Over 3,000 students start State exams in Westmeath today

In Westmeath, the number of students at both junior and senior cycle is up this year, which is in line with the national trend as record numbers sit the 2023 State examinations.

The number of students in Westmeath who are due to face into their first Leaving Cert paper today is 1,449 (731 female students and 718 male students). That's up from the 1,305 students who sat their Leaving Cert in the county last year.

A further 29 students in Westmeath are completing the Leaving Cert Applied programme.

At Junior Cycle level, the number of students in Westmeath is 1,691 this year - which is up from 1,568 in 2022. The Westmeath Junior Cycle students this year are made up of 843 female and 848 male students.

Nationally, some 135,033 candidates are due to commence their Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle examinations.

Speaking before the start of the exams, Pat Burke, Chairperson of the State Examinations Commission (SEC) said: "The State examinations are a significant milestone for candidates, their families and school authorities.

"The examinations this year have been subject to appropriate adjustments, proportionate to the educational experience of the class of 2023 over the course of the pandemic.

"On behalf of my fellow Commissioners and all of the staff of the SEC, I wish to offer sincere best wishes to all those taking the certificate examinations this year."

The SEC intends to issue the 2023 Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied examination results on Friday, August 25.