The 2020 Leaving Cert and Junior Cert oral and practical examinations have been cancelled due to Covid-19.
The exams where due to have taken place between March 23rd and April 3rd.
Minister for Education Joe McHugh said that all students who had been due to take those tests would be awarded full marks for that portion of the exam.
The decision was taken in light of the closure of schools as a result of the virus last Thursday.
The cancelled exams include oral tests in Leaving Cert Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Japanese.
Practical performance tests in Leaving Cert music have been cancelled also, together with practical performance tests in Junior Cert music and home economics.
Minister McHugh said it's a difficult time for all:
"Students are facing a challenging period out of school and our decision on this element of the exams is being taken with their best interests at heart.
"It is the fairest response we could take in the circumstances. It guarantees that no student will score less than they would have if schools had been operating as normal.
"We have seen a new emphasis on remote learning amid the uncertainty about the impact of Covid-19 and the closure of all schools. I hope this decision will ease some of the pressure that students are feeling and allow them to focus more clearly on completing project work and preparing for written exams."
Mr McHugh said he expects the main written exams to go ahead as normal in June.
