The Government has asked third-level colleges to consider seriously changes to the points system after a high-level meeting between the education partners last week.
The Irish Times has learned that at a meeting on Thursday the Department of Education asked the colleges to consider several reforms aimed at streamlining and improving the system. These include:
Increasing the number of CAO points available for ordinary level grades by five points and reducing the number of points for an A1 at higher level by five points.
Stopping or penalising students who sit the Leaving Cert more than twice, often at fee-paying grind schools;
Awarding more points for the Leaving Certificate vocational programme;
Making sure colleges have the same special subject requirements for courses;
Stopping colleges giving bonus points for particular subjects such as maths.
The meeting to discuss the proposals - originally included in the Points Commission report - was attended by representatives of the universities, institutes of technology, teacher training colleges and the CAO.
It was chaired by Dr Don Thornhill, chairman of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
The HEA convened the meeting at the request of the Department.
Dr Thornhill told The Irish Times at the weekend the discussions were "very positive" and all parties were hoping to get the process completed shortly.
He said the parties were "well disposed" to most of the suggestions and the HEA would now compile a report on how they might be implemented. The education partners would be consulted on this.
Dr Thornhill said that a "battery" of changes were being considered, but all sides would have time to make their input into the process.
The author of the Points Commission report, Prof Aine Hyland of UCC, also attended the meeting and took part in the discussions.
The changes to the allocation of points could prove most controversial. The colleges were told a five-point increase to every grade at ordinary level (except an A1) would help to encourage weaker students. However, some university academics are worried this could devalue higher-level papers.
The idea of reducing the points for an A1 at higher level from 100 to 95 is because the A grade, unlike other grades, is split between an A1 and an A2, whereas B, C and D grades are split into three, for example C1, C2 and C3.
Some teachers have said many pupils become so preoccupied with getting an A1 that they undermine their performance in other subjects.
The move to penalise or stop students who sit the Leaving Certificate more than twice arises because teachers and educationalists believe it could be unfair to students who can only afford to do it once.
Some students sit the exam three times so they can pass the subjects for minimum entry the first time and concentrate on CAO points in the remaining two sittings.
The Points Commission report says many of these students do this in "fee-paying private colleges".
One idea being discussed is that any student doing this would lose 10 per cent of their CAO points.
The Leaving Cert vocational programme has been widely acclaimed in schools and is regarded as giving pupils weak in traditional academic disciplines an alternative form of exam.