Points set to rise as more students make the grade
The nervous wait for the 59,525 students who sat the exam will end this morning when the results are made available in schools, on the internet and by phone.
The number of students who scored five A1s or more 500 CAO points rose from 362 last year to 391. A further 1,659 candidates received top marks in either three or four subjects, compared to 1,428 last year.
There were increases in the number of As awarded in 16 of the 31 subjects, including higher level English (10% of candidates), geography (7.5%), history (15%), German (12%), Spanish (19.9%), applied maths (29%), music (18%), art (8%), physics (18%), chemistry (26%) and biology (19%).
The overall increase in higher grades coincides with the first year of the Leaving and Junior Certificates being run by the State Examinations Commission. It was set up by Education Minister Noel Dempsey earlier this year to create an exams process independent of his department.
Failure rates in ordinary level maths fell again this year to 11.7%, down from 14.4% last year. However, the figures still mean more than 4,500 students may be ineligible for most college courses.
Brian Mooney, president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, said the grades could see many courses hotly contested.
"A much higher number of students got A1s or A2s across the wide range of higher level papers, which would suggest individual points scores will rise," he said.
"As a result, it's likely that the points will be higher for courses where competition is keen," Mr Mooney said.
The first round of college place offers will be sent out by the Central Applications Office (CAO) next Tuesday. Last year, only 47,000 of the 65,639 CAO applicants received an offer in the first round and about 100 more people have applied this year.
While 956 fewer CAO applicants listed an arts or social science degree as their first preference this year, increased demand for engineering, technology, art and medicine courses could see points requirements in these areas rising significantly.
Education Minister Noel Dempsey said, while the exam results are important, they should not take away from every other aspect of young people's lives.
"They are a step, a very important one at this time, in their educational progress so far. We must remember that what matters most is each person's individual achievement over their lifetime, rather than the results of one exam," he said.
The National Parents Council (Post Primary) Helpline - 1800 265 165 - is open until 10pm today, from 9am-10pm tomorrow and 9am-6pm on Friday.
