No results trend means points system unaffected

THE mixed changes in overall results in most Leaving Certificate subjects are likely to have no significant impact on points requirements needed for college, when the first offers are made next week.

The Central Applications Office (CAO) will put offers on its website at 6am on Monday and all applicants being offered a place should receive notification by post the next day.

However, Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) president Frank Mulvihill predicts there is no trend in exam results to suggest a major fall or rise in points across the board.

The results show a drop in the proportion of students getting higher level honours grades in some of the most popular subjects, including Irish, geography and French. However, these are mirrored by rises in top grades at higher level maths, biology, history, physics and art.

“At this stage, nobody knows the points scored by the few hundred people who applied for each of the courses on offer through the CAO so it’s impossible to predict any change for one course or another,” said Mr Mulvihill.

“The best advice for those unsure about the cut-off points is not to assume the worst, even if their results are short of the cut-off points for their preferred course last year,” he said.

The CAO received a record 65,401 applications for places at more than 40 colleges, up by 2,623 or 4% on last year. They include more than 41,000 of those who got Leaving Certificate results yesterday, 15,659 people who sat the exam in previous years, mature and overseas students, and those with further education qualifications.

Mr Mulvihill said further education courses offer opportunities each year for students who did not gain entry to their preferred third-level college, with their Leaving Certificate results, to do so in an alternative way.

The IGC is staffing the helpline run by the National Parents Council–Post Primary, (NPC-PP) which received around 800 calls between 8am and 10pm yesterday.

Mr Mulvihill said most calls were from parents, with queries relating to points calculations, the minimum requirements in certain subjects for college courses and the appeals process open to those unhappy with results.

Students can apply through their school up to next Tuesday to review a script, but must attend in person when viewing is arranged on Friday, August 31 or Saturday, September 1.

Those who wish to appeal and seek an upgrade must apply to the State Examinations Commission by September 5, with the outcomes being notified in mid-October.

* The NPC-PP helpline (1800 265 165) is open 8am-8pm today, 8am-4pm tomorrow, and operates from Monday to Thursday next week.

* Minimum entry requirements for all CAO courses is listed on www.qualifax.ie