Leaving Cert grades to be revamped from September

The Leaving Certificate grading system will be scrapped from September and replaced by a more general scheme to help relieve the points race.

Wed, 29 Apr, 2015 - 01:00

Fiachra Ó Cionnaith

Jan O’Sullivan, the education minister, will confirm moves today to change the 14 grade sub-divisions in the college entry tests to one based on eight more general grades which, she says, was for the benefit of pupils.

The new system, agreed by cabinet yesterday, will come into effect in the 2016/2017 Leaving Certificate year.

It means the first batch of pupils to be affected will be those currently sitting the Junior Certificate who will start the Leaving Certificate cycle when they begin transition year or fifth year in September. Teenagers currently studying for the college entry exam will be unaffected by the proposals.

Under the existing system, a reduction of five points applies for every 5% a pupil loses in the exam markings, with the changes noted by a two-step division for A grades (A1, A2) and a three point division for all other grades, for example B1, B2, and B3.

In addition, pupils do not receive any points if they do not pass the exams.

However, under the new system the “1, 2, 3” divisions within the grades will be replaced by a standard grade in order to ease the pressure on pupils who are at risk of losing vital CAO points if they drop just a few percent, while points will be awarded to pupils who narrowly fail higher level exams.

Anyone who receives a 90%-plus result will be given a H1 or O1 grade which will encapsulate an A1 grade at higher or ordinary level.

An all-inclusive H2 or O2 grade will be given for anyone who receives between 80 and 89%, formerly an A2 and B1, with further changes down through the points scale — including points for previously E and F grades.

The new system has been recommended by the presidents of Irish universities and institutes of technologies, which owns the CAO, and has been in development for the past three years.

An interim report on the issue earlier this year said the move is “in response to concerns the use of narrow bands puts pressure on students to achieve marginal gains in examination performance”.