2,000 students across Carlow & Kilkenny are set to get their Leaving Cert results at Department announces record grades nationwide

Leaving Cert students have received record grades this year.

Almost 60,000 will receive their results online this morning, about 2,000 of them across Carlow & Kilkenny.

The new calculated grading system, introduced due to Covid-19, shows an increase of 4.4% on average across all subjects.

The Department of Education says today’s results are “stronger” than a normal year, but that the grades estimated by teachers were higher again before the calculated grades system brought them down.

16.9% of grades have been cut back.

H1 grades of 90% and above, equivalent to the old A1, are up 3.3% at Higher Level and 1.7% at Ordinary Level.

There’s been a 3% rise in H1 grades in Higher-Level Irish, or over 800 more students picking up top marks compared with last year.

In English the increase was 1.3%, or nearly 600 more, and in Maths there was a 2% rise at higher level.

In Maths and Irish, the numbers graded at Foundation level has roughly halved.

In Art, Economics, Accounting, Business, Home Ec, the share of H1s at higher level has at least doubled, while in Music, they rose from 4.3% to 13.

Tyndall College Carlow Guidance Counsellor Gemma Lawlor is urging students who have an exemption from Irish or a second language to make sure it has been applied properly when they get their results saying “They really need to ensure that that exemption has been acknowledged by the NUI and some students may not have done that, the minimum entry requirements are the same for courses this year so that is something to ensure that you have done if you have an exemption from Irish make sure it has been ratified”.