The ups and downs of results 2012
IT HAS been a good year for higher level maths and Irish but the jury is still out on project maths and science. Certainly, the students who decided to take a chance at higher level maths this year will be delighted. The failure rate is down, despite the extra candidates and anyone who managed a D3 or higher has an extra 25 CAO points to bring to the table. Offers come out on Monday and points are on the up.
One interesting development to emerge from the figures today is the decline in the number of external candidates sitting the exams. Students who attend so-called grind schools are listed as external candidates, as are students who opt to sit the exams as individuals. There were 4,361 external candidates for the Leaving Certificate 2009. That number dropped to 2,851 this year. A sign of the economic times for parents perhaps?
HAPPY DAYS FOR IRISH
After seeing an alarming decline in the numbers taking higher level Irish over the past few years, 2012 was a very good year. An increase of almost 1,600 students taking the subject at higher level (that’s up by 11 per cent on last year) has reversed the trend completely. Fewer students opted for ordinary and foundation level this year. The change in attitude can be linked to the decision six years ago to double the marks for oral work for students who started secondary school in 2006. The oral Irish exam is now worth 40 per cent of the total mark
Irish is normally a subject in which students do well. This year is no exception with 17 per cent of higher level students managing an A grade and more than 87 per cent achieving an honour.
RISK PAYS OFF FOR HIGHER LEVEL MATHS STUDENTS
There were plenty of higher level maths students breathing a sigh of relief around the country this morning. There has been an increase of 35 per cent in the numbers taking higher level maths. Many of these students would have opted for the ordinary level paper had it not been for the temptation of 25 extra bonus CAO points for any grade above a D3 in the subject. For them, it was a calculated risk that paid off. Of the 11,131 students that sat the paper, 10,875 passed and the failure rate actually dropped this year. At higher level, almost 10 per cent of students got an A while more than 83 per cent managed the honour. Even if they didn’t get a C, anyone who passed now has those precious bonus points under the belt.
Overall, maths students did pretty well. The failure rate at all three levels is down. Applied maths students saw a huge A rate in their subject with almost 28 per cent of higher level students getting the top grade.
