Leaving Cert class of 2024 had over two-thirds of their grades bumped up this year
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The Leaving Cert class of 2024 had over two-thirds of their grades bumped up this year thanks to the Government's "post-marking adjustments" to ensure they fared as well as last year’s students.
With over 60,000 students set to receive their results on Friday morning, figures from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) show that 68% of all grades were increased this year, resulting in a rate of 14.3% for top marks (or a H1 grade) in higher-level subjects.
Students receiving their results on Friday will get their college offers in the first round of the CAO process next Wednesday and, with grades elevated as high as they have been in previous years due to the Government's vow of "no cliff edge" for students, competition for college places is set to remain as fierce as ever.
The proportion of students achieving a H1 in higher-level Maths rose this year to 12.6%, from 11.2% in 2023. In 2019, just 6.4% of students sitting higher-level Maths achieved the highest grade.
It is still far short of the high of 18.1% of H1 grade achieved by students in 2022. Just under 1% (0.8%) failed the higher-level Maths paper this year.
Meanwhile, 14.1% of students sitting higher-level Irish achieved the highest grade. This compared to 15.7% in 2023 and 12.7% in 2022.
And, in English, 6.9% achieved the highest grade at higher level compared to 7.2% last year.
The class of 2024 performed better in subjects like French and Biology, but fared slightly worse in the likes of Geography, History and Business Studies.
The exams board said that before the marks for this year were adjusted, they were similar to the results observed for the unadjusted marks in 2023.
However, since the 2023 marks were increased to keep them in line with those from 2022, the same process was applied in 2024 so they too would be consistent with previous years.
The SEC said that no marks were adjusted downward this year, with the post-marking adjustment applied universally across all subjects and levels.
At the bottom range of grades, 12.1% was added to the grades of candidates with 4.8% added at the top of the scale. There was an average adjustment of 7.5% added to grades this year.
The proportion of those achieving top marks at higher level in the likes of Maths, Irish, English, History and Geography, among others, are all double what they were in 2019.
“Following the marking of the examinations, the SEC implemented a post-marking adjustment to give effect to the Minister’s commitment that the 2024 Leaving Certificate results in the aggregate will be no lower on average than those in 2023,” SEC interim chair Martin Sisk said.
“In all of our work on the 2024 Leaving Certificate, we have endeavoured to ensure that candidates are treated fairly and equitably, that results are of the highest standards of quality, and that there is full transparency for candidates.”
Earlier this year, Minister for Education Norma Foley said there would be a “gradual” return to “normal” Leaving Cert outcomes from 2025 which meant that the class of 2024 would still be subject to the “post-marking adjustment” from the SEC.
“It is right to do so again in 2024, with the majority of students this year not having had the opportunity to sit Junior Cycle examinations given that most students sitting the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2024 would have completed Junior Cycle in 2021,” she said.
Separately, the SEC confirmed that the Junior Certificate exam results will be released on Wednesday October 9, a week earlier than last year.