The Leaving Cert is going to be quite different for future students

The new points scale for Leaving Cert students, which will directly affect any incoming fifth year students.

This is the first significant change to the state examinations in almost twenty years. Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan outlined the plans to change the grading of the Leaving Cert today.

Speaking about the changes she said:

“The new scale has been designed to minimise random selection for third level entry, which can be a source of huge frustration for students and their families.

It will also reward students who aim higher, both where they take the risk of sitting a higher level paper and for succeeding in those papers to a high standard.”

The changes will include a reduction in the number of possible grades to be awarded to students from 14 to 8.

Instead of the current A1 to NG scale, from 2017 onwards, students will be eligible to receive a grade of H1 to H7 for Higher level papers with Ordinary level papers going from O1 to O7.

Students who take on Higher levels subjects and earn more than 30 to 39 per cent in the exam. At the moment those percentages qualify as a failing grade, but the new changes will mean students could still earn CAO points with such a grade.  

Those who choose to take on Higher level Maths papers will also be able to earn extra points.

The new system will come into effect from the state exams due to take place in 2017. The new grading scale is hoped to help in alleviating some of the pressure many students face in their final years of secondary school.