Is your child sitting the Junior Cycle exam?

If so, you will get a good benchmark from this article on their ability and potential in the Junior Cycle exam.

I’ll show you what the average grades are in each subject. Some of the grades are surprising!

But first, here’s my overall take on the Junior Cycle exam.

The Junior Cycle is Getting Easier

Away back in 2010, I achieved 8A’s in my own Junior Cycle. I’ve taught 1,000s of students since we set up Breakthrough Maths in 2020. The Junior cycle exams appear to be getting easier in terms of difficulty across all subjects.

You now have CBA’s (Continuous based assessments) and a lot more marks are given for project work. Realistically, it’s almost impossible to fail a Junior Cycle grade. Less than 1% fail Junior Cycle Maths and that’s replicated across most other subjects.

It makes sense to make it easier. Failing students is not the goal of the exams. The goal is to make students more exam ready for the big Leaving Cert test. Failing students at a young age can really knock confidence.

Maths Grades Breakdown

In 2022, only 4% of students received the top grade in Maths (a distinction – +90% grade). Of the vast majority of students, around 45% received a merit grade (Between 55-75%).

Essentially, no students fail Maths. It’s less than 1% (0.05%). That’s good news. It should encourage your child to complete Higher Level Maths.

Surprisingly, Maths is the easiest of all the ‘core’ subjects to achieve a top grade in. In English and Irish, only 2% of students receive the top grade of a distinction. It’s double that for Maths.

That’s more good news!

How many subjects do students do?

Students typically choose 10 to 12 subjects for the Junior Cycle. Many students choose to opt for some comparatively easier subjects to get the highest results possible.

There are many Junior Cycle subjects but all subjects are not offered at every school. All students must study Irish (unless for an exemption), English, Maths and History. Depending on your school, there might be other compulsory subjects. English, Irish and Maths are studied at either ordinary or higher levels. All other subjects are studied at common level.

For more clarification, have a read of our complete overview of the Junior Cycle.

The Grading System

Please keep in mind that the Junior Cycle grading system has changed. Up until 2019, an ‘A’ grade was achieved by getting 85% and above. But now, to achieve a distinction, a student has to get 90% or above.

Why did they change the grade structure? The Department wanted to be more inclusive and encourage students to focus on the process of learning, not the grades. I’m not so sure that it makes any difference.

Anyway, these are the Junior Cycle grades:

– Distinction = 90% grade or above
– Higher Merit = 75%- 89% grade
– Merit = 55% — 74% grade
– Achieved = 40-54%

Let me repeat one thing before we delve into the other statistics — the Junior Cycle is predictable.

The Junior Cycle is Predictable

Take a subject like Maths. Year after year, you will see the same topics come up. There is not a whole pile of complexity in the exams. It’s repeatable — look at all the previous years exam papers.

I guess the goal of the examiner is to build confidence in their students. It’s about giving them enough challenge, but not too much.

Junior Cycle Subjects with the Most Distinctions and Higher Merits

Subject	Distinction (%)	Subject	Higher Merit (%)
Italian	7.4	Music	38.3
Music	6.4	Classics	36.3
Classics	5.3	Wood Technology	32.8
Graphics	4.6	Maths (ordinary)	31.1
French	4.1	Engineering	29.8
Maths (Higher)	3.6	Home Economics	29.8
Gaeilge T1(Higher)	3.6	Italian	26.1
Religious Studies	3.5	Religious Studies	25

Junior Cycle Subjects that Got the Most Distinction and Higher Merit in 2023

Even though religious studies has a comparatively lower distinction or higher merit rate, it has higher candidate rates completing it compared to Italian or French. This is why the grades seem a bit lower for religious studies.

Junior Cycle Subjects with the Highest grades pre-2022

Subject	A(%)	Subject	A (%)
Ancient Greek	48	Latin	29
Latin	30	Religious Education	12
Classical Studies	22	Technical Graphics	12
Italian	22	Art and Craft Design	12
Art and Craft Design	20	Classical Studies	11
History	17	History	11
Spanish	15	Metalwork	8

Junior Cycle Subjects that Got the Most ‘A’s at Higher Level and Ordinary Level

The new grading system is applicable from 2022. Still, the old result can give you relative insights.

Junior Cycle Subjects that Got the Lowest Grades Pre-2022

Look in short, t’s really hard to fail a Junior Cycle exam. It’s not the goal of the exam.

The goal is to prep students fro the Leaving Cert. The examiners will actively go out of their way to make sure each student passes the exam. If you attempt every question, you can be almost certain that you will pass the exam

The Easiest Junior Cycle Subjects

The subjects listed here have not been ranked based on how easy or difficult they are. In fact, that won’t be the right thing to do, as the percentage of students getting distinction or higher merit keeps changing every year. But there are some subjects that most students find easy to tackle. They are:

1. Religious Studies

In 2022, around 3.5% of the candidates got a distinction (90 to 100 points) and around 25% got higher merit (75 to 89 points) in Religious Studies. This subject has one of the highest numbers of candidates, and that’s why the percentage of students achieving distinction or higher merit becomes comparatively lower.

Most students find religious studies to be one of the easiest Junior Cycle subjects. It is available both at a higher level and an ordinary level. Religion can be a compulsory subject in some schools, while in others it is not.

