There are some important changes to Junior Cycle grading for 2025 and here’s what you need to know. At Emerald Education, part of our job is making sure you and your child always feel informed and supported — especially when big changes are happening.
And this year, there’s a change to the Junior Cycle grading system that’s really important for anyone sitting the exams in 2025.
It’s good news overall, but it’s a little different to how things have been done before, so I want to explain it clearly for you here — without any jargon or confusion.
So, what’s changing?
From 2025 onwards, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) is making some updates to how Junior Cycle exams are graded.
The main thing to know is that they are adjusting the top grade bands — Distinction, Higher Merit, and Merit — so that it’s now slightly easier for students to achieve those grades.
Here’s the breakdown:
| Grade | New 2025 marks range | Old marks range |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction | 85–100% | 90–100% |
| Higher Merit | 70–84% | 75–89% |
| Merit | 55–69% | 55–74% |
| Achieved | 40–54% | No change |
| Partially Achieved | 20–39% | No change |
| Not Graded | 0–19% | No change |
In simple terms:
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Distinction is now awarded from 85%, not 90%.
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Higher Merit now starts at 70% instead of 75%.
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Merit covers a slightly smaller range.
The lower grades stay exactly the same.
This is designed to better recognise students’ efforts and achievements — and honestly, I think it’s a really positive change.
Why are they doing this?
Over the last few years, it became clear that the old grade boundaries didn’t always reflect how well students were doing.
There was a lot of very strong work that just fell short of the old, tougher cut-offs for Distinction or Higher Merit.
The new Junior Cycle grade ranges aim to give fairer recognition to students across the board — particularly those who are working hard and performing strongly.
How will it work this year?
Now here’s the important bit:
Because these changes are coming in quickly, the way they are being introduced for 2025 is different.
For the 2025 exams:
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Students’ papers will be marked exactly the same way as before — nothing about the marking schemes or exam papers is changing.
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After all the marking is done, the SEC will apply the new grade boundaries to the marks.
So, you’re sitting the same Junior Cycle exams, being corrected in the same way — it’s just that your final grade might be higher because the new boundaries will be layered on afterwards.
From 2026 onwards, they will fully update the marking schemes and train examiners to apply the new grades during the marking itself.
But for 2025, it’s this “technical adjustment” approach.
Because of that, the 2025 results will be treated as a stand-alone set — not directly comparable to previous or future years.
In other words, don’t stress if you hear people trying to compare this year’s results to another year — it’s a different system.
What does this mean for your child?
✅ You don’t need to change anything about how you prepare.
Study as normal, aim for the best marks you can, and keep building good exam techniques.
✅ There’s a real opportunity to be rewarded more fairly.
Students in the 85% range will now achieve a Distinction — a fantastic recognition of their hard work.
✅ It’s a positive change — not something to panic about.
If anything, it’s a little boost. It gives credit where credit is due, and that’s exactly what we want to see.
Dates for Your Diary
🗓️ Junior Cycle exams will run from Wednesday 4th June to Monday 16th June 2025.
We’ll be running our usual revision sessions to do practice exam papers, and study support groups to help students feel confident and ready to go.
Final thoughts
Look, I know change can sometimes feel overwhelming — especially when it comes to exams.
But honestly, this change is a good thing.
It means that students who work hard and perform well are more likely to be properly recognised for it.
It doesn’t mean the exams are easier, and it definitely doesn’t mean your effort can drop — but it does mean that your hard work stands a better chance of being fairly rewarded.
At Emerald Education, we’ll be right beside you through it all — cheering you on, helping you stay on track, and making sure you feel ready to succeed.
If you’ve got any questions about how this might affect you or your child, don’t hesitate to reach out. That’s what we’re here for.
Stay positive. Keep doing your best. You’re closer to your goals than you think.
You’ve got this!