Calculated grades sees 64% fall in number of Leaving Certificate repeaters

The 64% reduction in the number of students unhappy with their results coincides with the cancellation of written examinations in the summer of 2020 due to Covid-19. Students were offered calculated grades, or the option to sit a written examination in winter of 2020, for each subject. Photo: Larry Cummins

Only 235 students repeated their Leaving Certificate in 2020, a drop of 64% on 2019 levels, following the introduction of calculated grades during the pandemic.

A report published by the Department of Education on Tuesday shows that the number of students who enrolled to repeat their Leaving Certificate fell from 655 in September 2019, to 235 in September 2020.