Brian Mooney: Waiting almost over for Leaving Cert students
New grading system and CAO points structure may cause confusion
Most schools announce in advance what time they will be distributing the Leaving Cert results, in individual envelopes to each candidate. Photograph: Getty Images
External candidates who registered individually with the State Examinations Commission (SEC) had the option of receiving their results by post on Wednesday at their home address.
The SEC will make all Leaving Cert results available online from noon on Wednesday on examinations.ie.
To access the results online a student or their representative will need both their Leaving Cert examination number and an individual pin code supplied to them earlier this year by their school. Anyone missing either number can secure it through their own school .
Most schools announce in advance what time they will be distributing the results, in individual envelopes to each candidate, usually between 9-10am. At around 7am the school principal will have visited the local post office to collect the all-important envelope from the SEC.
Before the students arrive each principal, along with their deputy and guidance counsellor, will review each student’s results to identify anyone whose grades may cause disappointment, upset or distress. This enables teachers to approach these particular students after they open their envelope and put the outcome of their Leaving Cert in context. They will also be able to advise any student about all options open to them.
New grading system
This year’s Leaving Cert sees the introduction of a new grading system and CAO points structure.
At higher level there are seven bands of 10 per cent each, from 100 down to 30, for which CAO points are secured.
Crucially, students who secure 30 per cent on a higher paper from 2017 onwards are deemed to have met the requirement set by colleges whose entry requirements require specific subjects to be passed.
