“A document prepared by the Guidance and Counselling Service in Portmarnock

Community School”.

Most commonly asked questions and answers – Updated - Leaving Certificate 2017

Whenare theresults available?

Leaving Certificate results will be available from the school on the morning of

Wednesday,16August.

HowcanI get results if I amout ofthe country?

Resultsareavailableonlineandby phone.Accesstotheonlineresultsservice,which requirestheuseofyour examinationnumberand uniquecandidatepersonalidentification number, is through

Studentsalsohavetheoptionofaccessingtheirresultsby telephoneusingtheirpinand examinationnumbers.Detailsofthephoneservice,whichrequirestheuseofatouch- tonephone,are:1530-719290forcallerswithintheRepublicofIreland(callscost33c perminuteincluding VAT.Callsfrompayphonesandmobilesmaycostextra);00353-1-

6885312 for callers outsidethe RepublicofIreland (international call ratesapply).

Howdo I calculatemypoints score?

You should log onto the points calculator facility the Qualifax website at the commonpointssystem,butthere area few variations.An extra 25 points is now awarded to all candidates who secure a H6 or higher in Higher Level Maths.A H7 grade is the equivalent of an O6 i.e. a pass in that subject. Fulldetailsofthepointssystemareonpage 21

of your CAO handbook and also on itswebsite at Remember you calculate points withyour bestsix results only!

L.C. Grade / HigherLevel / Ordinary Level / Bonus *
Maths HL
H1 / 100 / O1 / 56
H2 / 88 / O2 / 46
H3 / 77 / O3 / 37
H4 / 66 / O4 / 28
H5 / 56 / O5 / 20
H6 / 46 / O6 / 12
H7 / 37 / O7 / 0
H8 / 0 / O8 / 0

Howdo I accept a CAOoffer?

OnMonday 21August(expected date) theCAOreleasesRoundOneoffers.Youcanviewyour offeronline from6amonwards. You thenhaveuntil5:15pmonthe 28thof Augustto acceptthisoffer.Ireferyoutopages18- 23oftheCAOhandbook.Thehandbookis also available online at it is imperative you follow these instructions correctlyoryouriskforfeitingyourcollegeplace.I adviseyoutoacceptanofferonline and printoffyouracceptance.

Asecondroundofofferswillbeissued tofill any remaining vacancies.Theseofferswill be issuedon31August(expected date) from6amonwards. After RoundTwoOfferswillbe issued as necessaryuntil Octoberto fill anyvacancies which, mayarise.

The Guidance Counsellor’s adviceto students is veryclear here:

Ifyouaremadeanofferthen acceptthatoffer,evenifitisnotyourhighestpreference offer.ThereiseverypossibilitythatyoumaybemadeahigherofferinRound Twobutthereisnoguaranteeofthis.By acceptingRoundOneoffersyouare ensuringyour place inathird levelinstitution.Itmakesgreat economic sense for you to furtheryoureducation.

Ifyouarepresentedwithtwooffers,aLevel8andalevel6/7 offer, then thinkverycarefully about which one you oughttoaccept.AsageneralruleI wouldencourageyoutoacceptthehighest levelcoursei.e.level8.Howeverthisgeneralrulemay notberightforeach individual. The offer should match the area which matches closest the area of study you are most interested in. Remember that a great many students progress from level 6 and 7 qualifications to level 8 and 9 qualifications thereafter.

Ifyouarenotofferedacoursethereisstillthechanceyoumay beofferedaplacein subsequent offer rounds – there are up to 13 rounds but the main ones by far are rounds one and two.

YoumayindeedfindacoursethroughAvailablePlaces/Vacantplaces(see page20 ofthe CAOhandbook &below).

 Oryou mayattemptto find acoursein theUKviathe UCAS Clearingsystem.

OryoumayseekacourseinaCollegeofFurtherEducation(seeseparate handout below)

Whatis the VacantPlacesFacility?

Ifanyplaces remain unfilled in particular coursesafteralloffers havebeenmade and the waitinglistsof applicants meetingminimum entryrequirements havebeen exhausted, suchvacancies will be advertised on the CAO website.Available places are advertised after Round one and onwards.

Wherethereare AvailablePlaces/Vacant Places inspecific courses, HEIs will advertise

theseon the CAOwebsite. Beforemaking an “Available Place/Vacant Place”

application, thosematchingthe description “Restricted Categories ofApplicant” on Page

3 of theCAOhandbookshould first consultwith theAdmissionsOfficeofthe HEI

concerned.

Persons who havenot applied alreadymaymakean Available Place application on payment of afeeof €45.00.

 Persons who haveapplied already(whether placed or not) mayapplyfor an

Available Placeon-linewithoutpayment ofa further fee (when available).

Applicants forAvailablePlaces/Vacant Places must meet thenormal minimum entryrequirements forthe course(s)in question. Previouslypublishedpoints in an earlierroundof offers should notbetaken as an indication ofthe points required for entryto Available Places/Vacant Places.

TheAvailable Place facilityoperates on aweeklyschedule ofapplications, offers and acceptances. Applications that arrivein CAObefore11:00 onaMondaywill beprocessed andconsidered foroffers on the followingThursday. An offer

posted on aThursdaywill be available to viewonthe CAOwebsitethe following day.

Previouslypublishedpoints in an earlierroundofoffers in thecurrentyearshould not be taken as beingthepoints requirements for available placecourses.

Available/Vacant placecourse codes mayonlybeinserted higher inyour list of preferences than anyoffer whichyou have received to date.

NB Ifyoustill wishto be considered forany existing courses, youmust insert all available place courses belowthose youwishto retain.

Except for courses in which available places havebeenadvertised,you maynot re-orderyour original course choices.

