Students

Irish children became less accomplished in reading and maths after the pandemic, with the gap between poor and affluent children wider than before

Welcome question on Daniel Wiffen, Mona McSharry and Róisín Ní Riain, Irish Olympic and Paralympic medalists

Wordy questions leave students tight for time in 150-minute exam

Listening paper had no nasty surprises in questions one to four

Design and communications graphics test presents several problems, but generally manageable, say experts

Ordinary-level paper also had plenty of choice and some nice topics, say teachers, but ‘there was a lot of English and reading’

Higher-level paper had a ‘few fresh angles that required students to think’, says teacher

Majority of questions were approachable to students of all levels, says teacher

Students either knew the answer or did not, as ‘no room for reasoning’

Ask the Expert: ‘He knows the stuff, but he can panic on the day of exams’

Students found history and maths particularly challenging

‘This paper gave students a lot of opportunities to show their knowledge of the subject’

Teachers report accessible questions, familiar vocabulary and manageable grammar

Graduates are turning to volunteering and unpaid internships to gain experience, but some question whether the sacrifice is worth it

‘Paper contained questions on household extensions and adapting them for ... disabled or elderly people’

‘A good, balanced paper allowing students to display their knowledge’

Reduced emphasis on exams can suit some students

My mother’s work to improve access to neurorehabilitation services for patients has been a source of inspiration to me

‘In the world of AI, employers want to see the authentic student voice coming through’

Demand for visas has remained ‘strong’ despite students’ safety concerns

No major shocks, but very few questions that could be described as highly predictable

Some feel the higher-level paper was accessible and fair, but others think it contained tricky vocabulary

I chose a master’s in sustainable finance because I felt it aligned with where the future is heading

Graduate programmes provide support and certainty but they don’t represent the entire graduate jobs market

State Examinations Commission apologises for error, which will be taken into account in marking

Prose and poetry questions were approachable but some of the reading comprehensions may have been challenging

Skills like critical thinking, creativity and problem solving allow a graduate to stand out from their peers

EY, Boston Scientific and Irish Distillers are among businesses and agencies offering paid graduate programmes

Mother of student with dyslexia made the difficult decision that her daughter shouldn’t sit the exams

AI means the employment environment is changing, but there are indications of resilience in the graduate jobs market

Spiralling exemptions are being driven by increased diagnosis of learning disabilities such as dyslexia, says report

Hopefully, Leaving Cert students who left school halls drained and miserable last Friday after the higher-level maths paper were a little happier following the second paper

Ordinary-level Leaving Cert Irish paper considered fair, manageable and accessible for students

Jean Kelly, a maths teacher, said that the ordinary-level paper was fair, modern and thoughtfully designed

Psychotherapist Colman Noctor would much prefer to see a child approaching the exams in a ‘chilled’ fashion, rather than ‘stressed out of it’

From Galway students’ union to Toronto, via New York – I’ve learned so much from working with some of the most innovative people and companies

Afraid you have made the ‘wrong’ choice? Don’t worry – there are ways to change direction

Irish teacher Hugh Gallagher suggests it’s better to stick to simple, accurate sentences when writing answers, as opposed to more complex ones, where mistakes can occur

Maria’s story is a snapshot of the situations many international students, migrants and women face in Ireland’s ‘precarious’ housing market

How do famous former boarders view their time at school now?