In the coming week Leaving Cert students have two very important deadlines to watch out for and it is critical that you don’t miss them.

Student Portal for Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied Students

The Candidate Self-Service Portal for Leaving Cert and LCA (Year 2) students closes on tomorrow (Tuesday)  at 6pm. By then you will need to have registered on www.examinations.ie/candidate-portal/ and indicate your preference to opt for Accredited Grades, Examinations or a mixture of the two on a subject by subject basis. To register you will need your exam number which you got from your school and your PIN number which for most students is the first four digits of your PPSN. If you have any problem with these details, check in school or email candidateportal@examinations.ie. Once you have registered you will need to confirm your subjects, levels and which option(s) you are choosing for each subject. If you are choosing to sit some or all of the examinations in June, it is advisable to choose that option by the March 16 deadline.

Extra changes to the written exams are due to be announced on the week of March 22 to give students more choice. You cannot opt in to take the exams after that date. The portal will reopen in late April/early May and at that stage you will have the opportunity to change your levels in the subjects and opt out of the written exams. If you think there is any chance that you may want to do the exams, make sure you choose that option now and remember you can opt for both Accredited Grades and Exams in some or all of your subjects. The Department of Education Helpline is available to students on 1800 111135 or 1800 111136 up to the March 16 deadline. A step by step guide is available on www.gov.ie.

Deadlines for HEAR & DARE supporting documentation

Students who have applied for the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) or the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) must ensure that your completed supporting documentation for both schemes is posted to the CAO, Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway to arrive by today (Monday) at 5.15pm. Emailed or faxed documents will not be accepted. The documentation required varies based on your own personal circumstances and that of your household. You can check all details on www.accesscollege.ie. Send copies of the required documents and make sure you get a certificate of postage just in case anything happens that there is a delay. You will have proof that you sent the documents in time. Otherwise they will not be accepted after the deadline. If you want confirmation that your documents have arrived then include a self-addressed postcard. For answers to specific questions about supporting documentation see www.cao.ie.