THE LEAVING CERTIFICATE exams are a tense and stressful time for students.

Years of primary and secondary school work boiled down to a handful of papers, completed in a stuffy exam hall over the course of a few hours.

But as you’ve likely realised by now, 2020 isn’t like other years, and so the Leaving Cert looks a lot different. Exams were cancelled and students next week will instead received a calculated grade based on their previous work in school.

But how will this system work? Sinéad O’Carroll is joined this week by TheJournal.ie reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha who has drilled down into the detail of how students will be awarded grades in their chosen subjects.

We also look at what students can do if they’re unhappy with their points, and how Ireland aims to avoid the angry scenes witnessed in the United Kingdom by pupils whose results were downgraded by an algorithm.

The Explainer / SoundCloud

Read more:

• A reminder of how the Leaving Cert Calculated Grades system works, and the rationale behind it
• Postponed Leaving Certificate written exams will start on 16 November
• Leaving Cert 2020: 17% of teacher-predicted grades reduced; 4% increased
• Explainer: What led to Scotland’s school results fiasco, and why does it matter to Ireland?

This episode was put together by presenter and producer Aoife Barry, assistant producer and technical operator Nicky Ryan, and executive producer Christine Bohan. Guest was reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha. Design by Palash Somani.

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