Up to 75 students have been suspected of cheating in this year’s Leaving Certificate exam, it has emerged.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) said 50 papers were withheld across a range of subjects after exam superintendents or those marking papers caught someone cheating.

A further 25 results are being provisionally withheld on a without prejudice basis pending further communication with the schools and candidates concerned, the examinations bodies revealed.

Almost 56,000 teenagers got their state exams results on Wednesday.

The SEC said the 50 results withheld – which can be appealed against – were in Irish, English, history, geography, French, art, physics, biology, business, economics, home economics, religious education and applied modules.

The subject concerned would have been left off each student’s certificate.

Last year 75 papers were withheld, while 67 were probed in 2011.

A spokeswoman said the cases could have come to light in several ways, including an examiner detecting similar work from more than one candidate when correcting work from the same centre.

Others may have noticed markings on test papers, or an examiner may have discovered notes or paper brought in by a candidate in an attempt to gain an advantage in the examination.

Elsewhere examination superintendents may have caught a student using prohibited items such as books, mobile phones etc or attempting to contact another candidate in the centre.

The SEC said it has a primary responsibility to ensure that the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the examinations apply equally to all candidates.

“This is essential in order to uphold the integrity of the Irish examinations system and to underpin equity and fairness within the system in order to enable all candidates to display their achievements on an equal footing,” it said.

The examination body insisted the principles of natural justice are applied when following-up each allegation.

“Details of the evidence available – superintendent’s reports, confiscated material or items, notes, work prepared that exhibits evidence of collusion – is given to the candidate through his/her school,” it continued.

“The candidate is invited to offer a response to the evidence presented and the school authorities are also free to offer comment if they consider it appropriate.

“The final decision is communicated in writing to the candidate again via his/her school.”

The SEC said while every effort is made to conclude an investigation prior to the issue of the examination results, it is not always possible to do so.

“In these circumstances results are withheld on a without prejudice basis pending further communication with the schools and candidates concerned,” it added.

“In most cases the penalty applied is the withholding of the result in the subject.

“Where a more serious breach of the regulations occurs, e.g. copying in more than one subject, withholding of all results and/or debarring from repeating the examination may be applied.”