Sorting Leaving Cert grade inflation a test in which next government needs to achieve top marks

Pandemic era grade inflation is set to continue into the 2025 Leaving Cert. How do we move away from it for once and for all?

The proportion of students achieving the top grades is often doubling. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

A quick comparison of Leaving Cert results now compared to pre-pandemic grades shows just how much better students are doing now compared to then.

Take English. In 2019, 3% of students who sat the higher-level paper achieved a H1, the highest mark. In 2024, 6.9% of students got a H1.