Helpline - National Parents Council Post Primary

LEAVING CERT HELPLINE 2016

The Helpline is provided courtesy of the National Parents’ Council in association with the Irish Independent, eir and supported by the Dept. of Education & Skills. The Institute of Guidance Counsellors are employed to provide qualified guidance counsellors to give advice and support to both students and their parents.

The Leaving Certificate Results for 2016 will be released on Wednesday 17th August.

Helpline Phone Number: 1800 265 165

Email: [email protected]

Leaving Certificate Result FAQ’s

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Q. What’s the best way for my son / daughter to access Leaving Cert Results?

A. Some students prefer to be with their peers when they have received their Leaving Cert results from the school. Others prefer to access their results in private and / or electronically, or with a discreet family or other supportive presence close by.

Q.How do we calculate points on Leaving Cert Results?

A. If you own a smart phone it is advisable to download a points calculator – it will make life a lot easier for you all. Remember that points are calculated from the MARKS ON STUDENT’S SIX BEST SUBJECTS ONLY. In the excitement – this can occasionally be overlooked.

Points Calculation Grid:

Points are awarded for LCVP as follows: Distinction 70, Merit 50 and Pass 30

LC Grade Higher Paper Lower Paper Foundation

A1 100 60 20

A2 90 50 15

B1 85 45 10

B2 80 40 5

B3 75 35

C1 70 30

C2 65 25

C3 60 20

D1 55 15

D2 50 10

D3 45 5

Q. How does the Bonus Points for Maths work?

A. 25 bonus points for Maths will be awarded to all students that sit and pass the Higher Level paper. EG:

• HD3 (45 points) + bonus (25 points) = 70 points

• HA1 (100 points) + bonus (25 points) = 125 points

Q. How do you cope with a disappointing Leaving Cert?

A. The completion of the Leaving Cert is a successful milestone in its own right and whatever the outcome, this is a day for congratulations, celebrating achievement and the success of completion. The Leaving Cert can go wrong for lots of reasons but it’s important at this time to keep the focus on looking forward to the next stage of the young person’s career or education.

For those who are disappointed with the results, there is always the option of the appeals process, but there are plenty of alternatives also open to you.

If you are considering repeating the Leaving Cert ask yourself the following questions:

• Did you apply yourself enough?

• Did you have a good routine?

• Did you have good study habits?

• Were you organised?

• Did you spend too much time with your friends? On Facebook? Twitter? Online?

• Did you only start studying seriously too late? Did you take levels that were too
hard for you?

• Did you feel stressed out?

• Did you feel unwell?

• Did you eat and sleep well and take care of yourself?

• Do you get any pleasure from academic success?

• Did you put yourself under too much pressure?

• Is study for you?

• Do you even want to go to college?

• Do you want to try again?

• How motivated are you to achieve academically?

It is important to analyse your previous approach to your studies in order to prevent it happening again in the next phase of your life no matter what pathway you choose.

Q. So what are your options?

A. There are so many ways to get to your destination that are often overlooked.

While the Leaving Cert is an important end of school exam and does open doors to other options it may not be the only way to directly secure that college place or gain the training you require. If you are considering repeating make sure you really want to and are committed to the study necessary as you don’t want to feel like this again next year.

If you have passed your Leaving and are disappointed with your results consider some of the following different options:

1. FETAC (PLC) courses - huge variety of courses, many facilitate access to universities and Institutes the following year.