2. Home Economics

Home economics can be time-consuming but it is a rather easy subject for most students. Some of the questions can be very straightforward and some of them can be very challenging. Even so, with some effort, it is one of those subjects that can be aced with higher grades.

In 2022, around 2.1% of the candidates got a distinction in home economics but more than 80% of the total candidates achieved a grade between Distinction and Merit. The fail rate is as little as 0.7%.

3. Maths

Maths is one of the most important Junior Cycle subjects. Besides being compulsory, it is also one of the easiest subjects according to most students. Maths is available at both higher and ordinary levels.

Students have achieved pretty decent grades in maths in the past years. In 2022, more than 70% of the candidates got a grade between distinction and merit in higher level and ordinary level maths. In higher-level maths, around 3.6% of the candidates got a distinction and in ordinary-level maths, around 3.3% got a distinction.

At Breakthrough Maths, we helped many students achieve distinction or higher grades in maths. You can join Join a free trial class if you need some Maths grinds with us.

4. Geography

Geography is compulsory in many schools. It is also one of the most interesting and rather easy subjects for most students. It is available at the common level.

Geography also has one of the highest candidate rates. In 2022, a total of 58,608 students sat for the geography exam. Around 2.5% of the candidates got a distinction in geography in 2022 with around 70% getting between higher merit and merit.

There sure is a lot to learn in geography, but in most cases, a little time and effort can do the magic!

The Junior Cycle CSPE is another easier subject. The course is based on topics like democracy, law, human rights so on and so forth. 60% of the marks are awarded for an action project and the remaining 40% is allotted for the written exam.

CSPE is a common-level subject. Getting good grades on the project is sure going to get you a high grade in this subject.

6. Music

Music is another well-demanded subject with no fail rate at all. Students who choose music for Junior Cycle might also choose it for leaving cert, opting for a career in the subject. In Junior Cycle music, students are taught to sing and play an instrument. They are also taught to compose music.

In 2022, around 6.4% of the candidates got a distinction in music which is higher than most other subjects. And around 70% achieved a grade between higher merit and merit. With 50% marks in the practical segment, music can be really easy to get good grades in.

The Hardest Junior Cycle Subjects

1. English

Junior Cycle English is studied at a higher or ordinary level. So to say, it is one of the hardest subjects. Both in 2022 and 2019, the distinction rate in English was around 2% which is comparatively lower than in other subjects. In 2019 around 25% of the candidates achieved higher merit in English which got down to 19% in 2022.

2. Irish

Irish is also studied at a higher or ordinary level. It is a compulsory subject unless for an exemption. Irish turns out to be comparatively harder for English medium students.

In 2022, around 2.6% of the candidates achieved a distinction in Irish and around 20% achieved a higher merit in the subject. The rate of failure is also comparatively higher in the Irish. In 2022 around 1.4% of the candidates didn’t receive any grade in Irish.

3. French

French is one of the hardest subjects both in Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert. The listening part is the hardest part of the French exam.

Even though French is one of the hardest subjects, according to statistics, the grades achieved in this subject are pretty decent. In 2022 around 4.1% received a distinction in French and in 2019 around 11% achieved an A grade in it.

4. Engineering

Engineering is one of those Junior Cycle subjects with a comparatively higher fail rate. In 2022, 2.6% achieved a distinction in engineering and around 3.6% were not graded.

Engineering focuses on measurement, problem-solving, critical thinking, managing information, group work, etc. If you are interested in choosing engineering in Leaving Cert or college, then choosing it in Junior Cycle might be a good thing to do.

Should I stay in Higher Level Maths?

Generally, I always say yes. There is almost no benefit in dropping to Ordinary Level. Less than 1% of students fail Higher Level Maths.

Students have almost nothing to lose here. I always tell parents to encourage their child to stick out the Higher Level Maths. It’s great to challenge your child. In my experience, when students drop to Ordinary Level Maths, they can become lazier. They can take it easy and that’s not what parents want to be encouraging.

I talk more about the difference between Higher vs Ordinary Level Maths here.

How to Choose Junior Cycle Subjects

The subjects you choose for Junior Cycke are going to play a significant role to help you decide your leaving cert subjects and even college courses. According to the Citizen’s Information, English, Irish, maths and history are compulsory subjects. Depending on the school, there might be other compulsory subjects. But other than these, you might choose science, business, or a third language like French or Spanish.

Here are a few tips to consider while choosing your Junior Cycle subjects-

See if you are interested in the subject and willing to choose it in LC
You should keep a few options open. For instance, choosing business will allow you to have a range of career options in future
You should discuss it with your parents and your teachers
Do not choose a subject just because all your friends are choosing it
And finally, do check the previous years’ question papers to see if the topics are of any interest to you

Conclusion

The Junior Cycle exams are more than doable – they are rather easy. And I keep saying it: the examiners want students to pass these exams. It’s all about building confidence for the Leaving Cert.

My advice if you’re struggling? Get grinds. It’s a consistent solution each week that helps your child get going and improving.

Sign up for Breakthrough Maths, Ireland’s best online maths grinds! At Breakthrough Maths, students get 24/7 grind support, small batches of personalised classes and a guarantee to level up your maths skills. Book a grind and see for yourself!

T.J – CEO of Breakthrough Maths

Need help in Maths? Contact me here.