JUNIOR CERT exam results will be issued to students on 23 November, it has been announced.
The Covid-19 pandemic meant that formal Junior Cert examinations did not take place over the past two years, however results in 2019 were issued on 4 October.
The delay is being blamed, in part, on a shortage of examiners and the prioritisation given to marking the Leaving Certificate.
Results will be available in schools and candidates can also access their results online from 4pm on that date.
In a statement today, the SEC pointed to “very significant examiner shortages” as a cause of the delay and said results would be issued on Wednesday 23 November.
A spokesperson for the SEC said:
"The SEC appreciates that candidates and their parents/guardians may be disappointed that these results are issuing later than normal.
"This has arisen due to a combination of factors which include a later issue date for the Leaving Certificate results and, most especially, the impact of a shortage of teachers to mark the examinations over the summer marking period.
"In advance of the 2023 examinations, the SEC will be reviewing with all of the stakeholders how best to ensure the availability of teachers in the required numbers to complete this important examination work."
This year, Leaving Certificate results were issued on 2 September and the appeal results came out five weeks later on 7 October, in time for the CAO offers season.
Marking in most subjects has now been completed and the processing of results is ongoing.
However, in subjects where there is an acute examiner shortage the marking is still ongoing.
Increased rates of payment were approved for examiners this year, and the SEC says an €11 million allocation in this year’s Budget will ensure these increased rates will be maintains going forward.