2. Work – on the job training such as the banks, airlines, retail

3. Private colleges - entry requirements can be lower, fees can be claimed against tax.

4. Online/distance/open university education courses - including degrees (check out open university, DCU etc)

5. SOLAS (FAS) - Registering for training

6. Sponsored free degree by employer (e.g. LIDL, includes salary, holidays, healthcare)

7. Apprenticeship - e.g. ESB, motor, electrical

8. Part-time study - evenings, weekends

9. Defence forces - Gardai, Army, Navy

10. Private courses with professional recognition

11. Modular study - building up to a full award over time

12. Study abroad - check out UCAS clearing, Eunicas

13. Entrepreneurship - Set up your own business; contact your local enterprise board

14. Become a blogger, freelance journalist, photographer, artist, musician, DJ

15. Become an air-traffic controller (2 years training, can earn over 80K)

16. Travel - Spend a year abroad working with a charity or teach English abroad

17. Wait! - Consider returning to education at 23 as a mature student

18. Diversify - Consider doing a degree now and applying for a post grad diploma or degree in your chosen field such as medicine, teaching, veterinary, psychology

19. Get advice - Talk to your Guidance Counsellor

20. Avail of supports - Ring the NPC helpline for guidance 1800265125

Appeals

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Q. How does the Appeals process work?

A. When they are given their Leaving Cert results your son or daughter will receive an application form for viewing of scripts as well. There is also an online appeals facility if the young person is not available to attend the school in person. The form must be printed off, completed and returned to the school in time for the deadline.

Q. What if my son or daughter wants to view the marking on their Leaving Certificate scripts?

A. They must submit the completed application form to the school by a specific date in August. Scripts may be viewed at the school, during set hours, over two days in the following weeks.

Q. How much does it cost to view scripts?

A. It costs nothing to view scripts.

Q. What happens at Script Viewing?

A. The candidate is awarded a viewing time by the school which they will need to attend as they must view their Leaving Cert scripts in person. There is no charge for viewing. Young people often invite a teacher, a parent or older sibling along to view their scripts.

Q. What should we look for?

A. The first thing to look for is a simple totting error on the results sheet. This can be appealed with form APL and means that a grade can be corrected without reassessment of the paper or the marking scheme. However SEC (State Examination Commission) advises the candidate to lodge a formal appeal on the paper also to cover all options. The formal appeal will look at the calculation of marks within questions, disallowed questions and dispute regarding full marking of a question.

Q. What happens next?

A. A personalised appeals form is available from the school. The fee for each subject appeal is €40 and €15.50 for Leaving Cert Applied. This fee is refunded in the case of each upgrade. The appeals process operates within a fairly tight timeframe so it’s important to ensure that deadlines are met and forms are completed and submitted on time. Oral and practical exams can only be reassessed when a full recheck has been requested.

Q. Is it worth appealing, if in the final result there is no improvement in the LC results?

A. There are pros and cons to the appeals process.
On the minus side, it means an additional cost at what can be a very expensive time for any family. It may be disheartening and bring additional stress to the young person to go through an extended period of reassessment, without any positive change in the outcome.

On the plus side, the appeals process can help eliminate any doubts or recriminations about the exam result and help the young person move forward to the next stage of their lives. It also gives an opportunity to view good independent grading feedback on their work which is helpful.

The possibility of a downgrade (though rare enough) should also be born in mind.

CAO

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Q. How does the system of CAO offers work?

A. In the first round of offers the student is offered the highest preference which they have listed on their CAO Application to which their points rating entitles them in this year’s round of offers. Once they have been offered their highest choice, the student is excluded from further consideration for any course which is lower than the place offered.

The student may still be eligible for a course of higher preference if a place becomes available later on. You can make enquiries on www.cao.ie by using the ‘Contact Us’ facility. The CAO Handbook also gives examples of how the system of offers works

If he doesn’t get his first choice what other CAO options are available to him?

Hopefully he will be offered the first course choice in the first round of offers but if not there are a number of additional CAO options available to him. These include:

• Offer of another course choice further down the CAO list

• Offer of a similar course at a lower level

• Offer of their preferred course choice in ROUND 2 or subsequent round

• Offer of their preferred course choice on successful appeal of Leaving Cert Results.

• Available places listed on CAO website

• Other options outside the CAO

Q. How is a CAO offer accepted?

A. When an offer arrives, you should read through the offer and instructions carefully first. To accept an offer, she simply logs into the CAO system using her access code and password and submits her acceptance of the offer.

You need to be sure that she does this well inside the deadline. This year August 28th 2014 is the closing date for acceptance of a first round offer.

