The Leaving Certificate, also known as Gaeilge as the Árd Teist, was first established in this country in 1924 and the first papers were marked in 1925. It is the final examination in the secondary school system and also serves as the university matriculation exam. There was a time when these two were separate exams. It is for the senior school cycle, most of the participants are 16 to 19 years old, although an increasing number of mature student now sit the tests.