Assessment Arrangements

1 Assessment ArrangementsFor Junior Cycle and Leaving CertificateExaminations 2022 August 2021 Further adjustments to the written examinations, which can be accessed here, were made in February 2022. The adjustments are in addition to the previous adjustments. However, in some instances these further adjustments supersede the adjustments set out in this Arrangements 2022- 2 -Introduction20 This updated document sets out the adjusted Assessment Arrangements for post-primary students taking certificate examinations in the 2021/22 school year. These Arrangements are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by students during the Covid-19 pandemic.

2 The adjustments have been arrived at through discussions between the Department of Education (DE), the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders. As schools have significant autonomy in determining how to sequence and pace learning for students in their schools, no centrally prescribed adjustment of the curriculum and courses of study would be effective for students taking the certificate examinations in 2022. Consequently, the most appropriate way to reflect and take account of the challenges for students that have occurred is to incorporate adjustments to the certificate examinations in 2022 in a manner similar to the initial 22adjustments that were made for the students taking examinations in 2021.

3 As the loss of learning through school closures will have affected students engagement with their course of study in different ways, the adjustments put in place will play to student strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations. In some cases, the adjustment measures will provide more time for tuition by, for example, reducing preparatory work for practical examinations and issuing coursework briefs earlier in the school year. Changes to the national Assessment Arrangements have been made with due regard for the principles of equity, fairness and integrity as these principles apply to Assessment and examinations and refer to student-to-student, subject-to-subject, and year-to-year comparisons.

4 Overall, the changes can be viewed as reflecting and recognising the loss of learning time students experienced in a fair manner with some contingency for future learning loss that may occur during the 2021/22 school year also built in. They provide clarity, certainty and reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools in advance of the start of the 2021/2022 school document details the adjusted Assessment Arrangements for every subject/ module descriptor in the Leaving Certificate Established, Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and Junior Cycle programmes.

5 When you click on the relevant subject title, you will be brought to the page detailing the particular Arrangements for that RESOURCES- 3 -Accounting Agricultural ScienceAncient GreekApplied MathsArabicArt (including Craft)BiologyBusinessChemistryClassical StudiesComputer ScienceConstruction StudiesDesign and Communications GraphicsEconomicsEngineeringEnglishFrenc hGeographyGermanHebrew StudiesHistoryHome Economics Scientific and SocialIrishItalianJapaneseLatinLithuania nMandarin ChineseMathematicsMusicPhysics & ChemistryPhysical EducationPhysicsPolitics and SocietyPolishPortugueseReligious EducationRussianSpanishNon-Curricular LanguagesTechnologyLeaving Certificate Applied ProgrammeLeaving Certificate Vocational ProgrammeSeniorCycleSENIOR CYCLEFor the Leaving Certificate Established

6 (LCE), Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) examinations, there will be no change to the duration of the written examinations. For LCE subjects, some additional choice will be incorporated into the written examinations as detailed on the relevant subject page. For subjects where the State Examinations Commission (SEC) issues project briefs during the 2021/2022 school year, the intention is to generally issue these at least four weeks earlier than normal. Teachers are encouraged to plan and undertake these projects as early as possible in the programme of study within the context of any current and future public health measures which may apply.

7 In the case of subjects where the coursework briefs issued in the 2020/2021 school year and have a completion date in the 2021/2022 school year, normal timelines for completion will apply. The adjusted Assessment Arrangements to the LCA Programme and the LCVP are accessed by clicking the programme title on the right. Further adjustments to the written examinations, which can be accessed here, were made in February 2022. The adjustments are in addition to the previous adjustments. However, in some instances these further adjustments supersede the adjustments set out in this Arrangements 2022- 4 -JuniorCycleJUNIOR CYCLEWith regard to Junior Cycle, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has published the revised Arrangements for Classroom-Based Assessments for students entering third year in 2021, and these are available here: CBA revised Arrangements for students in third year in 2021/22.

8 Each student must complete a minimum of one CBA in each subject and short course. The latest date for completion of CBA1 for most subjects has been extended into the new school year. In Visual Art, Applied Technology, Engineering, Graphics and Wood Technology, the deadline for completion of CBA1 was not extended, as CBA2 and project/practical work in these subjects commences early in the new school year. Students taking the junior cycle final examinations in 2022 will not be required to complete Assessment Tasks for the relevant subjects. The grade descriptor awarded for these subjects will be based on the examination paper only.

9 Specific Arrangements have been put in place for Music, Visual Art, Home Economics, Wood Technology, Applied Technology, Engineering and Graphics and are detailed in the relevant section. Applied TechnologyVisual ArtBusiness StudiesClassicsEngineeringEnglishFrenchG ermanGeographyGraphicsHistoryHome EconomicsIrishItalianJewish Studies Mathematics MusicReligious EducationScienceSpanishWood technologyASSESSMENT Arrangements 2022- 5 -WRITTEN EXAMINATION Section 1 Financial AccountingQ1 120 marksQ2, Q3, Q4 answer any twoSection 2 Financial AccountingSection 3 Management AccountingACCOUNTINGSENIOR CYCLELEVELCURRENT ARRANGEMENTH igher & OrdinaryWRITTEN EXAMINATION An additional alternative Q1 will be provided (Sole/Company/Manufacturing)

10 To provide 5 will be on Interpretation of AccountsNo ADJUSTMENTSHOMEF urther adjustments to thewritten examinationscan be accessed Arrangements 2022- 6 -COURSEWORKA Coursework Brief is issued annually by the EXAMINATION Total marks for the written paper is 300 marks. Paper is hours in duration at both levels. The sample paper published in Autumn 2020 exemplifies the structure of examination papers. It contains 2 sections: A and B. Section A comprises a series of unrelated short questions (10 questions at 10 marks each) some of which are structured, some synoptic and some a mixture of both.