Calculated Grade Student Portal
In line with changes required to deliver calculated grades to students due to sit Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied examinations this year, the Calculated Grades Executive Office of the Department of Education and Skills has developed a Calculated Grade Student Portal.
The portal will open at 10 AM on Tuesday 26 May and close at 10 PM on Thursday 28 May. In this time period students need to do the following;
Leaving Certificate Applied Students Need to complete the registration process
All other Leaving Certificate Students Need to complete the registration process AND confirm their subject levels
It is essential that you carry out these steps at this time so that ultimately you have the opportunity to receive calculated grades that will allow you to progress to employment, further education or higher education.
The student portal will reopen at a later stage when you will be asked to confirm that you are opting to receive calculated grades. You will also use the portal to access your calculated grades when the results issue and for the later stages of the process such as the appeals application process. You do not need to worry about this for now as all we need you to right now do is register and, other than LCA students, to confirm your subject levels. Once you have registered, we will be able to contact you to alert you about the next steps that you need to take to receive calculated grades this year.
The student portal has been designed to be easy to use but you do need to read this guide in full to make sure that you have everything that you need before you commence the registration (and confirmation of subject levels) process.
We have asked schools to provide assistance to students who do not have either their Examination Number or their Personal Public Services number, both of which are need to register on the portal. Before making contact with your school, see the Questions and Answers Section below for details of what you should do to access these numbers from your own records.
If you don’t find the answers you need after reading this guide you can contact the helpdesk at 1800-111135 or 1800-111136. Please note that due to COVID19 restrictions the helpdesk phonelines will ONLY be available between 9.00 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. Outside of these hours you can email lcsupport2020@education.gov.ie.
PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR A LETTER FROM THE DES TO LC STUDENTS AND A CALCULATED GRADES GUIDE
Minister announces postponement of 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations
The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh T.D. on Friday 8 May 2020 announced the postponement of the 2020 Leaving Certificate.
Following a decision at Cabinet, all students are to be offered the option of receiving Calculated Grades for the subjects they are studying and the alternative of sitting the 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations at a date in the future when it is considered safe to hold the examinations.
The decision has been taken following an assessment of public health advice and other information and the implications for holding the exams from the previously rescheduled date of Wednesday 29 July 2020
Those who have paid fees online for the examinations will be refunded by the Department
The process of arriving at a Calculated Grade applies to:
Following a decision at Cabinet, all students are to be offered the option of receiving Calculated Grades for the subjects they are studying and the alternative of sitting the 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations at a date in the future when it is considered safe to hold the examinations.
The decision has been taken following an assessment of public health advice and other information and the implications for holding the exams from the previously rescheduled date of Wednesday 29 July 2020
Those who have paid fees online for the examinations will be refunded by the Department
The process of arriving at a Calculated Grade applies to:
- Established Leaving Certificate – subjects
- Leaving Certificate Applied – subjects, tasks and vocational specialisms
- Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme – Link Modules
Information - 11/05/2020
1. Canvassing
This evening the Department of Education and Skills has issued the following statement regarding canvassing:
One of the fundamental principles of the calculated grades model is fairness – both to the individual student and to the students in the school as a whole. Any attempt to influence teachers in relation to the process of Leaving Certificate calculated grades is considered to be entirely inappropriate and will be regarded as canvassing. Detailed guidance for teachers and principals in this matter is being developed by the Department.
2. End of Tuition for 6th Year/Final Year Students
At a meeting this afternoon Department officials stated that a message would post on their FAQ section indicating that all tuition for 6th Year/Final Year LC/LCA/LCVP students is to end today May 11th . Teachers should not accept any additional material from this date submitted by students for consideration as part of their estimated mark.
In light of both these decisions subject teachers should limit any communication/contact with final year students. Schools are asked to continue, through their support teams, to support students at this time.
3. Student Opportunity to Change Subject Levels
The Department has indicated that students will have the opportunity to change subject levels. The SEC are developing a protocol which may involve the student indicting their desire to change level through the self-service portal for students. Teachers should not contact students to consider changing level in a subject but should await further guidance from the Department when available.
1. Canvassing
This evening the Department of Education and Skills has issued the following statement regarding canvassing:
One of the fundamental principles of the calculated grades model is fairness – both to the individual student and to the students in the school as a whole. Any attempt to influence teachers in relation to the process of Leaving Certificate calculated grades is considered to be entirely inappropriate and will be regarded as canvassing. Detailed guidance for teachers and principals in this matter is being developed by the Department.
2. End of Tuition for 6th Year/Final Year Students
At a meeting this afternoon Department officials stated that a message would post on their FAQ section indicating that all tuition for 6th Year/Final Year LC/LCA/LCVP students is to end today May 11th . Teachers should not accept any additional material from this date submitted by students for consideration as part of their estimated mark.
In light of both these decisions subject teachers should limit any communication/contact with final year students. Schools are asked to continue, through their support teams, to support students at this time.
3. Student Opportunity to Change Subject Levels
The Department has indicated that students will have the opportunity to change subject levels. The SEC are developing a protocol which may involve the student indicting their desire to change level through the self-service portal for students. Teachers should not contact students to consider changing level in a subject but should await further guidance from the Department when available.
Schools are currently receiving information and reviewing how to implement this process and we will continue to update this page when we receive more guidance and information
On this page we are providing links to information that we have received so far - just click on the buttons to be taken to the relevant information
On this page we are providing links to information that we have received so far - just click on the buttons to be taken to the relevant information
The following is a breakdown of the process to be applied for students to be given the option of Calculated Grades or to sit the examinations.
- The 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations, previously scheduled to take place in late July and August, have been postponed.
- There will be no Leaving Certificate fee this year. All exam fees which have been paid will be refunded.
- Teachers will be asked to provide a professional judgment of each student’s attainment which will be subjected to a rigorous in-school alignment process to ensure fairness.
- The school principal will approve the estimated scores being provided and the rankings of each student in each subject in the school.
- A special unit is being established within the Department of Education and Skills to process the data provided by each school and operate national standardisation, again to ensure fairness amongst all students.
- The Department will finalise the grades for each student which will be issued to each student as close as possible to the traditional date. Formal State certification will also be provided.
- Students will retain the right to appeal. This will involve checks on school-entered data; correct transfer of that data to the Department; a review that it was correctly received and processed by the Department; and a verification of the Department’s processes by independent appeal scrutineers.
- Students will also retain the right to the sit the 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations at a date in the future when it is deemed safe for state examinations to be held.
