A Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) is a piece of work your teenager completes during normal class time, set and assessed by their own teacher rather than by a state exam. Every Junior Cycle subject has two: CBA 1 is usually done in second year, CBA 2 in third year, and each is given time in class across a number of weeks rather than sat in one sitting.
Instead of a percentage or grade, a CBA is described using a small number of quality levels (your teenager's school can tell you exactly which descriptors they use). After CBA 2, students complete a short, formal Assessment Task reflecting on that CBA, which is the part that does feed into the final state-certified result.
Because exact dates, formats and local arrangements vary by school and can change year to year, this page explains the general shape of CBAs — always check the specifics (deadlines, submission format, exact marking approach) with your teenager's teacher.
Where to start
- 1Understand the brief. Read the actual task sheet your teenager brought home — CBA briefs vary by school and by year, so the unit pages below are a guide to the skills involved, not a substitute for the real brief.
- 2Know what has to be produced. Is it a written piece, a spoken presentation, a practical project, a portfolio of work? Get this clear before starting.
- 3Get started early. CBAs run over several weeks of class time — starting the research, planning or first draft early avoids a last-minute scramble.
- 4Keep the right evidence. Drafts, notes, corrections and photos of practical work all count as evidence of the process, not just the finished piece.
- 5Check everything is covered. Before handing it in, go back to the brief and confirm every requirement has been addressed.
CBA units by subject
History
Geography
Applied Technology
Engineering
Home Economics
Wood Technology
Spanish, Together doesn't yet have dedicated CBA units in this pathway — check back as the site is updated, or see the subject's other units for related speaking and portfolio skills.