Colleges offer students another chance at maths

THE difficulties with meeting maths requirements for some courses are being addressed through special exams at several colleges.

With strict entry requirements setting out minimum grades in higher level maths for a range of courses, efforts have been made over a number of years to facilitate those who fall short of the standard but who otherwise have met the CAO points threshold.

At National University of Ireland, Galway for example, the college of engineering has provided a special entrance exam for more than 20 years for applicants to its engineering degrees who did not get the required C3 or better at higher level Leaving Certificate maths.

It is also open to applicants who sat ordinary level maths, but who have satisfied all other entry criteria, to take the exam.

A free five-day preparatory course, in which lecturers will also demonstrate mathematical applications in engineering, will run from tomorrow until next Tuesday, but is not obligatory.

Success in the test next Wednesday will also be deemed adequate to meet the requirements for two of NUIG’s science degrees: computer science and IT or project and construction management.

Applications for the special maths exam must be made to the college’s admissions office by 5pm next Monday, with further information available from 091 492101 or www.nuigalway.ie/engineering/specialmaths.html.

At Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), a second chance maths exam is being organised for the first time this year to students who applied for courses and had the required CAO points but did not satisfy the requirement for maths. On Wednesday, August 31, the two papers of a standard similar to the Leaving Certificate ordinary level will be taken at the college’s main campus.

“We believe that this second chance route will encourage students to engage with maths and will provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate their competence in the subject. Too much rests on their performance on one day of the year,” said WIT registrar Dr Derek O’Byrne.

A student can use a better grade in the exam than their Leaving Certificate result for all WIT courses except nursing and the B Eng in electronic engineering.

Further information is available from 051 302042, www.wit.ie or email: [e-mail]

City of Waterford VEC may also offer a revision course, subject to demand, for intending participants from Tuesday to Friday of next week.

University of Limerick also offers an entrance maths exam for students who applied for courses in science and engineering there with the required CAO points but who do not achieve the required higher or ordinary level maths grade for the relevant course. It will take place tomorrow week, August 25 and applications must be sent by next Tuesday.

Further information is available from 061 202421 or 202642, or visit www.ul.ie/admissions.