What if something happens?

Naikon

Now I may be a bit pessimistic, but what if for example while you were about to sit the LC some major event like a Death or serious injury/problem occurs in the final run up to the exams?

Why does the LC not cover personal circumstances, I mean you could be "thrown off" at any point which might not in final terms be indicative of the work you put in.
I may sound like a bit of a moaning Micheal, but I find it hard to believe exams like the SAT ACT etc are held more than once a year, Unlike the LC.
Why should anybody arse around for a whole year for the sake of a 3 hour exam?:mad:

Opinions:D

Haven't a Clue

Yep, it's ridiculous. I felt proper sorry for those ones in Meath who had to take the Leaving about a week after a bus crash were a few pupils were killed. Maybe it was two years ago.

But yeah, it's absolutely ridiculous.

eZe^

It really sucks on this guy who was in our school a couple of years ago, he was going for medicine in college, really intelligent guy and broke out in hives in the middle of his physics exam, he ended up with a C in physics and since he was doing pass irish he missed out on medicine by a couple of points. He repeated the next year though, doing Medicine in Royal College I think.

the_syco

Think its only family deaths, or nothing would be done.

Naikon

I remember that, it was during my junior cert in 05.
I remember the exams contained something about writing a story letter about a Bus crash aswell.:mad:

Haven't a Clue

Naikon wrote:

I remember that, it was during my junior cert in 05.
I remember the exams contained something about writing a story letter about a Bus crash aswell.:mad:

Yeah, yer right. Poor bastards.

Naikon

Haven't a Clue wrote:

Yeah, yer right. Poor bastards.

Tell me about it:(

rediguana

My bro bust up his arm before his JC a few years ago. They made some allowance for him, the details of which I forget. His results still sucked but he certainly couldn't blame his useless arm.

Naikon

Well, thats understandable.
But a serious emotional event like a death or something is much worse.

spurious

If 'something' happened a note would be put in with your paper outlining what happened, or a morning exam time could be re-arranged to facilitate attendance at a funeral.

I have corrected papers where a candidate had had a family bereavement. It's a common enough event, sadly.

Naikon

Fair enough, but what really annoys me is that the exam is offered once every calender year and in this day and age is a little unacceptable givin that such events can occur on short notice, and I think more than a few hours should be givin in the event of a family crisis etc.
Of course this would bring huge expense to the government, but it would help to somewhat "modernise" the LC.
The exam format hasent changed much since the 1920,s which is a little weird.

Haven't a Clue

Even if the exam is delayed by a couple of hours though, it'll make no difference to the outcome of the exam for the student. They're gonna be in no frame of mind to take an exam for about a week, never mind just a couple of hours.

Naikon

True, My Grandfather died this Christmas, and I still feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes.
Besides, your frame of mind would be shattered.
This exam needs some sort of overhaul.....badly.

ZorbaTehZ

Naikon wrote:

I may sound like a bit of a moaning Micheal, but I find it hard to believe exams like the SAT ACT etc are held more than once a year

SAT's are held at different times of the year because:

• Per test date you can only do either: three subject tests or the reasoning test (except for the march date)
• You can only do a max of three subject tests per test date.
• Certain subject tests are only offered on certain dates (afaik American History)
• There needs to be early test dates to facilitate the different application deadlines - that are not consistent throughout the US or even throughout state.
• Early test-dates, i.e. the ones in September/October/December need to be available to facilitate early application options offered by certain colleges.
• Because the US is so enormous in terms of social diversity, they need to be able to offer the test-dates on days that do not violate a persons religious beliefs or cultural backgroud i.e. test-dates on the Sabbath.
• Unlike in Ireland - different subject's courses can finish at different times and since the students are encouraged to take an exam as soon as they finish the course, the different test-dates are necessary.

ACT for the same reasons.
Just thought I'd make it clear that in no way can you compare the two.
TBH I don't really have an opinion on this, I have no problem with the current layout.

Naikon

My bad:o
I still think the current "all or nothing" format could be improved.

tolosenc

Although, if you are 'physically sick' (for want of a better term) while sitting an exam, you are given a C3, no?

shazzyshaz

yeah its sad, there should be summer repeat opportunities for exams, or perhaps one in the winter...

spurious

Are SATs not filled in on Lotto type sheets that are read by machine?
That makes them MUCH easier to run as an 'exam' as you do not need to assemble a staff to correct them.

I don't think an exam based on multiple choices is an ideal, though I agree a second (possibly limited in terms of the range of subjects) sitting of the LC should be considered. From what I know, this has been discussed in the SEC on and off over the last few years. It will eventually come, it's a matter of logistics really.

Naikon

I reckon so.
Yeah, the SAT etc are score sheets with multiple answers which are fed into a computer for calculation.
I dont know if this is a punch card data system like the computers people used before electronic memory and stored programming methods, although it probably is if its a card based system.

It may have obvious limits but I think its far more efficient than human based correcting, with the added bonus that no mistakes/favoritism would occur.
you get what you deserve basically.
[SIZE=-1] [/SIZE]

ZorbaTehZ

spurious wrote:

I don't think an exam based on multiple choices is an ideal, though I agree a second (possibly limited in terms of the range of subjects) sitting of the LC should be considered.

Over two million people all over the world take the SAT every year. To put together a group of people to correct the tests would be totally impractical and (as you mention) a logistical nightmare.
Afaik the essay in the reasoning test, is the only part that needs to be corrected by hand, but since these essays are based on "broad philosophical concepts" almost any teacher can make a good job correcting them, notwithstanding the fact that they are usually 2 pages long only and are marked in an "out of ten" way.

No, the range of subjects is enormous - they find really ingenious ways of getting around the likes of english and the languages.

The multiple choice system they use (at least in the tests I took) is 2 marks for a correct answer, -0.25 for an incorrect answer and 0 marks for not answering, so therefore a student can only use the process of elimination situationally, i.e. he is an idiot if he just ticks boxes hoping for the right answer.
Another way they get around the disadvantages of using the multiple choice option is in the marking scheme. They use an extremely high-ended distribution curve to mark and therefore, you need to be scoring very very high to get the equivalent of an Irish A1.