Over 2,000 Kilkenny students begin State examinations today

Just over 2,100 students in Kilkenny will today sit down in schools across the county for first day of State examinations.
Five-hundred-and-eight male students and 517 female students will sit their Leaving Cert, while 1,153 students in total will take their Junior Cert.
As is tradition, Leaving Cert students will start off with English Paper I. The new Junior Cycle English specification will be examined for the first time this year, also taking place this morning from 9.30am to 11.30am.
Since the weekend, superintendents involved in supervising the written examinations took possession of the locked boxes containing the 4 million examination papers.
The examinations will be held in some 5,170 examination centres across the country over the course of the 13-day examination period.
Pat Burke, chairman of the State Examinations Commission (SEC), has sent his best wishes and those of his fellow commissioners on behalf of the SEC to all sitting the State examinations in 2017.
“The State examination is a significant event for students, their families and their wider school communities,” he said.
“Students will benefit from the continued calm reassurance of those who have supported them to this point. The Commission will also continue to play its part in ensuring that candidates are facilitated to achieve their best in examinations which are delivered in a fair and open manner.
All written examination papers taken by candidates in this year’s examinations will be published on the website on the evening that the examination is completed.
Leaving Cert results will be issued on Wednesday, August 16 and the online results service will be available from noon on that day for Leaving Cert candidates. Junior Certificate/Cycle results will be issued in mid-September.
Guidance counsellors and online supports are available for students.
For more, see www.examinations.ie.