Jess Casey: School marks show just how close some students came to achieving their courses

"I just felt sick when I saw them," one student told the Irish Examiner

Some 20% of grades awarded by schools to higher level student were downgraded, leaving some students frustrated. File picture.

Without a doubt, the CAO can be a cruel process that, every year, sees some students miss out on their chosen college courses, sometimes by as little as a single point. 

However this year, it has been further complicated by the fact students caught a glimpse of ‘what might have been’ when they received their school-estimates for their calculated grades on Monday as the appeals process opened.