If you've spent last night brooding over your Leaving Cert results, and come to the conclusion that they don't reflect your performance in the exam, then there are a number of checks open to you, including the viewing of your marked scripts and an appeals process.
There have been worries in the past about components of exams, such as art work, getting lost and students not being credited for any work in that particular area. The Department has put a lot of effort into ensuring the errors of the past will not recur, and a supplementary statement will have been included with your results if you are not getting credit for a particular component.
Scripts will be available to you and one other person (nominated by you) in special viewing sessions to be held on September 1st, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; September 2nd from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Schools may make adjustments to these times to meet local needs.
Your school will have a personalised application form provided by the Department of Education which will show your exam details, including your subjects.
If you wish to view a particular script you should indicate this on the form and return it to the school by next Wednesday (August 23rd). You can gain access only to the written components of your exam.
If you want to view a script you must go in person. You cannot authorise anyone, teacher or parent, to go in your stead.
It's not essential to view a script if you wish to appeal a result, but it should help you make an informed choice. Appeals cost £25 per subject, and this fee will be refunded only if your result is upgraded. This means students from poorer socio-economic backgrounds may be less likely to appeal.
Appeal applications (made on a personalised appeal form available at your school) must be with the Department by Wednesday, September 6th. Therefore, schools will have to post applications on Tuesday, September 5th, at the latest.
You must collect the form and the associated bank giro payment form, get to the bank and back to your school in a very short time. Make sure you get the bank giro (carrying your personalised identification number) stamped by the bank.
Scripts which have been appealed are sent to an appeals examiner (not the original examiner) for re-marking. The same marking scheme is used. If practical or project work is involved this will be also be remarked.
The results of the appeals process will be made available in early October. If you are still not satisfied you can apply to an examination commissioner to ensure that all appeal processes were carried out correctly. However, there will be no further re-marking.
For the student there is an element of risk in that you can be downgraded. However, this is very rare and only occurs where there is a substantial discrepancy.
The number of appeal applications has dropped by almost 50 per cent since the viewing option was introduced two years ago. Last year there were 6,922 rechecks at higher level and 1,267 upgrades. At ordinary level there were 668 rechecks and 146 upgrades. In all, only three candidates were downgraded.
When you consider that over 800,000 components (written papers, oral, aural and practical work) were examined the proportion of grade changes was tiny.
Meanwhile, the A level results have been released, and the UK college applications season is in full swing. So if you're wondering how to pass the time between now and the CAO college offers next Tuesday, you might spend some time browsing through the UK list of vacant places.
Last year more than 60,000 people found places through the clearing process, which advertises vacant places. That's almost double the total number of first-year places in the Irish third-level system. Of course, vacancies on the most desirable of courses, such as medicine, pharmacy and dentistry, are unlikely to be offered through this process.
The UCAS website at www.ucas.com has an interactive clearing course search facility available from today (August 17th) to Friday, September 15th. This is updated daily, and the website also has links to university and college home pages.
Information on vacancies will be published in the London Independent on the following dates: August 17th, 18th, 20th (Independent on Sunday), 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 29th, September 5th and 14th.
If you've already got a copy of today's London Independent and are seduced by page after page of vacancies the advice from guidance counsellors is to stop and think. Take a little time. Going to college in Britain or Northern Ireland means leaving home, something you may not have previously considered.
Lots of thought and discussion and plenty of research into the college and course are indicated. Don't forget fees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are payable to a maximum of £1,050 sterling. No fees will be charged on designated courses in Scotland.
Irish students applying to higher-level courses in the UK may be entitled to help with fees. A means test applies, and students are charged on a sliding scale.
If you are entitled to a maintenance grant, the Government will provide this with certain restrictions. The British Council has produced a useful information sheet on tuition-fee regulations for the coming year. This is available free from the British Council, Newmount House, 2224 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
If you have already applied to UCAS you should have received a Clearing Entry Form (CEF). If you haven't applied, you can ring the UCAS helpline 0044 (1242) 227788 and request a form.
UCAS advises that if a college asks for your CEF it is effectively making you an offer. "If you are sure the course is for you, fill in your CEF and send it off - or better still, take it there yourself. The best way to find out about a university or college, its accommodation and social life is to make a visit," advises UCAS.
Remember your CEF can only be sent to one college at a time. You must send the original form, not a photocopy or fax. So if you're not convinced their course is for you politely explain and carry on telephoning, says UCAS.
CAO website:
For the first time, the CAO will have a website available to students during the college offers season. Applicants can log on to this site from 9 a.m. on Tuesday (August 22nd) and can view the offers which have been made to them.
You will need your CAO number to avail of this new facility. In addition, you can log on to the website the day after the reply date to verify that your acceptance has been recorded. The CAO has asked applicants to be patient if they experience any delays with the site as a large number of people may try to access it simultaneously.
The cut-off points for all courses will also be available on the CAO website (www.cao.ie), the Irish Times website (ireland.com) and Aertel on August 22nd from 9 a.m.
Webcast:
If you have queries about your Leaving Cert results and/or college offers, you can e-mail those questions to education@irish- times.ie Anne Byrne will put the questions to College 2000 helpline counsellor Sile Sheehy in a webcast which will be broadcast on Wednesday next week. The session will be available in both audio and text format and will be archived at ireland.com