May 2026 Exam Results Update

TU Dublin Students’ Union has consistently heard the concerns raised by students throughout this academic year, particularly regarding registration during the first semester and the delayed release of exam results in recent months. One of the primary concerns raised is the impact on students’ academic prospects, including the knock-on effects on graduate applications and external placement opportunities. 

In response to the students' more recent concerns over Semester 2 exams, the Executive team has met with the University staff responsible for exam processes over the past several weeks. During these conversations, we have advocated for students and highlighted the problems that have been caused by the delayed results of Semester 1 exams, specifically regarding the uncertainty around academic progress and the mental health implications this may have on students. We discussed what went wrong previously, how these issues could be avoided, and sought clear assurances that these failures will not be repeated during the May exam period.  

Following discussions and questions raised with the Exams Lead, we can confirm:  

Safeguards and Student Welfare Supports: 

To proactively communicate welfare supports to students, a communications plan has been developed by TU Dublin. Information surrounding these supports has also been shared with the Students’ Union, and the Summer Exams Project Lead and Communications representative have committed to meeting with the Students’ Union biweekly throughout this period. 

Due to the impact that uncertainty and delays may have on students’ mental well-being and exam performance, the University recognised the detrimental effect of this situation. Communications regarding the supports available to students as members of the TU Dublin community will be further emphasised going forward. 

May Exams Project Team and System Capabilities: 

The project team composition was shared with the Students’ Union Executive. We were assured that the reallocation of team members will not impact other essential services, as there will be prioritisation of work, risk assessments, and communication between key offices. 

It was also confirmed that the exam system will have the necessary capacity and performance to handle peak demand during results processing. 

Communication Strategy Moving Forward: 

The University has stated that learnings from previous exam sessions have been incorporated, and that additional support has been put in place to ensure clarity, transparency, and responsiveness in communications with students throughout this period. 

A dedicated communications strategy has also been developed for disseminating information to students regarding exams and results. 

While we note that learnings from previous exam sessions have been identified and that additional supports are reportedly in place, this does not negate the fact that critical information was provided well outside the expected timeframe that the Students' Union Executive and the University agreed on. 

The Students’ Union Executive team had initially planned to hold a Town Hall meeting and issue a formal statement during April 2026. However, this was contingent on receiving all relevant and accurate documentation - documentation that was not provided until two weeks after it was formally requested. 

As TU Dublin Students’ Union, we strive to gather accurate, transparent and relevant information, and we pride ourselves on this.  

This delay in information significantly undermined our ability to communicate with students. It prevented us from communicating accurate information in a timely manner and from facilitating a town hall meeting, which would have provided students with a direct avenue to voice their concerns. This level of delay is disappointing. The Students' Union was hoping the University was more organised, given all the meetings and discussions we had with them; however, this does not appear to be the case. 

We acknowledge one point of reassurance, that there is a firm deadline of June 19th for the exam assessment boards to be complete, as academic staff will be on leave thereafter in line with the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. Given the previous issues experienced to date, i.e. the release of exam results months after exams were taken, expectations around the exam timeline may need to be managed. 

Our next steps will be to continue to monitor the examination process as a key stakeholder and to constantly lobby to ensure that students receive the best outcome.

We want to assure students that their Students’ Union is actively advocating on their behalf and consistently raising their concerns during this time. 

This has been a message from TU Dublin Students' Union.