Urgent updates for 3rd year Home Economics students - SEC practical exams on Monday 13th April only

The State Examinations Commission are writing to advise us of a change in date to the 2026 Junior Cycle Home Economics practical examinations scheduled for MONDAY 13th APRIL ONLY due to the ongoing traffic and transport disruption and to assure you that all candidates will be given the opportunity to sit their practical examinations.

LC Music Prcaticals in St Farnan's will not be affected.

Given the disruption to the normal flow of activity, the SEC has taken the step of deferring the examinations scheduled for Monday 13 April in Leaving Certificate Music and Junior Cycle Home Economics across the whole country.  Schools should operate on the basis that the examinations scheduled for Tuesday 14, and beyond, will go ahead as scheduled.  If there is any change to this we will be in contact with you before lunchtime on Monday 13.    

This decision has been made because the SEC cannot, at this point in time, guarantee that all visiting examiners will be able to get to their assigned schools due to traffic and transport disruptions and fuel shortages.  There is also uncertainty as to whether all candidates will be able to attend for their examinations as scheduled.  The decision to defer the examinations scheduled for Monday 13 April is not one we have taken lightly. However, this action is necessary to provide absolute certainty and clarity to all candidates, examiners and school authorities involved in these examinations as to whether or not these examinations will proceed. 

This change to the examining arrangement impacts only those examinations scheduled to take place on Monday 13 April.  We appreciate that not all schools will have had examinations scheduled on this date.

The SEC has instructed Music and Home Economics examiners not to attend for these examinations in any school as they are deferred.  Examiners who are serving teachers have been released by the SEC from examining duties on Monday 13 April and should be available for teaching duties on that date.  We will require their absence from school on an alternative date to undertake the examinations originally scheduled for Monday 13 April.

The SEC will be seeking to reschedule the examinations for those candidates and schools affected at the earliest possible opportunity.  We hope that this may be possible within the 10-day examining window but it may require contingency days. We will be in contact with you again about these arrangements shortly. 

We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and are in regular contact with the Department of Education and Youth. If there is a requirement to reschedule further examinations, those decisions will be made at the earliest possible time based on the latest information available to the SEC. 

State Exams Commission