Junior Cycle exams and results

Junior Cycle examinations are held at the end of the Junior Cycle in post-primary schools.

The written examinations take place in June of the third year of the Junior Cycle.

You can get information about previous Junior Certificate examination papers.

Junior Cycle 2025 written exams will take place from Wednesday, 4 June 2025 to Monday, 16 June 2025. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) published the exam timetable (pdf) and more information for Junior Cycle 2025.

The exams for music practical performance took place between Tuesday, 18 March 2025 and Friday, 28 March 2025.

You can read about the assessment arrangements for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams in 2025 (pdf). This sets out the adjusted assessment arrangements for students taking State exams in the 2024-2025 school year.

In 2022, the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) fully replaced the Junior Certificate. It adds a classroom-based assessment to the exam which is based on work completed by the student during second and third year.

Read about the changes to the Junior Cycle on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) website.

Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement grades

Grade bands from 2025

The percentage range for Junior Cycle grade bands has changed. The below grades apply for students taking Junior Cycle exams from 2025 onwards.

Grade bands before 2025

The below grade bands applied for students taking Junior Cycle exams before 2025.

From 2014 to 2021, both the old Junior Certificate grade bands of “A-NG” and the new Junior Cycle descriptors of “Not Achieved-Distinction” appeared on the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement Award.

There is no fee for the Junior Cycle exams in 2025.

Mock exam fees

The State Examinations Commission is not responsible for mock exams. If your school is charging for mock exams, this is likely to cover the cost of the exam papers and/or getting them corrected externally.

Junior Cycle 2024 exam results were released on Wednesday, 9 October 2024. The results were available to schools through the State Examinations Commission Schools Portal, and were passed onto students by the schools. Students could also access their results online on examinations.ie.

Getting your results from previous years

Results from 2017 onwards

Since 2017, the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) has replaced the Junior Certificate. This is a school-based award, so you should contact the school directly for a statement of JCPA results.

Results up to 2016

To get a certified statement of results from an exam which took place before 2017, you can apply online on the State Examinations Commission website.

You must provide the following personal details:

• Full name
• Name at the time of the examination (if different)
• Current address
• Daytime phone number
• Date of birth
• Year of examination
• Name and address of school attended
• Examination number (if known)
• PPS number

Read more about applying for a statement of examination results.

You apply to your school to appeal Junior Cycle exam results. Appeals of Junior Cycle 2024 exam results (pdf) closed on Tuesday, 15 October 2024.

In 2024, the appeal fee for each subject was €32. The fee is refunded if a higher grade is awarded as a result of the appeal.