Vol. 413 No. 2
106 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Education his views on whether there is a substantial disparity in grading between the Irish leaving certificate and the British A level examination; and if any studies are being conducted at present with a view to compiling comparative results.
The Irish leaving certificate and the British A levels are different types of examination which cannot be compared on a like to like basis. The leaving certificate is a general subjects examination for candidates who have studied at least five subjects for two years. A levels are designed for older candidates, who have made a specialised study of not more than three subjects. In A levels, the percentage of candidates qualifying for particular grades is pre-determined. In the leaving certificate there can be variations from year to year depending on the quality of the answering.
It can therefore be misleading and unhelpful to compare the results of the leaving certificate with those of A levels, or to attempt to draw conclusions from such a comparison.
