How does the Leaving Certificate compare with other countries' examinations?

With secondary school students receiving their results this past Friday August 22 for the Leaving Certificate examinations, Tipperary Live takes a look at how Ireland’s end of school exams compare with other countries.

In Ireland students usually take six to eight subjects for their Leaving Certificate examinations.

This may seem like a lot of subjects to get a grasp on when compared with other countries' exam systems. For example, in the UK students take the A-level exams which usually only consist of three to four subjects.

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In Ireland we offer University courses based on a student's overall points in the leaving certificate. In the UK University places are based on specific grades in those subjects.

In America there is no big 'Leaving Certificate' for students but they instead are graded based on their average grade achieved in high school.

In France the Baccalauréat is taken as an entryway to University, with different streams being offered like scientific or literary streams for example.

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In Germany students have a similar schooling experience to France.

When it comes to how students obtain courses after taking exams, it differs from each of the above countries.

In Ireland the CAO points system ranks students for university offers and there are no interviews or personal statements for most courses.

In the UK offers are based on A-level grades but also include personal statements and references.

In the USA a grade point average is considered as well as essays, extracurricular activities and recommendations.

In other countries in Europe, like France and Germany, the system is similar to Ireland in that entry to University is based solely on final exam grades.

With the above in mind, it is no surprise that the Leaving Certificate is generally considered a difficult and demanding examination for students every year.