How does the leaving certificate work over a two year period?

Abcrone

Hello my name is George,

I am going to be starting 4th year when I go back to school next month and I want to find out some information about the Leaving Certificate in advance.
Even though I am not going to be doing it anytime soon I still feel like it would be beneficial for me to be aware of what is coming up on the horizon, so to speak.

I heard that the Leaving Cert results were released recently and I was just curious to know how it is that the Leaving Cert is conducted over a two year period and how exactly do you get marked overall?

I’m a little confused, say for example that I decide to do Higher Level language subject such as Spanish as one of my Leaving Cert subjects and throughout the course of the entire year leading up to the first exams in 5th year I study tremendously hard and lets say I have progressed to the point at which I am an intermediate of the Spanish subject typically known as a B1 fluency level.

Then when it comes to the exams I go in and I do both the aural exam and written paper and I do reasonably well but say I don’t get one hundred percent of everything correct,
Lets say I get 75-80% of everything right.

So after I have completed my 5th year exams I continue to rigorously study all the subjects I had chosen all the way up to the following year when I take my 6th year final exams and this time around I have progressed to the point at which I am an advanced Spanish speaker on a C1 fluency level. So when I go to do my final Spanish exam I do very well getting nearly every question answered correctly in both the written and aural exams.

So what I’m confused about is what links the 5th year results with the 6th year results, If I don’t do as well in the first year in comparison to how well I might do in the final year how will that effect the results overall?


Also what do the marks equal to in points

If a paper is 300 marks overall what does that equal in points?


I would appreciate your comments and any useful links may be of some help too, Thanks.

MagicMarker

The only exams that count are the ones at the end of 6th year. Everything before that is irrelevant, except as maybe an indicator as to how well you're doing.

rainbowtrout

Internal school examinations do not count towards your Leaving Cert. Leaving Cert examinations (written) take place in June after the end of sixth year. Some components of subjects, e.g. oral examination in foreign languages, practical examinations in Construction and Engineering, take place typically between March - May of Sixth year at the same time in all schools. Those examinations are marked by an external examiner. Some subjects have a project component which is completed during sixth year (history and geography) and sent away with your written exam in June.

The points awarded for grades is due to change in two years time and your Leaving Cert year will be the first year of the new grading system.

Currently for example if you get 90-100% you get an A1 in a subject so marks in a subject are converted to grades.

In the case you gave above a student getting 270 or above out of 300 marks then you will be awarded an A1.

In a subject that is marked out of 600 you will be awarded an A1 if you get 540 or above.