Know your rights: How exactly will grades be calculated for Leaving Certificate 2020?

In 2020, you can opt to have your grades based on a new calculated grades system. A calculated grade is based on an estimated mark that you would get in a subject in the Leaving Certificate examination in normal circumstances.

You will be awarded a State Certificate of Calculated Grades
for each subject in the Leaving Certificate. 
This has the same status as the Leaving Certificates in previous years.
You can still opt to sit the conventional written Leaving Certificate exam at a
later date when it’s possible.

There are 4 key steps to working out a calculated grade:

Step 1: Your
teacher will estimate the mark you would likely have got in the Leaving
Certificate subject under normal conditions. They will use a range of records and
evidence such as your classwork, homework, class assessments, Christmas and
summer exams, mock exams and coursework.

Your teacher will also estimate your expected mark in the oral
and practical performance tests.  Previously,
the Department of Education had awarded all students full marks for this option
but this no longer applies.

You will be given a single overall estimated percentage mark
in the subject. Your teacher will then estimate where you rank in relation to other
students in your class.

Step 2: All the subject
teachers in your school will then review the marks and rank all the school’s
students for that subject. Your teacher will finalise your estimated percentage
marks and ranking. The deputy principal will review the ranking with your
teacher if they are the only teacher of the subject.

Step 3: Your school
principal will review the marks and rankings and check that the process has
been fair before sending the final estimated marks and class rankings to the
Department.

Step 4: The
Department will apply a standardisation process. This takes the estimated marks
from each school and adjusts them to bring them into the rankings for the
expected grades for that school based on the historical information held by the
State Examinations Commission.

Your estimated marks for your subject will then be converted
into your final calculated grade.

You can appeal your
results. This will check that the correct information has been used and the
process has been fair. It cannot review the percentage mark from your teacher.
You will still have the option to sit the written exam. If you get a higher
grade in the exam than your calculated grade, your results for the subject will
be amended.

You cannot discuss the estimated marks with your teacher or
any school staff.

Read more in our document about calculated
grades and the Department of Education’s FAQs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Citizens Information Centres are offering a phone and email service. You can access information and advice from:

• The Citizens Information Phone Service: call 0761 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
• Our national call back service: visit citizensinformation.ie/callback to book a phone call from an information officer.
• Your local Citizens Information Centre: find the phone number on the Find a Centre page on citizensinformation.ie.