MORE THAN 600 Leaving Cert students who took higher level biology in June have had their results upgraded after a review by the State Examinations Commission (SEC).
The commission decided to revise the marking scheme on foot of an issue raised during the examinations appeal process.
The chief examiner decided to broaden the range of acceptable answers to a question on the biological term “predation”. He accepted that the original marking scheme was unduly harsh.
While the question accounted for only three marks out of a possible 400, the revised marking scheme meant that 56 candidates who appealed their original marks in the subjects were upgraded.
The commission also reviewed the papers of another 1,900 student who were within three marks of the next highest grade. As a result, a further 621 students received an upgrade, even though they did not appeal their original grade.
The upgrade is of critical importance to 44 students where an upgrade in biology has changed their college offer. The commission said yesterday that third-level colleges were responding “as flexibly and as positively as they can to accommodating Leaving Cert re-checks”.
The latest embarrassment for the commission will raise questions about the marking process in the Leaving Cert.
In higher level biology, 31 per cent of papers which were subject to appeal were incorrectly marked in the first instance.
Overall, some 20 per cent of Leaving Cert marks are upgraded on appeal each year. Concern has been raised about the high level of upgrades in particular subjects this year including ordinary level business (56 per cent); ordinary level English (49 per cent); higher level biology (31 per cent); higher level geography (27 per cent); and higher level accounting (26 per cent).
The SEC has contacted the CAO and it is now contacting the 44 students where an upgrade in biology has resulted in a change in offer.
The SEC says the students affected by the upgrade in biology will be offered a deferred place if it is not possible to accommodate them this year.
“Where a student is already attending a higher education programme and his/her place on another programme on foot of this upgrade is deferred for a year by the institution there will not be a liability for the students affected to pay fees or registration charges for the first year of the new programme. In addition, any entitlement to maintenance grants is unaffected by the deferral.”
The SEC says its regrets any inconvenience caused. Should candidates have any questions relating to this issue they should contact the SEC on 090-644 2702/2703/2704.
Higher level biology was taken by 21,101 candidates in the 2009 examinations.