File photo Source: Leah Farrell

THE STATE EXAMINATIONS Commission (SEC) has launched an investigation after a copy of a Leaving Cert exam paper was posted online shortly after the beginning of that exam this morning.

Students around the country today sat down to complete paper two of the higher level Irish exam at 9.30am.

A copy of the exam was posted to a closed Facebook group for teachers less than an hour after the exam began, in breach of examination protocol.

Students are not permitted to leave an exam hall and return until at least 30 minutes after an exam begins, unless they have handed up their exam paper and worksheets.

“The State Examinations Commission understands that a copy of (today’s) paper was published on a closed social media account almost one hour after the examination had started,” a spokesperson for the Commission said this evening.

The SEC is investigating the circumstances surrounding the issue as the release of examination papers before the end of examinations is in breach of SEC protocol for the custody of examination papers.

However the spokesperson added that they do not believe that any harm had been done.

“As candidates are not allowed enter examination centres after the first 30 minutes of an examination, the SEC is satisfied that the release of the paper after the start of the examination has not compromised the integrity of the examination,” they said.