Leaving Cert 2026: Grade Changes, Key Dates and What Every Student Needs to Know
The 2026 Leaving Cert: Three Weeks That Decide Everything
With written exams running from Wednesday 3 June to Tuesday 23 June 2026, the class of 2026 is now in the final stretch. But this year's Leaving Cert is unlike any other since the pandemic — and every student deserves to know exactly what's changing, why, and how to prepare.
At Maths Club, we've been tracking every announcement from the Department of Education and the State Examinations Commission (SEC). Here's the complete picture, straight from the source.
The Big Story: Grades Will Be the Lowest in Six Years
Minister for Education Helen McEntee has confirmed that the gradual removal of the post-marking adjustment continues in 2026. Aggregate results will sit just below 2020 levels — making them the lowest, on aggregate, since before Covid.
What this actually means for you:
2025 marks were on average 5.9% higher than 2019 (the last fully "normal" Leaving Cert).
2026 will see a further reduction, bringing results closer to pre-pandemic norms.
2027 results are expected to drop by a similar amount as the phase-out continues.
This is not about making the exam harder. It's about returning to the original grading standards. The implication is simple but serious: competition for CAO points just got tougher, and every mark matters more than it did last year.
What's Staying the Same: Assessment Adjustments
Here's the good news. The Minister also confirmed that the assessment adjustments introduced during Covid will remain in place until they are replaced by new exam formats under Senior Cycle Redevelopment.
This includes:
Greater choice on written exam papers — you'll still have more questions to choose from than pre-pandemic students did.
Reduced coursework requirements in several subjects.
A reduced number of sraith pictiúir (picture sequences) for the Irish Oral exam.
These supports stay in place for 2026 and continue gradually washing out as new specifications come online.
Irish Oral: Big Weighting Change Confirmed
Following an SEC review, the Irish Oral exam weighting is being reduced from 40% to 25% to bring it in line with other modern European languages. This is a significant rebalancing that affects how students plan their Irish revision — written competency now carries proportionally more weight.
Senior Cycle Redevelopment: The Reform Has Begun
If you started 5th year in September 2025, you're part of the first wave of Senior Cycle Redevelopment. Here's what that means:
Additional Assessment Components (AACs) — research projects, experiments, practical investigations — will be worth at least 40% of available marks in revised subjects.
These assessments are externally marked by the SEC, not by your school.
Tranche 1 subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Business and others) are the first to be revised.
From 2027, AACs and coursework will be eligible for bonus marks if completed through Irish.
This is the biggest structural change to the Leaving Cert in a generation. Grades will no longer rest entirely on a single exam paper — sustained, year-long effort now translates directly into marks.
Key Dates to Lock In Your Diary
Wednesday 3 June 2026 — Written exams begin
Tuesday 23 June 2026 — Written exams end
Late August 2026 — Results released
Note: practical exams originally scheduled for 13 April 2026 have been postponed; the SEC is contacting affected schools directly.
How to Prepare for a Tougher Grading Year
The message from the Department is clear: the only thing you can control is your level of preparation. Here's where smart students are putting their energy in the final weeks:
Maximise your Higher Level Maths score — the 25 bonus points for H6 or higher in Higher Level Mathematics is more valuable than ever in a tighter grading year. If you're hovering near the H7/H6 line, this single decision could mean the difference between your first-choice course and a fallback.
Target the marking scheme, not just the topic — examiners reward specific phrasing. Knowing the content isn't enough; knowing how to present it is what separates an H3 from an H1.
Use the increased paper choice strategically — extra questions on the paper mean you can skip your weakest topic. Practise identifying which questions to attempt first.
For 5th years on the new curriculum — AACs are real marks on the page in 2027. Treat coursework with the same seriousness as a written exam.
Where Maths Club Fits In
We teach to the current marking schemes — not the ones from before Covid. Every grind, whether one-to-one or in a small group of 3–5 students, is built around the exact technique that picks up marks in 2026's tighter grading environment.
If you're aiming for the H1 — or just trying to secure the H6 that unlocks those crucial bonus points — the next few weeks are when expert support pays off most.
Book a session or explore our lesson packages to get a tailored plan for the run-in to June.
Sources: gov.ie, Citizens Information, The Irish Times, RTÉ News, ASTI.