State exams in Ireland, such as the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate, serve as critical gatekeepers for higher education and career progression. However, for students with dyslexia, the rigid constraints of these assessments often measure reading and writing speed rather than actual subject knowledge. Recent research from Dr. Keith Murphy at TU Dublin highlights a significant disparity between how Ireland supports students with dyslexia compared to international standards. This analysis examines the role of extended time in education, the current policy landscape in Ireland, and the practical implications for students navigating State Exams.
Understand the Cognitive Barriers Faced by Students with Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. In an exam setting, these difficulties manifest in ways that fundamentally alter the testing experience. Students with dyslexia often process previously seen information as if it were entirely new, requiring them to re-read questions multiple times to achieve full comprehension.
Beyond reading speed, dyslexia frequently impacts handwriting legibility and physical writing speed. When a student must dedicate excessive cognitive energy to simply forming letters or decoding words, less working memory is available for higher-order tasks like structuring an argument or recalling complex historical dates. The resulting fatigue severely impacts focus during long exams. Consequently, standard time limits in State Exams act as a systemic barrier, preventing these students from accurately demonstrating their intellectual capabilities and subject mastery.
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Compare Ireland’s Approach to European Education Standards
When evaluating Ireland’s approach to exam accommodations, it is helpful to look at extended time provisions across Europe. In formal State education systems globally, providing extra time for students with dyslexia is a standard, well-established reasonable adjustment.
- France: Students with dyslexia receive an extra 33% of time.
- Italy: Students are granted an additional 30% of time.
- United Kingdom: Secondary-level exams provide a standard 25% extra time allowance.
Within Ireland’s own higher education system, universities routinely allocate an additional 10 minutes per hour of assessment for students with dyslexia. This acknowledges the ethical and obligatory responsibility of educational institutions to proactively minimize obstacles for individuals with disabilities. Yet, at the second-level State Exam stage, Ireland has historically lagged behind these domestic and international benchmarks, leaving secondary school students without the scaffolding they will later receive in university.
Analyze the Practical Benefits of Extended Time in State Exams
Implementing appropriate extended time accommodations in State Exams provides several distinct, measurable benefits that directly address the challenges posed by dyslexia.
Decode Complex Exam Terminology
Subjects heavily reliant on large amounts of written text—such as English, History, and Geography—disproportionately disadvantage students with dyslexia. Extra time provides the necessary space to carefully decode, interpret, and check the wording of complex questions. It ensures that a student’s grade reflects their understanding of historical events or literary themes, rather than their ability to speed-read a source document.
Structure and Proofread Written Responses
Extended time allows students to review and tidy their answers. Because dyslexia often impacts spelling and grammar, proofreading is a critical step for these students to communicate their knowledge effectively. Without this time, minor errors that could easily be caught and corrected ultimately cost valuable marks.
Mitigate Anxiety During High-Stakes Testing
The psychological impact of a ticking clock cannot be overstated. Students with dyslexia frequently experience heightened anxiety when they perceive themselves falling behind other candidates. Proper accommodation promotes greater confidence and creates a more supportive examination environment, allowing the student to focus on the content of the exam rather than the passage of time.
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Evaluate the Recent SEC Policy Update for 2026
The movement toward extended time in Ireland has been a complex legislative and administrative journey. On 9 July 2025, Minister Neale Richmond stated during a Seanad debate that students with dyslexia and other learning differences sitting the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams would be eligible for extra-time accommodations starting in June 2026. This announcement was met with optimism by advocates in the education sector.
However, on 26 January 2026, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) released a specific update that has generated significant scepticism. The SEC announced that extra time would be granted to students already approved for other accommodations, requiring no additional application. While this removes administrative friction, the actual allocation amounts to just 10 minutes per exam in June 2026.
In the context of a standard three-hour Leaving Certificate examination, 10 extra minutes equates to roughly 5–7% additional time, or approximately 3 minutes and 33 seconds per hour. When compared to the 25% to 33% benchmarks established in the UK and Europe, the SEC’s provision is remarkably modest. For a student who reads at half the speed of a neurotypical peer, three extra minutes per hour is barely enough time to fully process the exam paper, let alone formulate comprehensive answers.
Explore our related articles for further reading on neurodiversity in education.
Review the Ongoing Advocacy by Dyslexia Ireland
The journey to secure extended time has been heavily driven by stakeholder advocacy. Dyslexia Ireland has long campaigned for equitable exam conditions, noting that recommendations for extra time date back to the 2009 Expert Advisory Group. Following a meeting with the SEC in October 2025, Dyslexia Ireland expressed disappointment, highlighting that the SEC remains the primary organization opposed to introducing meaningful extra time, despite widespread public and political support.
The current 10-minute policy, while technically representing progress, risks being viewed as a box-ticking exercise rather than a substantive reasonable adjustment. The gap between the government’s initial announcement of “extra time” and the SEC’s implementation of a flat 10-minute addition highlights the friction between political intent and administrative execution.
Address Implementation Challenges and Systemic Responsibilities
It is acknowledged that granting extended time in State Exams involves logistical hurdles. Scheduling conflicts, the requirement for additional supervision, ensuring consistency in how time is granted, determining eligibility, and maintaining strict exam integrity are all valid concerns. Furthermore, invigilators and school staff require adequate training to manage split-timing and accommodate different end times smoothly.
However, as Dr. Keith Murphy’s research emphasizes, these logistical challenges should not become the burden of the students with dyslexia. Students should not continue to suffer academically due to system delays or administrative reluctance. Other European education systems have successfully navigated these exact logistical challenges and established efficient, fair processes. Ireland has the capacity to adopt these best practices to ensure exam integrity is maintained without compromising student welfare.
Rethink Fairness in the Irish Education System
Ultimately, the conversation around extended time requires a paradigm shift in how “fairness” is defined in education. Opponents of extended time sometimes argue that it provides an unfair advantage. Research consistently demonstrates the opposite: extra time has a negligible impact on the grades of non-disabled students, but it can make a significant, positive difference in the grades of students with disabilities.
True fairness in State Exams means assessing a student’s knowledge, analytical skills, and understanding of the curriculum. For students with dyslexia, removing the barrier of time pressure is the most effective way to ensure their exams reflect their actual academic ability. As Ireland moves toward the 2026 exam cycle, educators, policymakers, and institutions like TU Dublin must continue to advocate for accommodations that align with international standards and genuinely support neurodivergent learners.
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