Points could rise for courses after best exam results

THE Leaving Certificate points required for many top college courses are likely to rise slightly, due to some of the best results for a number of years, when almost 40,000 places are offered to school leavers and others on Monday.

Figures seen by the Irish Examiner show 18% of those seeking places through the Central Applications Office (CAO) have 450 out of a maximum 600 points — the highest proportion with such high marks ever, apart from 2007.

However, pressure may be less than in previous years for the very top courses that require at least 550 points, as just 2.6% of those applying with their Leaving Certificate results have such grades, compared to 2.9% in the last two years and 2.8% in 2006.