• TEG & PME (Primary)
    As Gaeilge

    TEG & PME (Primary)

    Institutions of Education will again be offering the Professional Master in Education (PME - Primary Teaching) in September 2024. As part of the entry process, applicants are required to take the Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) Meánleibhéal 1 (B1) Irish-language oral examination.  Applicants must achieve 65% or higher in this oral examination to satisfy entry requirements. Further information and sample exam papers are available below.

    Exam dates: January 2026

    Please note that spaces are filled on a first-come-first-served bases. If a centre or date isn't appearing on the form, that means it is full. In this case, please apply for a different centre/date.

    Candidates may not sit more than one exam on the same day. 

    Results will be released in mid-March.

    If you have any queries about the TEG exam, please email teanga@mu.ie or call 01 708 3737.  

    If you have any queries about the PME programme, you should make direct contact with the relevant institution:

    • DCU Institute of Education, St. Patrick’s Campus, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. ioe@dcu.ie 01-8842212   
    • Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University froebel.department@mu.ie  01-4747400
    • Anne-Marie Hannon, Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Rd, Limerick. admissions@mic.ul.ie 061-204929
    • Helen Johnston, Admissions Officer, Institute of Education, Marino, Dublin 9. admissions@mie.ie 01-8057742  

    Please read the below FAQs carefully.

    Which institutions of education will be using TEG Intermediate 1 (B1) as a competency language exam for the PME?

    • DCU Institute of Education
    • Froebel Department, Maynooth University
    • Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
    • Marino Institute of Education

    Can I sit the exam online?

    If you are living abroad and cannot come to Ireland for the exam, please contact teg@mu.ie as soon as possible.

    What TEG exam is required to apply for the PME?

    If you have a result of a H4 from the Leaving Cert Irish exam, you are required to get a result of at least 65% in the TEG B1 oral exam. If you don't have a H4 from Leaving Cert, however, a pass (50%) in the full B2 exam is accepted as an alternative. If you need any clarification regarding these requirements, we advise you to contact the relevant institution of education directly. Further information on the TEG B2 exam can be found here. 

    I have a degree in Irish. Do I have to do this exam?

    Yes, everybody who applies for the PME (Primary Education) must take this oral exam to satisfy the course entry requirements. 

    I passed a TEG exam last year (2022). Will this be accepted in 2024?

    The following TEG certificates from 2022 or 2023 will be accepted:

    • TEG Meánleibhéal 1 (B1) with a mark of 65% or higher, 
    • a pass or higher at TEG Meánleibhéal 2 (B2),
    • or a pass or higher at TEG Ardleibhéal 1 (C1)

    If you have a TEG certificate which meets these criteria, you can upload this to the PAC/Maestro* application system along with your transcripts and other certificates as part of your application to the programme.

    What happens on the day of the exam?

    We encourage you to read the above exam guidelines carefully and to look at the video above.

    What happens after the exam?

    You will receive your results by email before the deadline for applications to the PME.

    (a) If you achieve over 65% in the exam, you must upload a copy of the TEG result to the PAC/Maestro* system, as part of your PME application. The relevant institution of education will be in touch with you in due course.

    (b) If you are not successful in the exam, you will have a week to appeal your result with the TEG office. Further information about the appeals process is available here. Appeal results will be issued the following week. 

    If I pass the oral exam will I get a TEG certificate?

    Should you achieve 50% or higher in the oral exam, you will receive a Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge certificate (Partial Certification) which will show that you have achieved Meánleibhéal 1 (B1) in spoken Irish. Please note that you must achieve 65% or higher to be eligible to move forward in the admissions process for the PME.

    If I plan to apply for the PME in 2026, could I take the B1 exam in 2024?

    Certainly. A TEG B1 certificate from 2024 with a mark of 65% or over in the oral exam will be accepted as part of the PME application process in 2025 and 2026. For those applying for the PME, TEG Certificates are valid for a two year period. For further information about our summer exam schedule, click here.  

    If I have paid the exam fee and can no longer attend the exam, will my fee be refunded?

    If a candidate withdraws from the exam more than 20 days before the exam, the following conditions will apply:

    (i) Full certification: the exam fee will be refunded but a €40 administration fee will apply
    (ii) Partial certification: the exam fee will not be refunded

    If a candidate withdraws from the exam less than 20 days period prior to the exam, the exam fee will not be refunded unless the candidate supplies a valid doctor’s certificate.

    Will the exam fee be refunded if I am successful in the exam?

    No. The exam fee is non-refundable.

    I registered for the TEG exam but I haven’t heard from the TEG office. What should I do?

    Immediately after registration, you should receive an automated response by email. That email will include your transaction ID and a receipt for the exam fee that you paid. If you did not receive this, please email teg@mu.ie immediately. If you have received this, you will receive your exam details by email 10-14 days before the exam.