As the Leaving Certificate results are released, many students across Ireland feel a familiar tension. The pressure is intense, as these results often seem like the be-all and end-all, determining future success. The narrative that academic performance directly correlates with career success is widespread, leaving many students and their families feeling that securing a place through the Central Applications Office (CAO ) is the only acceptable outcome.
While exam results are important, it is crucial to acknowledge the other various pathways available for students to achieve their educational and career goals. For instance, up to 20% of places in high-demand CAO courses are reserved for graduates of Further Education programmes, offering an alternative route for those who may not meet traditional points requirements but show potential. Additionally, non-CAO entry routes, such as Further Education and Training (FET ) courses, Mature Student Entry through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL ), direct entry programmes like HEAR and DARE, apprenticeships, and online learning, cater to the diverse needs of learners.
The ghost of the pandemic continues to echo around school halls. For the fifth year in a row, students have received significantly higher grades than previous years. In 2020, with the exams cancelled and students receiving estimated grades from their teachers, the number of higher marks soared, pulling CAO points up with them. Senior academics in higher education institutions have complained that students are entering college with inflated grades that leave them unprepared for the particular challenges of college. But unwinding the process has proven difficult, because it would disadvantage the current set of students compared with those who sat the exam between 2020 and 2024 and who may have deferred a college place. Keeping things as they are, however, means that students who sat the exams before the pandemic are at a disadvantage, and the grades are not an accurate reflection of their work. Despite this, The Minister for Education, Norma Foley, has said grades should gradually begin to return to normal next year – but that’s after the election, and a new minister may be in place then and reluctant to grasp this nettle.
Leaving Cert Results: A Slight Downward Trend
About 80 per cent of the class of 2024 completed transition year and, because of the pandemic, did not sit the junior cycle exams. For them, it is their first set of State exams results. This year, a total of 60,839 candidates received Leaving Cert results, with 56,791 of these sitting the established Leaving Cert programme and 4,048 sitting the Leaving Cert Applied (LCA). The number of students sitting the LCA has risen this year, by a relatively significant 8.5 per cent. This may be because the concurrent growth of Post-Leaving Cert, apprenticeship and traineeship courses means that, relative to five years ago, CAO points have become less important. With senior cycle reform on the education agenda, many have pointed to the LCA, which places a greater emphasis on life skills and vocational skills than terminal exams, as a model worth exploring.
So, to the big question: are grades up, down or about the same as last year? Bear in mind that, in any given year, there is always some degree of fluctuation but, until 2020 at least, this has tended to be within a given range. All bets have been off since then. This year, however, an analysis of grades suggests that there is a slight, subtle downward trend in marks awarded in many subjects, with others staying relatively steady.
The Subject Breakdown: English, Maths, and More
The Irish curriculum is often panned. If we spend 14 years in school learning the language, why are we, collectively, still so bad at it? But this belies that Irish consistently has the highest number of top grades outside minority languages and music – subjects that tend to attract students who are already reasonably skilled. Last year, 15.7 per cent of students received a H1, a rise of 3 percentage points from 2022. In 2024, there’s some indication of a slight downward trend: 14.1 per cent of students received a H1. Meanwhile, 19.9 per cent received a H2, down from 21.8 per cent the previous year, while 23.7 per cent secured a H3 both this year and last year.
Students are often simplistically divided into those who prefer English and those who prefer maths. Those who prefer maths may have an advantage, as English remains one of the hardest subjects to get a H1 in, perhaps because marking schemes have always struggled to capture the subjective nature of good or bad writing. Conversely, however, English has one of the lower failure rates: maths may be more black and white, but that also makes it easier to get wrong. This year, 6.9 per cent secured top marks in English, compared with 7.5 per cent last year. A total of 17.5 per cent secured a H2 and 29.3 per cent a H3 compared with, respectively, 17.4 per cent and 29 per cent in 2023. Just 0.2 per cent failed.
The reintroduction of bonus points for higher level maths in 2012 has had a big impact on the numbers taking the subject and, of course, on CAO points. Every student who gets a H6 or higher gets these valuable 25 extra points, which can make all the difference. Last year, H1s dropped significantly, from 18.1 per cent to 11.2 per cent. This year, however, the number of H1s is up to 12.6 per cent. Overall, an impressive 96.6 per cent of all students who sat the higher-level paper will receive the full 25 bonus points. For ordinary-level students, the number of O1s is up for the second year in a row, this time rising from 9.8 per cent to 11.6 per cent.
The Wider Implications
The opening up and expansion of new routes to further and higher education means that students have more choice and routes to education than ever before. In addition to traditional CAO routes, there are also a number of alternative pathways that students can explore, such as Further Education and Training (FET ) courses, Mature Student Entry through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL ), direct entry programmes like HEAR and DARE, apprenticeships, and online learning. These alternative routes offer students greater flexibility and choice, allowing them to pursue their chosen path without necessarily needing to rely solely on their Leaving Certificate results.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Education
The Leaving Cert, while a significant milestone for students, is just one step in their educational journey. For those who wish to pursue further education, there are many opportunities available. The MyCareerPath programme, launched in 2022, is a valuable resource for students who are looking to explore their career options. It provides personalized assessment and tailored coaching to help young learners identify their unique strengths and begin charting their own career journey. The programme emphasizes the importance of understanding one's strengths and choosing courses or career options that align with them, recognizing that students perform best in courses to which they are suited.
While grade inflation has been a concern, the expansion of alternative pathways to education, combined with innovative resources like MyCareerPath, signifies a more nuanced and flexible approach to education. It's important for students to understand the full spectrum of options available to them and make informed decisions about their future, beyond relying solely on Leaving Certificate results.
The emphasis on a balanced approach to education, embracing diverse pathways and personal strengths, is a crucial step in empowering students to navigate their career journeys effectively, regardless of their starting point, while also helping them to achieve a more fulfilling and balanced life.
