Following two years of predicted grades the traditional exams will be sat today.
The leaving and junior certificate exams are under way across the country.
More than 131,000 students are sitting the traditional form of the exams, for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
That's an increase of 6% on the numbers who sat the exams in 2019.
The number of students sitting the Leaving, Applied and Junior Cert examinations has increased by 6% compared to the last time a full set of exams was run in 2019.
Leaving Certificate candidates with Covid19 or with symptoms of Covid-19, will have access to a deferred sitting of the examination this year.
Guidance counsellor Betty McLoughlin says families and friends have a role to play in supporting students at exam time:
First up in the Leaving Certificate is English Paper 1.
Aoife O'Driscoll - English teacher in Cork CBC says students should use all the time available to them:

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