History and Structure Examination (H&S)

If you have qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland and are registered as a post-primary teacher, you are required to gain knowledge of the history and structure of the Irish education system before you can fully register.

You can do this by completing an online exam in the History and Structure of the Irish Education System (H&S).  This exam is run several times in the year and there is a limit of 130 places for each exam date.

Booking forms for 2024 exams

After we receive your booking, we will email you within 10 working days to confirm your place.

The exam will be available for 24 hours on the exam date.

The exam duration is 2.5 hours and you must do it one sitting during the 24-hour period.

Help to prepare

You can read our Explanatory Note and study Sample Papers.

How to cancel your place

If you cannot attend the online exam, please email historyandstructure@teachingcouncil.ie with your full name and Teaching Council Registration Number.

Explanatory notes for the online exam to address the registration condition of History & Structure of the Irish Education System.

1. Completion of an online exam

An online Aptitude Test is organised by the Teaching Council three times a year. The test is of two and half hours duration and applicants are required to answer TWO exam questions.

Section A of the paper deals primarily with school governance and patronage.
Section B of the paper deals with curriculum and assessment.

2. Structure of the online Test Paper

There are two sections on the paper: Section A and Section B:

There are two questions in each section and applicants are asked to answer only one question from Section A and one question from Section B.

Candidates should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the developments which have shaped Irish post-primary education since the foundation of the Irish State in 1922 relating to:

school governance, patronage, structural reforms, system appraisal, policy formulation and implementation; and
curriculum and assessment.

In brief, examples of key developments which stand out as shaping current post primary education in the Republic of Ireland have been:

1920s (for example foundation of the Irish State and establishment of the Department of Education)
1930s-1960s (education remains relatively unchanged)
1960s (for example the introduction of free post-primary education in the Republic of Ireland)
1990s (for example Charting our Education Future, 1998 Education Act)
more recently since the 2000s (for example the establishment of the NCCA, Teaching Council, introduction of Junior Cycle, discourse on school patronage)

Grading

Grading for the aptitude test is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory (i.e., pass or fail) and there is a high pass rate. In terms of how much detail is required for the aptitude test, please see below the success criteria whereby an answer is satisfactory when:

The factual information is accurate
The meaning is reasonably clear
Some background context is provided to frame the answer
The candidate demonstrates an understanding of the issues discussed within their context
Some links are made between the historical and current situation.

Word Count

The recommended word count for each answer is 1500 – 2000 words.

3. Useful Links

Coolahan, J. Towards the Era of Lifelong Learning: A History of Irish Education, 1800-2016 (Dublin: Institute of Public Administration)

Applicants should also refer to the following helpful links below:

From the Department of Education website – this gives an overview of the Irish Education System
Charting our Education Future – which informed policy developments in education since the 1990s
Education Act, 1998
NCCA – curricular changes and Junior Cycle

Additional Reading:

Judith Harford, Áine Hyland & Brian Fleming (2023) ‘100 Years of Inequality?: Irish Educational Policy since the Foundation of the State,’ Paedagogica Historica