Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations (RACE):
RACE is the system of accommodating students with extra needs when sitting State Exams. It stands for 'Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Exams', and applications for RACE primarily take place in a student's third year in secondary school. Tests for these accommodations can be no more than one year old, meaning the school must re-test students accordingly. Literacy and numeracy levels can improve over time, which is the ultimate goal of any school. Therefore, it is important to note that any recommendations for RACE made in previously conducted psychological assessments, may not be applicable by the time a student is in their 3rd year of secondary education. Furthermore, for some accommodations, the school must perform additional tests on students, regardless of recommendations found within psychological assessment reports. This is in adherence with the State Exams Commission's Guidelines for Schools.
RACE Testing in 3rd Year:
Testing for RACE takes place in the Autumn of 3rd Year. The following students are assessed:
- Students whose scores in their entrance exam results would indicate a specific difficulty.
- Students who have undergone a psychological, Occupational Therapist or other professional assessment, the results of which place them within the necessary range to be re-tested or were conducted within the previous year.
- Students who have been referred by their English teacher for poor literacy levels.
Students who meet the criteria for any accommodations will be informed and their Parent(s)/Guardian(s) consulted. Once a decision is made on which accommodations are to be applied for, the necessary forms are completed and sent to the State Exams Commission.
Once the school has confirmation from the State Examination Commission (usually in April of the following year) both the student and Parents/Guardians are informed.
RACE Applications in Senior Cycle:
Accommodations are re-activated (if necessary) for a student's Leaving Certificate Exams. However, the school must satisfy themselves that re-activation is necessary, so further testing may be required. This is in line with the State Exams Commission (SEC) advice. The SEC also advises that RACE applications in 6th year should be made on the basis that the student has utilised the provisions before in school in-house exams, as applying for accommodations that the student has never used before may potentially affect that student's ability to perform well in an exam. A diagnosis/report is not enough to reach the threshold for RACE applications; the student must have demonstrated a specific need over a sustained period, and the school can only apply on that basis, as per the SEC guidelines.