations will be held in Irish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Lithuanian and Portuguese.
This means that the 2024 Leaving Certificate Oral examinations will be undertaken by SEC appointed examiners in schools in the first week of the Easter holiday period from Saturday 23 March to Thursday 28 March inclusive.
The Leaving Certificate Music Practical Performance test will be held during term time, after the Easter holidays, between Monday 8 April March and Friday 19 April. Junior Cycle Music Practical Performance tests will commence after the Easter holidays from Monday 22 April to Friday 3 May. Further details will be provided by the SEC in due course.
In line with traditional arrangements, candidates who miss their Oral language examination in the Easter window due to illness or close family bereavement will be facilitated with a later examination in the week commencing 13 May. Evidence of illness/bereavement is required to support this arrangement.