As Leaving Cert results are sent to 60,000 students today, new figures show that the average student will achieve 300 CAO points.
Last night the State Examinations Commission confirmed to The Irish Times that exam results were being withheld from 30 students and issued pending further investigation to 67 others. The commission is thought to be taking this action due to complaints of cheating and/or collusion.
Overall, the exam results show that the class of 2003 are a gifted group; the number achieving eight A1 grades has increased from one to four students and an extra 500 students achieved at least two A1s, compared to last year.
But such exceptional performance is unrealistic for most. New CAO figures indicate that the average Leaving Cert student will get about 300 points today, much less than commonly thought. A 300-point score, for example, would not be enough to secure a place on a university arts course.
Well over 500 points are required for courses like law and medicine. Fifty-two per cent of students will achieve 300 points or higher, while 48 per cent will open their envelopes to see scores of 299 and less.
An analysis of Leaving Cert scores by the CAO has shown that these figures have changed very little since 1999.
This year's results continue to show a high failure rate in ordinary level maths and across science subjects. One in five students failed ordinary level biology and 12 per cent failed maths. More than 18 per cent failed ordinary level history, which is commonly regarded as the most difficult Leaving Cert subject.
The results show little change in the grades in higher level chemistry and maths when many students feared the worst after exams which were roundly described as "grossly unfair". The commission announced last night that it had adjusted the marking scheme in higher level maths and higher level chemistry.
In chemistry the commission decided to compensate students for the fact that one question was not on the syllabus. In higher level maths the commission has made allowances for the failure of some examiners to read out a correction to a question. The commission is under pressure to explain how the mistakes occurred.
There was some good news in higher level French where the honours rate was up by 5 per cent.
Last night the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, said that, while the results were very important, they should be kept in perspective. "While the Leaving Cert results are important, we must not allow them to control or take away from every other aspect of young people's lives," he said.