Important Update from the State Exams Commission

“Implications of regulations for students considering studying a subject outside of school It is vital to note that, as outlined in Circular S69/04, the arrangements for the acceptance and authentication of coursework for the state examinations have significant implications for candidates who may intend to study any of the relevant subjects outside of a normal school setting, either on their own or with private tuition. In these circumstances, it is not possible to meet the authentication requirements and so coursework cannot be accepted for assessment from such candidates. Since they will forfeit the coursework marks, the maximum number of marks that such candidates can achieve is effectively capped at the total of the marks available for the remaining components for that subject. As there may be students in your school who may be studying – or are planning to study – some of these subjects outside of school without you being aware of it, we remind you of the need each year to alert all prospective candidates for future examinations to these implications. In order to avoid situations in which candidates only become aware late in their studies that they cannot submit coursework for a subject to which they have already devoted considerable time, all prospective examination candidates should be made fully aware of these requirements and their implications at the start of the relevant programme of study – for instance, at the start of fifth year in the case of Leaving Certificate students.”