Q. My son has been offered Level 7 Engineering. If he accepts this offer can he still be offered a Level 8 Engineering course in the next round?

A. Yes he can accept the Level 7 course and this will not affect his chances of being offered a Level 8 course in the next round. However, he may not be offered a level 8 course in the second round so it is a good idea for him to accept the Level 7 course anyway. Many students find that entering college at level 6 or 7 in their chosen course area works out very well in the long term.

Q. My daughter is hoping to get into Nursing in NUIG. On the basis of the current Leaving Cert result, she may fall short of the points. However she thinks she may be upgraded on appeal. What should she do when the first round of CAO offers comes round?

A. If your daughter has filled in all ten Nursing choices on her CAO form, it’s possible she will be offered a place on a Nursing course with lower points. Before accepting this offer, she should consider

• Genuine course interest

• Medium & longer term career plan

• Possible transfer options between courses and colleges

• Geography

• Costs

If she decides that the first CAO course offered is not for her, then she can simply allow the offer to lapse and await the second round and the results of the appeals process.

Alternatively she may accept the offer and consider transferring or deferring to any new course offered that might be offered to her on appeal. She must also consider the possibility that her LC results may not be upgraded on appeal.

CAO Points Calculator

The Problem With Maths

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Q. My son applied to do Engineering in DIT. He got the required number of points but failed Maths and hasn’t been offered a place. Does he have to repeat Leaving Cert Maths in the coming year?

A. A number of colleges, including DIT, offer Engineering students the MCT = Maths Competency Test or equivalent. This gives the student a chance to boost the Maths results and secure their college place. Students that have studied the Leaving Cert Higher Level Maths programme are invited to sit the MCT.

Other Colleges offering Special Maths Entrance exams are:

NUI Maynooth

NUI Galway

WIT

A number of students opt to repeat Leaving Cert Maths the following year.

Q. What if my child accepts a Round 1 offer and receives a better offer in Round 2?

A. He can accept the Round 2 offer which will automatically cancel out the Round 1 offer – since only 1 acceptance from any candidate can remain in the CAO system at any given time.

What is DEFERRAL and why do some students opt for this?

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If a young person is offered the course they really wanted and worked towards, the offer is a tangible educational commodity. They may wish to defer their place for any number of reasons.

The most common reasons are: sports or other commitments, travel or gap year, family commitments, bereavement, health.

In this case they should contact the admissions office of the college in question and explain clearly their reasons for deferring. The college will then inform the CAO directly of the student’s deferral.

In rare cases deferral may not prove possible.

No Offer???

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Q. My son worked very hard for his exams but got no offer of a college place in the first CAO round. He did not appeal his LC results as he felt they were a fair reflection of his performance. Does he have any chance of a place this year through the CAO?

A. He may still be offered a course in Round 2. Alternatively he can check into www.cao.ie for available places.

When checking through available places on the CAO site, it’s important to note that private colleges charge full tuition fees. A small number of colleges including DIT offer direct entry courses. He can contact the individual college for details of these courses.

PLC’s should also be explored.

Q. My son received two offers from the CAO - a Level 8 and a Level 7 course. Can he accept both and make a final decision later?

A. He can only accept one offer at a time. If he is having difficulty deciding, he has until Monday 27th August at 5.15 PM to make up his mind. This gives him time to weigh up the options including which course is most suited to his interests and career plans down the line. He can discuss the issue with his Guidance Counsellor, or call the NPC / IGC helpline.

FINANCES

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The cost of a third level education is considerable. Parents are often torn between wanting to do the best for their child and keeping a firm rein on the family and household finances.

Planning a realistic budget, foresight, common sense and seeking the counsel of trusted friends or relations that have been through ‘the college experience’ are invaluable at this stage.

Colleges charge registration fees which all students must pay. It is also known as a student contribution and it covers student services and examinations. The amount of the contribution varies from one institution to another. The maximum rate of the student contribution for the academic year 2013-2014 was €2,500. In Budget 2013 it was announced that the student contribution for 2014-2015 will be €2,750, increasing to €3,000 for 2015-16.

