Contents

1. What are Leaving Certs?
2. When is Leaving Cert results day in 2022?
3. How do students get their Leaving Cert results?
4. What can parents do to support their children?

After the stress and anxiety of exam season comes the long drawn-out wait for grades. It’s a nerve-wracking time for the tens of thousands of students in Ireland awaiting their Leaving Cert results. To help ease the pressure, we’ve put together all the essential information to help you prepare for results day. 📜

What are Leaving Certs?

After completing their first three years of secondary school, also known as the Junior Cycle, students in Ireland then move on to the Senior Cycle programme. The Senior Cycle usually covers students aged 15 to 18. The majority of students take the Leaving Certificate (or Leaving Cert for short) at the end of their Senior Cycle.🎓

The Leaving Cert is a 2-year programme covering a range of subjects, often including Maths, English and Irish. Most students select between six and eight subjects. Subjects for the Leaving Cert are usually taken at either Higher and Ordinary levels. Two subjects, Irish and Mathematics, can be taken at Foundation Level. Foundation Level is aimed at students who might struggle with these subjects at Ordinary or Higher level. 

The marking system for Leaving Certs consists of 8 grades. 

*H =  higher / O =  ordinary

Leaving Certs in Ireland allow students to progress to the next stage in their education or to move towards their chosen career.💼

When is Leaving Cert results day in 2023?

This year, Leaving Cert results will be issued on Friday 25^th August 2023.

Results are coming out slightly earlier than last year, which is good news as it shows that things are moving towards the pre-Covid norm of exams being released in mid-August. As it stands, the current late August release of results may mean that some colleges delay the start of the new academic year.🗓️

How do students get their Leaving Cert results?

Leaving Cert results will be available for students to view on the Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP) on Friday 25^th August 2023. They will also be sent out to their schools at the same time. It’s important that students have their login information on hand so that they can access results quickly and easily. 💻

To log on and access their result students will need:

1. Examination number
2. CSSP account password
3. PPS Number

To calculate whether or not they have enough CAO points for university, students can use an online calculator to convert grades into points. Typically, the six best grades in recognised subjects are used to calculate a candidate’s points. In some cases, universities and colleges may specify a minimum grade in a particular subject as an entry requirement.

What can parents do to support their children?

Parents can support their children by staying calm and positive and reminding them that they’ve done their best. Spending time together before results day and making sure your child has the opportunity to talk about their worries and anxieties can help too.

Make sure you congratulate them on their hard work rather than focusing on disappointing results. Help them to remember that, pass or fail, they have taken on something pretty challenging.  If you would like to, then reward them with a results day treat to make them feel special. 😀

Once students have received their Leaving Cert results, there are a few key things to think about.

Think about CAO offers and acceptances

You can find all the important dates such in the CAO calendar here. The CAO available places facility opens at 12:00pm on 31^st August 2023.

Help them organise their finances 

Now’s the perfect time to start thinking about money matters for next steps. Take some time to help your child look into things such as grant applications and university accommodation.🏘️

Consider other options

If they haven’t done as well as they’d hoped or aren’t not sure about how to take their next step then take some time to think about these alternatives:

• Repeating the Leaving Certificate exams
• Doing PLC (Post Leaving Cert Courses) 
• Completing further education and training
• Starting an apprenticeship
• Looking at UCAS Clearing
• Taking a gap year
• Finding a job
• Studying abroad🧳

Here at GoStudent, we’re keen to help in any way we can! If your child’s thinking of resitting then check out our top resources for Leaving Cert Revision.

Alternatively, why not book a free trial lesson with one of our expert tutors to support your child in their learning!💫