Wait nearly over for Leaving Cert students

The first Leaving Certificate results using a new grading system will issue to around 58,500 students tomorrow morning.

The replacement of As, Bs, Cs, and so on with a reduced number of new grades is part of a plan to lessen rote learning and make the race for college entry points less of a focus of Leaving Certificate preparations.

Around 59,400 people were entered to sit Leaving Certificate exams in June, including 2,800 doing the Leaving Certificate Applied, but the final number who go on to sit them each year is usually down around 1,000.

The system of eight new grades at both higher and ordinary levels sees each cover a range of 10 percentage points, with a H1 going for 90% to 100% at higher level, H2 for 80% to 89% and so on down to H8 for marks under 30%. There are similar bandings for grades at ordinary level, from O1 down to O8.

The reduction from 14 possible grades, which were mainly separated by just five percentage points, is intended to redress an imbalance between emphasis on exam techniques and learning the course content.

The old system leant itself to focusing more on the former as the narrow gap between each grade led to corresponding jumps of five points in the Central Applications Office system.

The CAO has also made changes to the points system as points awarded for each grade will no longer be a multiple of 5 or 10, except for the 100 points given for a H1.

This is intended to minimise the numbers of students who may lose out on entry to a college course due to random selection. That method sometimes has to be used by colleges when filling the last places on some courses, as there are a number of applicants on the same CAO points and not all of them can be accommodated.

There will be interest also in the participation levels at higher-level maths, and any impact from the awarding of CAO points for the first time to students with what was previously an E grade at higher level. Although a H7 grade, higher-level 30% to 40%, in maths will not earn a student bonus points, they will still get 37 points whereas a student with similar grade in previous years got no points.

The numbers taking higher-level maths have increased since 25 bonus points were awarded from 2012 for a D or higher in the subject. But the number levelled off at just over a quarter of students in 2016, with thousands usually dropping down to ordinary level in the weeks and days before the exam.

Just over one third indicated earlier in the year they would take the higher-level exam, in line with last year.

Tomorrow’s results will show if the ability to get points for a H7 influenced more to stick to the tougher papers. The 37 CAO points for a H7 is the same as a student would get for an O3, or 70% to 80% at ordinary level.

With the likelihood of more confusion over the new system, guidance counsellors are expected to be busy over the coming week. The National Parents Council Post Primary helpline will be operated again by Institute of Guidance Counsellors members on 1800 265165, from 10am tomorrow to Friday, and from 8am next Monday to Wednesday.

The Irish Examiner will publish details tomorrow of the numbers achieving each of the new grades in the main Leaving Certificate subjects.