The State Examinations Commission is the organisation that replaced the Department of Education and Science, Examinations Branch by order of the Minister of Education. The Department of Education and Science was formerly called the Department of Education until 1997.
The commission oversees the state examinations at secondary education level in the Republic of Ireland, its offices are located in Athlone County Westmeath in central Ireland. The two examinations the commission overseas, accrediting and certifying them, are the:
Typically about 60,000 students present for each of these examinations each year, generally commencing on the second Wednesday of June. The commission holds the results of public examinations carried out by the Intermediate Education Board for Ireland (1879 - 1924), these include the Junior Grade, Middle Grade and Senior Grade. A list of the Departments former examinations include:
| Years | Examination |
| 1924-1991 | Intermediate Certificate |
| 1929-1967 | Primary Certificate |
| 1947-1991 | Group Certificate |