As this term draws to a close, 6th year students are already thinking ahead to January. Always a busy month, challenges include completing the CAO, submitting UCAS applications and preparing for mock exams. While CAO and UCAS processes will go ahead as normal, in many schools there is a lot of uncertainty about when, how and if the ‘mocks’ will go ahead. The ‘mocks’ are not a formal part of the Leaving Cert programme, however, every school chooses to hold them, often in February. They allow students to experience taking long exams, to practice timing and working under pressure and to assess what they know and don’t know. It gives them a clear understanding of what they need to work on.