Junior Cycle caters for students in the first three years of their post-primary education.

The new junior cycle was introduced on a phased basis between September 2014 and September 2021. It features revised subjects and short courses, a focus on key skills, and new approaches to assessment and reporting. 

Schools have more freedom to design junior cycle programmes that meet the learning needs of all students. For students, the junior cycle curriculum available in their schools is a mix of subjects and short courses as well as other learning experiences. In addition to classroom-based assessments, students complete state examinations at the end of their three year junior cycle and receive a Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (sample shown here).

Classroom-Based Assessments are short projects completed in the 2nd and 3rd year where students can demonstrate their learning and skills in ways not possible in a pen and paper examination, for example, their verbal communication and investigation skills.

As the name suggests, CBAs take place in the classroom when all other students are present. Students can decide on the topic of their CBAs with the help of their teachers and are given three weeks to complete them. The CBAs are then graded by the subject teachers at a common level. In Practical classes, the second CBA may take the form of a piece of practical work and this will be marked by the State Examinations Commission in the normal way.

In the Classroom-Based Assessments, students will receive one of the following descriptors -

• Exceptional

• Above expectations

• In line with expectations

• Yet to meet expectations

Source: Careersportal.ie

The tasks cover a broad range of activities including oral presentations, written work of different types, practical or designing and making activities, artistic performances, scientific experiments, projects or other suitable tasks. 

Assessment Tasks are undertaken in the 3rd Year after the second CBAs have been completed. They are generally designed to make students reflect on their learning from completing their CBAs. The Assessment Tasks are set and corrected by the State Examinations Commission and are generally worth 10% of the overall grade. There are no Assessment Tasks for the Practical subjects.