Bonus points for Leaving Cert higher-level maths has led 'to decline in standards', study finds

The study found more than two-thirds of students surveyed said the bonus points was the key motivating factor to them opting to study higher-level maths.

Offering extra Leaving Cert points for sitting the higher level maths exam may actually be causing standards to decline among students in Ireland, a new study has found.

Researchers at the University of Limerick, University College Cork, and Mary Immaculate College examined the impact of the bonus of up to 25 points for higher-level maths, which was introduced in 2011 and has seen an almost 130% increase in students taking this option in that time.