Ask Brian: How can Northern Irish students access universities in the Republic?

PROBLEM: My son is in his final year of A-levels here in Northern Ireland and is applying for medicine. He has three interviews this month in England, but he would much rather stay in Ireland to secure his medical degree. I was wondering if you could advise us, as the points system is so different in the South compared with the North, and we know he needs to be making decisions soon, and he also has a date for HPat Ireland. He believes that he has little chance of being accepted into any of the universities in the South, and this is where he really wants to study.

ADVICE: Do not despair. In recent times it was almost impossible for students in Northern Ireland to study elsewhere on the island of Ireland due to the fact that with your typical three A-levels, even after securing three A grades, it only gave you 450 CAO points, which was far short of the points requirement for most competitive faculties.

Thankfully the Irish Universities Association has this year agreed a revised model for converting A-levels to Leaving Cert points for the purposes of entry to universities in the Republic.

Under the new model, which will be applied this year, the points for an A* grade in an A2 subject will rise from 150 to 180, the points for an A will rise from 135 to 150, and the points for other A2 subject grades will be adjusted slightly. Points will be also awarded in recognition of achievement in a fourth A2 or a fourth AS subject.

Commenting on the new scheme, Prof Andrew Deeks, president of UCD and chair of the Irish University Association, said "this necessary work was undertaken to ensure fair and equitable access for UK applicants".

The model will remove what was increasingly being seen in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK as a significant disincentive for A-level candidates who consider applying to universities in the South.

A majority of these candidates only sit three A-level exams, which means they could not realistically compete for many of the more high-demand courses in the Republic. The new model is weighted in favour of the first three A-levels, as a large majority of A-level students sit only three A-levels, while additional points will also be awarded in recognition of achievement in a fourth A-level or for a fourth AS-level.

The existing arrangements regarding additional points for a grade E or better in mathematics at A2-level, and regarding the additional admissions test (HPat Ireland) for applicants to medicine, will continue to apply to A-level applicants under the new model.

From discussions I have had with a number of university presidents in the past year, it is clear there is a strong desire on their part to substantially increase the numbers of students from Northern Ireland studying at their colleges. Many of them are setting their admissions officers a target of a significant increase over the next year or two, so your son’s wishes may yet be realised.

As applications to undergraduate medicine are now classified as “restricted” within the CAO application process, I would advise that all five medical degrees be listed on his application record by the February 1st cut-off deadline, as it will be impossible to add them later in the year.

• Your questions answered by education analyst Brian Mooney. Email queries to askbrian@irishtimes.com