The Irish Leaving Certificate (Leaving Cert) is the final set of exams that secondary school students will take.
They'll study for their Leaving Cert during the last two years at secondary school. Students can take Higher Level (HL) or Ordinary Level (OL) papers for the subjects they choose.
Upon completion of their exams, they're given grades that equate to points. These points allow university admissions to compare students to see whether or not they're eligible for certain undergraduate degree programs.
Since the point system is standardised across Ireland, it allows universities to select students objectively. The points system is also used by Irish educational authorities and policymakers to allocate resources to different schools and areas.
For students, they may have a few questions about the system and how it works. Lucky for you, we'll be going through everything you need to know in this article.
The Leaving Cert Points System from 2017
From 1992 to 2016, the Leaving Cert had a slightly different points system. The grading scale went as follows:
- A1
- A2
- B1
- B2
- B3
- C1
- C2
- C3
- D1
- D2
- D3
- E
In 2017, a new Leaving Cert system was introduced after an agreement between the universities, institutes of technology, and the Department of Education and Skills.
Previously, the old system had 14 bands. There are now 8 bands across two levels. The two levels are higher (H) and ordinary (O).
These bands are based on the percentage a student gets on an exam with 90-100% on exams being H1/O1 down to any score under 30%, which is given the H8 or O8.
Higher and Ordinary papers are not worth the same number of points. The best possible band achieved for an ordinary paper (O1) is the equivalent of a higher paper grade H5.
Students applying to universities with a Leaving Cert from this time won't have the same number of points as if they'd done the Leaving Cert after this time but their applications will also be understood to be using the older system.
Maths Bonus Points
For both systems, Higher Level Mathematics (HL) can be awarded bonus points. For the newer system, a student who gets H6 or above is given 25 additional points.
This is on top of the points that they would get for such a grade in maths.
The Leaving Cert Points
| Higher Level Grade | Points | Ordinary Level Grade | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | 100 | ||
| H2 | 88 | ||
| H3 | 77 | ||
| H4 | 66 | ||
| H5 | 56 | O1 | 56 |
| H6 | 46 | O2 | 46 |
| H7 | 37 | O3 | 37 |
| H8 | 0 | O4 | 28 |
| O5 | 20 | ||
| O6 | 12 | ||
| O7 | 0 | ||
| O8 | 0 |
Which Subjects Count?
Upon completion of the Leaving Cert, students are given their grades and subsequently their points.
The points for university applications only take into account a student's best six subjects. This means that the maximum possible points are either 600 or 625 if a student takes Higher Level Mathematics. Generally, a student likely to gain 600 would probably be encouraged to take Higher Level Maths, too.
At Leaving Cert, the three compulsory subjects are Maths, English, and Irish, though there are sometimes exceptions for the latter.
Certain schools may also make other subjects compulsory.
How Many Points to Pass Leaving Cert?
For the Irish Leaving Cert, there's not really a pass-or-fail system in place. As you've seen, there are points for the various bands from H1 to H8 and O1 to O8. In the cases of H8, O7, and O8, no points are awarded.
Rather than pass or fail, what you could consider a pass or fail would be the number of points you need for your desired course.
Again, not achieving the required number of points isn't necessarily failing and there could still be other options open to you.
Generally, courses that are in demand at higher-ranking educational institutions tend to ask for more points as they're more selective of students.
What Are the Average Leaving Cert Points?
Typically, students at Leaving Cert achieve around 400 points. This amount changes every year, but in 2022, the average was between 400 and 419 points.
Initially, 300 was around the average number of points given to students and 52% of students were given more than this amount. The remaining 48% got less.
Which Are the Hardest Subjects for Leaving Cert?
Every student is different so there's not such a thing as an easy or difficult subject. However, there are certain subjects where students are usually awarded fewer CAO points and others where students are often awarded more.
In 2022, for example, many foreign languages were awarded a high percentage of H1 grades. Russian, Italian, Polish, and Spanish were amongst the 10 subjects to be given the most H1s.
Applied maths, music, and physics are also featured in this list.
Subjects like history, higher maths, physics, chemistry, geography, agricultural science, classical studies, business, and French awarded the lowest numbers of H1 grades.
Just remember that the popularity of subjects also makes them more competitive so you needn't avoid a subject just because it's "statistically" more difficult.
Similarly, you can't necessarily boost your grades by choosing the easiest subjects. Instead, pick the subjects that you like, tend to do well in, and will help you in your future academic or professional career.
Can You Fail the Leaving Cert?
While you can't fail the Leaving Cert, the grades that receive 0 points are often wrongly considered a "fail".
Getting 0 points from one of your Leaving Cert subjects isn't ideal, but there's a common misconception that getting 0 points in certain subjects (like maths) causes you to automatically fail.
This isn't true and you'll have your points allocated to you according to the Leaving Cert grades the same as any other student.
Passing or failing at Leaving Cert is subjective and down to the student and their overall objectives. This isn't a label that the CAO gives students so it's up to you to work out the score you want to achieve and work out what you have to do to get it.
How Many Points Do You Need to Go to University?
Different universities and courses have different requirements in terms of Leaving Cert points. Trinity College, for example, has several very selective courses that require the maximum 625 points. Just remember that you don't have to get a perfect result in every subject to get 625 points.
Students wanting to study dental science, management science and information systems, and economics and history would need the full 625 points.
Eight different courses required over 600 points: medicine, actuarial and financial, economics and finance, and biomedical and health science. However, these are the most selective courses.
At University College Dublin, for example, courses like agricultural science, city planning and environmental policy, and landscape architecture require less than 500 points. With the average number of points being awarded going up, the requirements for university courses are also typically going up.
Most courses at the University of Galway, for example, are for students with Leaving Cert points between 500 and 599 points.
So while you can go to university with at least 400 points, the more exclusive courses are between 500 and 600 points, and the most exclusive courses want perfect points or near-perfect Leaving Cert points. Find out exactly when is Leaving Cert results day, and put your mind at ease over the summer months!
Get Help for your Leaving Cert from a Private Tutor
Whether it's for a specific subject or for general study skills, a private tutor can help you get better results for your Leaving Cert.
On the Superprof website, you just have to search for the kind of tutoring you'd like and you can start browsing the profiles of different private tutors.
There are three main ways you can enjoy private tutoring: face-to-face, online, or as part of a group. Each type of tutoring has its pros and cons.
Face-to-face tutoring, for example, is typically the most cost-effective. Every minute or every session can be spent focusing on you and what you need to learn. However, face-to-face tutors tend to charge more per session since they have to travel to their students.
Online tutoring offers a cheaper alternative and for academic subjects, they can be almost as effective as face-to-face tutoring. While you can find tutors all over the world, when studying for something like the Leaving Cert, which is only in Ireland, you might want to ensure your student is from the same country.
Last but not least, group tutoring offers an affordable way for several students to learn at once. While they won't get every lesson tailored to them, you and a few classmates could enjoy tutoring for certain subjects or study skills together.
Since most private tutors on Superprof offer their first session for free, you can try a few out. We'd recommend making a list of your requirements and shortlisting potential candidates rather than arranging too many free sessions, which would be a waste of yours and the tutors' time.
To get started, simply search for what you want to learn today on the Superprof website!
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