# Leaving cert points



## hendo (14 Aug 2008)

Note in papers that 560 to 580 points  and less in some cases will get a student into nearly any 3rd level course. But have been told that 600 points is max possible. Is this true? And what proportion of students would achieve 570 points or higher?


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## Ash 22 (14 Aug 2008)

Thats true. The highest points are needed for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary. 600 is max. See the girl down in Kerry got 9 A1s, fantastic but I often wonder is it necessary to be doing all these extra subjects when you can still only get 600 points anyway. Stress on the students?


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## DrMoriarty (14 Aug 2008)

600 points is the maximum possible under the CAO system (although some universities still award bonus points for hons. maths for the purpose of admission to certain scientific/technology-based courses).

IIRC, about 5% of students obtain >550 points.

This HEA report may be of interest: Discipline Choices and Trends for High Points CAO Acceptors.


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## Brianne (16 Aug 2008)

Ash 22 said:


> Thats true. The highest points are needed for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary. 600 is max. See the girl down in Kerry got 9 A1s, fantastic but I often wonder is it necessary to be doing all these extra subjects when you can still only get 600 points anyway. Stress on the students?


Kids like her don't get stressed at exam time!!!!

However , one wonders about some subjects, I remember being told that it is impossible to get an A in English ; that's not the case nowadays and yet third level colleges have a problem with the standard of English that many high point students have .


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## sidzer (17 Aug 2008)

Only 6 subjects can be used to calculate a students points tally in the leaving cert - the best 6 are chosen. 

A1 = 100 points
A2 = 90
B1 85
B2 80
B3 75
C1 70
C2 65
C3 60
D1 55
D2 50
D3 45
Above are points awarded for higher level subjects - subtract forty from each to get ordinary level scores..

570 is an excellent result and will enable access onto most college courses if not all....


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## rabbit (18 Aug 2008)

Brianne said:


> However , one wonders about some subjects, I remember being told that it is impossible to get an A in English ; that's not the case nowadays and yet third level colleges have a problem with the standard of English that many high point students have .


 
True, back in the seventies and eighties students did not get quarter as many A's and B's as todays students get....yet there was a lot of competition to get in to college / avoid the dole queue / emigration etc.  I wonder has the leaving got easier?


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## MrMan (18 Aug 2008)

rabbit said:


> True, back in the seventies and eighties students did not get quarter as many A's and B's as todays students get....yet there was a lot of competition to get in to college / avoid the dole queue / emigration etc.  I wonder has the leaving got easier?



Or maybe the access to information is better now with the internet and greater library resources. Also there are more carrots being dangled now with a much more varied range of possible careers for all and not just for the boys as was mainly the case in earlier years. I don't think kids now are smarter or dumber its just ambitions and aspirations have progressed immensely.


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## Mel (18 Aug 2008)

As well as more information, more access to grinds, grind schools etc. 
I think young people as a whole just take the exams more seriously now than maybe was the case in the past. Their expectations/ ambitions are higher and they work harder. 
I think the 'female factor' also has something to do with it. When I went to college (started 1995) I had a female friend whose parents refused to allow her continue to third level as her older siblings hadn't landed great jobs in the 80's when they finished college. A lot of girls were happy just to go to secretarial college in those days. Thankfully those attitudes seem to be long gone!


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## Ash 22 (18 Aug 2008)

Think its very unfair for primary teaching that Gaeltacht students get away with lower points for college entry. Why should this be. Just looking at 470 points for primary teaching Mary I but if your a student from the Gaeltacht you only need 435


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## Ciaraella (18 Aug 2008)

But the points change mainly based on popularity of courses, if students really want a course they can always choose a course in a less popular college if they don't have enough points for the same course in another college.


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## Ash 22 (18 Aug 2008)

What I mean is you need 470 points for primary teaching in Limerick and a student from the Gaeltacht only needs 435 for the same course in the same college. Its always been the same.  I had a wrong figure in my previous post which I have now corrected.


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## diarmuidc (19 Aug 2008)

DrMoriarty said:


> IIRC, about 5% of students obtain >550 points.
> 
> This HEA report may be of interest: Discipline Choices and Trends for High Points CAO Acceptors.



I think you read it slightly wrong. Around 5% of students *who accepted CAO places* got 550+ points. In 2006 52050 students did the Leaving Cert ([broken link removed]), of those 1488 (the HEA report above) got >550 points, so approx 2.9% (I think )


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## Crea (24 Aug 2008)

Another theory regarding the great points:
www.stopgradeinflation.ie


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## DrMoriarty (24 Aug 2008)

diarmuidc said:


> I think you read it slightly wrong. Around 5% of students *who accepted CAO places* got 550+ points. In 2006 52050 students did the Leaving Cert ([broken link removed]), of those 1488 (the HEA report above) got >550 points, so approx 2.9% (I think )


I stand (well, sit) corrected.


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