Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Exams (RACE)

The scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE) facilitates access to the certificate examinations by candidates who would have difficulty in accessing the examination or communicating what they know to an examiner because of a physical, visual, hearing and/or learning difficulty. The scheme assists candidates who have special educational needs to demonstrate what they know and can do in certificate examinations, without compromising the integrity of the assessment. The focus of the scheme is on removing barriers to access, while retaining the need to assess the same underlying skills and competencies as are assessed for all other candidates, and to apply the same standards of achievement as apply to all other candidates.

The scheme provides accommodations for students with a variety of complex special educational needs including learning difficulties as well as permanent or temporary physical, visual, hearing, medical, sensory, emotional, behavioural or other conditions.

In 2017 the SEC made significant changes to the RACE scheme changing the emphasis on the application process from Leaving Certificate to Junior Certificate. This means that if accommodations are granted at Junior Cert level there is a greater certainty that they will be in place for Leaving Cert following a reactivation process and once the SEC are satisfied that the need that existed at Junior Cert is still present at Leaving Cert.

We complete the school based assessments required by the SEC at the end of second year for any identified students that may be entitled to apply for accommodations during the state exams.

Each year a guide book is published by the SEC for schools and Candidates:

2019 Version:

https://www.examinations.ie/schools/BI-1013-1972533.pdf

https://www.examinations.ie/schools/BI-1013-9280184.pdf

www.examinations.ie

You can contact the SFL department by: