Error found in Leaving Cert Applied grading process
December 21, 2021
Original Article: https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0907/1245268-leaving-cert-error/
An error has been discovered in this year's Leaving Certificate grading process.
The error affects 1,800 students who sat the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.
It related to how their Personal Reflection Task section was marked.
The State Examinations Commission has said that correction of the error has led to an increase in the marks of all 1,800 students.
The SEC said the error was a procedural rather than a coding error. A spokesperson said that an incorrect version of a programme was mistakenly used towards the end of the collation of LCA grades.
As a result, 144 have received a grading bounce, moving for example from a Merit to a Distinction. The LCA programme is marked differently to the traditional Leaving Certificate.
The SEC said the mistake came to light when one school contacted them with a concern that its students' marks were lower than expected.
A subsequent examination revealed the mistake.
The SEC said it has checked all of its grading programmes again and is satisfied that the error related only to this area.
Last year, a number of errors were discovered in the calculated grades marking system. They led to upgrades for thousands of students and to controversy as to how the process was undertaken. Last year's errors were coding errors.
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