Private colleges charge the larger amount of full tuition fees. For exact figures check out college websites. If your son or daughter is likely to be living away from home, on-campus accommodation, student villages or halls of residence are often the choice for 1st year students, offering a comfortable bridge between home and the independence of living in a flat or apartment.

Once fees and accommodation are paid for, you will then need to budget for weekly living expenses, academic costs of books, laptop, course related travel & field trips, Erasmus year or internship abroad. Parents that have been through the process suggest it’s a good idea to expect a few unexpected expenses along the way. Again talking through the finances as you judge appropriate for your family is helpful in working out a realistic budget.

Q. When will you receive a CAO offer?
A. Monday August 22nd 2016

Q. How do I view my exam scripts?
A. Leaving Cert students who wish to view their exam scripts must return the application form to their school by Tuesday, August 19th 2014 (more information below).

Q. How do you receive a CAO offer?
A. Applicants may view their CAO offers online at www.cao.ie from 6am. CAO will also send each applicant their offer to arrive by post. Paper offer notices will be posted to arrive no later than Tuesday, August 19th 2014. CAO will also write to those who did not receive any offer at this time.

Q. How do you accept a CAO offer?
A. All offers of places will be sent by post. A “Reply Date” will be printed on “Offer Notices”. Offers will also be available online and you may record your acceptance online. If you wish to accept you must do so by 5.15 pm on the “Reply Date” printed on the “Offer Notice”.

Q. How many offers can you receive together?
A. A student may receive two offers at the one time if they have secured the requisite number of points and satisfy all entry requirements. One offer is for a place on a Level 8 Honours Degree course, and one offer for a place on a Level 6 Higher Certificate Course or a Level 7 Ordinary Degree course.

Q. How many offers can you accept at any one time?
A. t is only possible to accept one offer at this time. This offer could be for a place on either a Level 8 or a Level 6/ Level 7 course.

Q. What is deferred entry and how do you defer your place?
A. If you receive an offer of a place and wish to defer taking up the place for one year, it is advised that you check with the Admissions Office of the Higher Education Institutions directly regarding the possibility of deferring and the process involved. Please consult the CAO handbook for further details on this process.

Q. How do you order a paper recheck?
A. Appeal applications must be with the State Examinations Commission by Wednesday September 3rd2014. The appeal fee is €40.00 per subject in the Leaving Certificate. Appeal fees must be paid in advance and will be refunded if your result is upgraded. The SEC will provide each school with a personalised appeal application form whereby you indicate the subject you wish to have rechecked. For more information on this process seewww.examinations.ie or contact the SEC on(090) 6442744.

Q. How and when do you view your leaving Certificate Papers?
A. When you receive your results your school will also have a personalised application form provided by the SEC which will show your examination details including your subjects. If you would like to view a particular script(s) you mark the form accordingly. You must return the form to the school by Tuesday August 19th. Three viewing sessions will take place as thereafter.

If papers are rechecked and your grade increases will you then be entitled to a late offer?
The State Examinations Commission informs the CAO of all changes of results and applicants who are eligible for an offer will receive an offer.

Q. What are Vacant Places and how do you apply for them?
A. Where there are available or vacant places the HEI’s will advertise these on the CAO website. Persons who have not applied may make an available place / vacant place application online upon payment of a fee of €45. Persons who have already applied may apply for a vacant place free of charge. Applicants must meet the normal minimum entry requirements for the course in question. Acceptance of an offer of a vacant place automatically cancels and supersedes any previous offer and acceptance.

If you fail Maths, English or Irish can you receive an offer for your course?
It is possible to receive an offer for a number of courses if you fail Maths, English or Irish. It is important to check the minimum subject requirements of each college or HEI carefully. Also please note that other options include Further Education Courses and repeating the failed subject the following year.

Some colleges also offer ‘Second Chance Maths’ Exams. Please see the individual college websites for details.