If your teen is doing their Leaving Cert, there’s a lot to keep track of — and it’s easy for an important date to sneak up on you. We’ve pulled together a simple, one-page sheet with the key dates every Leaving Cert parent in Ireland should have on their radar, so you can keep it somewhere handy (the fridge is a popular choice) and stay a step ahead.
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: A Parent’s Practical Guide to Surviving Leaving Cert
Why Key Dates Matter During Leaving Cert Year
Leaving Cert year is a busy one for your teen — classes, homework, study, possibly grinds, and their extracurricular activities all competing for time. If this is your first time going through it as a parent, it can feel like a lot to take in.
Junior Cert is often a fairly gentle introduction to state exams, but the final two years of secondary school bring a different level of pressure — for your teen and for you. Knowing what’s coming up, from CAO applications to mock exams to orals, makes the whole year easier to navigate.
Download Your Free Key Dates Sheet
We’ve created a free, printable one-page sheet you can download and stick up at home for quick reference.
!Key dates for Leaving Cert parents
What the Sheet Covers
The sheet is designed to give you a quick, at-a-glance overview of the milestones that tend to come up during Leaving Cert year — things like mock exam periods, oral and practical exam windows, and CAO application milestones. It’s meant as a handy reminder rather than an official calendar, so for exact dates for the current school year, always check with your teen’s school and the official State Examinations Commission and CAO websites, as these can shift slightly from year to year.
Other Useful Leaving Cert Resources
You might also find these Leaving Cert and exam resources useful:
- 7 Must Haves for Your Teen Studying Leaving Cert French
- 7 Must Have Resources for Your Teen Studying Irish
- 6 Must Haves for Your Teen Studying Leaving Cert Spanish
- 10 Tips for the Last 10 Days Before Exams
- 9 Practical Tips to Help With Exam Stress
- Top Tips for Parents Supporting Their Teen with a CAO Application
- CAO Change of Mind Deadline is Approaching – Has Your Teen Made the Right Choice?
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of dates are on the Key Dates sheet?
The sheet covers the main milestones parents tend to want a reminder of during Leaving Cert year, such as mock exam periods, oral and practical exam windows, and CAO application stages. It’s a general overview rather than an official timetable.
Where can I find the official Leaving Cert exam dates?
For exact, up-to-date exam dates, check directly with your teen’s school and the State Examinations Commission website. School calendars can vary, so it’s always worth confirming locally.
When should we start looking at CAO deadlines?
CAO deadlines fall at set points across the Leaving Cert year, with an application stage and a later change-of-mind stage. For current deadlines, check the CAO website directly, as dates are confirmed annually.
Is this sheet only useful for the exam year itself?
It’s most useful in fifth and sixth year, when mocks, orals and CAO milestones start to appear on the calendar, but it can also help younger secondary students get a sense of what’s ahead.
Related Articles
- A Parent’s Practical Guide to Surviving Leaving Cert
- 10 Tips for the Last 10 Days Before Exams
- 9 Practical Tips to Help With Exam Stress
- Top Tips for Parents Supporting Their Teen with a CAO Application
Save This for Later
Leaving Cert year moves fast, so it’s worth bookmarking this page or saving the sheet somewhere you’ll see it often — a noticeboard, the fridge, or wherever your family keeps track of what’s coming up.
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