High exam points spark new 'dumbing down' concerns

The large number of students getting high points in the Leaving Cert is reportedly sparking new concerns that the exams may have "dumbed down" in recent years.

Reports this morning said 17% of Leaving Cert students received at least 450 points last year, compared to just 6.2% when the current points system was introduced in 1992.

A similar situation is playing out at the bottom end of the scale, with 12% getting less than 100 points last year, compared to 23% in 1992.

Dr Edward Walsh, a former chairman of the Curriculum and Examinations Board, says the figures raise some serious questions, including whether some exams have been "dumbed down" and whether high points are being awarded in certain subjects in an effort to encourage students to study those subjects.

Other experts say examiners have been more generous since marked scripts have become available to students, while students are also getting grinds and studying harder due to the "tyranny" of the points system.

The Department of Education is putting the improved performance down to reforms designed to make exams more accessible and student-friendly.