Traditional exams or calculated grades? Here are five options for the Leaving Cert

While no decisions have yet been made on what will be done for this year's Leaving Cert, here are some of the options on the table

It remains to be seen if this year's Leaving Cert will go ahead as planned. File picture

No decision has been made yet about what changes, if any, will be made to this year’s Leaving Cert. But there are a few options that could be considered. Here, we take a look at some of their pros and cons.

‘Traditional’ exams 

Students sitting written exams. Some changes have already been made to the ‘traditional’ exams, mainly focused on offering students more choices when it comes to questions.

Pros: Often accused of being outdated, the written exams are still seen as ‘tried and tested’. Before last year, the exams ran smoothly every summer, acting as a rite of passage for thousands of students as they finished school. 

This traditional format is also entwined with the transition to third level, meaning that if the exams go ahead this summer as they usually do, there’ll be minimal disruption in terms of the timeline for college entry. 

The ‘traditional exams’ are also seen as the fairest option. Students are anonymous and graded on their performance that day. In theory, this means  grading is free from bias based on a student’s background or how they are perceived by their school.

Cons: The longer students are out of the classroom, the more inequitable the exams become, particularly for disadvantaged students or students with special educational needs. 

Thousands of students attending exam halls each day is also contingent on whether or not public health says it is safe to do so. This means there could be a small chance they might have to renege on these plans closer to the time if there are spikes in virus transmission. Exams may have to be shortened, and detailed contingency plans on what to do in terms of an outbreak will have to be developed.

Calculated grades

The grading model introduced last year after the summer exams were called off. This saw teachers’ estimates being used to grade students, which were then ‘standardised’ by the Department of Education.

Pros: Calculated grades took the pressure off students last year, who experienced months of ups and downs while the Leaving Cert debacle played out. The level of anxiety and worry among students at the time cannot be underestimated, so this was a big pro.

Cons: The calculated grades system was not fantastic, to say the least. It was developed quickly in an emergency situation. Aside from the errors, the system wasn’t popular with teachers or principals but accepted due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the emergency. 

While many students had called for calculated grades, for a finish they weren’t the most popular with every student, particularly those who saw how they were marked by their teachers, or how their grades were changed by the Department of Education.

An option of written exams or calculated grades

This is something a significant portion of students who took part in a recent survey by the Irish Second-Level Students Union (ISSU) indicated a preference for.

Pros: Having the choice would take some of the pressure off students, who have missed a significant chunk of in-class learning during their senior cycle due to school closures.

Cons: A lot would depend on the timing. This option is likely to have some knock-on effects for third-level entry, both here and if students are applying to study abroad. 

While students had the option to sit written exams in November and December of 2020, this wasn’t in time for college this year. Logistics also might prove to be an issue, as exam supervisors and markers will have to be available.

‘Open the Gates’ 

This was one of the ideas mooted last year that basically proposed that every student be granted entry to their preferred course as a once-off, given the circumstances.

Pros: As well as taking pressure off students, an ‘open the gates’ approach could go down as one of the single most revolutionary moves in history here in terms of equity and access to third-level education.

Cons: It would be a big experiment, at a time when students need and deserve certainty. This type of approach would have knock-on effects for the entire third-level system and could lead to an increase in college drop-out rates.

Matriculation-style exam 

Another idea proposed last year during contingency planning for the exam. It would involve sitting an exam for a course, and some form of an interview.

Pros: This would be a more flexible way to assess students’ different abilities and suitability for a particular course, rather than the rigid “points race”.

Cons: It would involve quite a lot of logistics and the cooperation of each third-level institution. It would also end up being a lot more work for students, as they may have to sit exams or take interviews at multiple colleges based on their preferences.