The Irish Universities Association (IUA) welcomes today’s announcement that this year’s Leaving Certificate examinations will be replaced by a system of calculated grades. Given the current Covid-19 situation, we believe this is the best way to proceed, and that it now provides certainty to students in terms of ensuring state certification for the end of their senior cycle education, and allows them to make plans for third level or other progression opportunities.
We confirm that the universities will use these calculated grades for third level admissions purposes, and will work with the CAO to ensure a timely processing of these grades so that we can welcome over 25,000 new students into our universities this autumn. We look forward to early confirmation by the Department of Education and Skills of the date by which the calculated grades will be made available to the CAO, so that new university students can begin their studies as soon as possible in the new academic year. This work and all planning for the 2020-21 academic year will continue to be guided by the latest public health advice.
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Contact Lia O’Sullivan, Head of Communications, IUA, lia.osullivan@iua.ie 085 7141414