A record number of students sat the Leaving Cert exams this year but the impact of grade deflation continues to be felt.
A total of 70,411 students received their Leaving Cert results last Friday morning. This is an increase of 15 per cent since 2024.
Data from the State Examinations Commission (SEC ) shows that the class of 2026 was awarded fewer top grades, with the number of H1s down by over 1.5 per cent on 2025. Last year, H1s initially accounted for 11.7 per cent of grades, that figure is down to 10.1 per cent this year.
It is a similar situation at ordinary level with O1s down by 1 per cent, now at 2.7 per cent.
The results have gone through the process of post marking-adjustment which was brought in as a way to ensure students who were impacted by the pandemic restrictions would not suddenly receive much lower results because of the disruption they had experienced. This year’s raw scores have again been hiked, but to a lesser extent than has been seen in previous years.
Post-marking adjustment increased 35 per cent of all grades in 2026. That's in comparison to 52 per cent in 2025, and 68% in 2024. This process is being phased out with 2028 earmarked as the end. According to the SEC, the adjustment will be required next year to ensure there is no cliff edge in the results, but it expects a return to normal pre-pandemic results in 2028.
This year, there was a 2 per cent increase in students opting for higher level papers this year - up from 72 per cent last year to 74 per cent in 2026.
This year also marks the first results, for the 306 students who sat the L1 and L2 Learning Programme which are for students with complex learning and development needs. The number of students with enduring or temporary special educational needs who were given support rose to 40,000 in 2026, up from 36,000 the previous years.
The data also show that the numbers taking PE as a subject has increased 26 per cent, with technology students up 21 per cent and the number taking construction studies up 11 per cent.