 You mayonlyhaveatotal of 10 course choices inanycourselist (Level 8and

Level 7/6).Ifyouwish to add an available placecourseto a list already

containing10entries, thecourse codeat thebottom of the list(i.e., preference10)

willbedeleted.

Mature applicants and applicants who havequalifications other than 1985-Irish LeavingCert and/or 2000- FETACLevel 5/6 arecategorisedas Non-Standard Applicants. Such applicants must contact the appropriate HEIbefore completing an application.

Acceptanceof an offer ofan Available Place automaticallycancels and supersedesanypreviousoffer(s) andacceptance(s).

Whatis theUCAS Clearing system?

Clearingis usedafter theexam resultsarepublishedin August.It becomesactive from 18August onwards up to and including 09 September. It can help peoplewithoutauniversityorcollegeplaceto find suitable vacancies on highereducation coursesin theUKevenifyouhaven’t appliedto theUKalready.Ifyouare flexible andyou have reasonableexam results, thereis stillagood chanceyouwillfind another coursethrough Clearing.With Clearingspeedis ofthe essenceherethe most interestingvacancies will besnapped up.Vacancies will be publishedin theIndependent(UK) newspaper. The expected dates are: 5 August (Scottish listings– Scotland only)

19 August

20 August

21 August

2 September

9 September.

Contact: UCAS on 0044 330 3330 230

HowcanI viewmy script(s), and perhaps makeanappeal?

First,youshouldconsulttheLeaving CertificateResultsAppealProcessbookletthat accompaniesyourstatementofresults.Thiswill helpyoudecidewhether or nottolodge an appeal againstaresult. With the exception ofexternalcandidates,all applications for viewingofmarkedexampapersshouldbemadethroughyourschool. Leaving Certificate students return completed application forms regarding viewing of the scripts directly to the school by Tuesday, 22 August.

Remember viewing your script(s) is free of charge and you can view as many of them as you wish. It is only if you decide to make an appeal that you will be required to pay a fee in respect of each subject.

Whenwilltheviewingofexampapers take place?

ViewingwillbeinyourschoolonFriday 1st and Saturday, 2nd September.Youmustbe presenttoviewascriptandyoumaybring apersonofyourchoicewithyou.(You cannot have somebody view the script for you)!

You may ask aparent,orpossibly ateacher,toviewyourscriptwithyou.Thereisno obligationonteacherstomakethemselvesavailable,butmostareonly too happy tohelpalthough some will simplynot be in aposition to do so due to prior commitments.You may of course choose to view a script and then decide not to appeal. It is only upon appeal that a fee is incurred!

Will I havea copy ofthemarking schemewhileviewing my script?

Whenyouareviewingyour script,along withyournominatedother person,youcan compareyourscriptagainstthemarkingschemetoseewhetherarecheckrequestmight be appropriate.

Can I seethemarking schemes beforeI viewmy scripts?

Youcanaccessthemarking schemeonthe Stateexamswebsiteatandyourschool willalso havecopiesof themarkingschemesavailable duringthereview days.

Howdo I appeal a gradeinany subject?

The feeperstandardsubject,refundableinthe caseofasuccessfulappeal,is€40.All appealapplicationsmustbewiththeStateExaminationsCommissionby5pm on Wednesday,September 6th.ResultsofappealswillbeissuedbeforemidOctober.

Email:

Web:

Tel: 090 644 2700

Be carefulthough:manycandidatesreturntheirappealformwithoutproofofpayment; either thestampedpersonalisedbankgiro, ifpaidatthebank,or theinternetconfirmation recordifpaidonlinebycreditcard.Suchincompleteapplicationscaninvalidatethe appeal request.

Howdo I applyfora student charge/maintenancegrant?

First of all go to and register with SUSI. Application facility opened in early April, 2017. Just above New Grant Applications for 2017-18 you will see Student Grant written in blue– click on this ad it will bring you to the on-line application form. Please apply ASAP.

Alternatively just go to and register.

SUSI does not cover PLC/FETAC fees however. Only maintenance may be paid to PLC students.

Quick guide to the SUSI grant process

Background

Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is the single awarding authority for all student grant applications. If you are a new student or changing course you should apply to SUSI through this website.

The student grant application system is an “Online application system” and is accessed here at studentfinance.ie. To assist all applicants there is a SUSI Support Desk which will provide extended opening hours for email queries and telephone queries. Contact details are in the SUSI Support Desk section.

SUSI has a Nationwide Mentoring Network in place to assist applicants who might have access issues using the online system. You should contact the SUSI Support Desk for additional information on this network.

Remember you do not have to have confirmed your final choice of college or course to apply for a student grant.

The following students should submit an online application to SUSI:

  • a student who completed the Leaving Certificate in 2017;
  • a student who never previously pursued a Post Leaving Certificate course (PLC), an approved undergraduate course or an approved postgraduate course;
  • a student who completed an approved course in 2017, or a previous academic year, and hopes to pursue a further course in 2017-18, including those pursuing an “add-on” course in 2017-18;

Thepriority closing datetoapplyforastudent grantisJuly 13, 2017soapply early!

The City of Dublin ETB handle all applications now for higher education grants operated through SUSI.

SUSI SUPPORT DESK

  • Available 9.00am - 8.00 Mon/Fri
  • Available 10.00am - 1.00pm Saturdays
  • Email:
  • Telephone 0761 08 7874
  • Facebook.com/susisupport

I’mthinking ofrepeatingthe Leaving Certificate?

Seehandout below.

Howdo Isurvive thefirst fewweeks ofcollege?

 Attend orientatingorinduction this isvital !

 Sayhello to someone-Everybodywillbein thesameboat!

 Join clubs and societies theyare agreat wayto meet people

 You are expected to bean independent learner

 Don’tskip lectures and attend alltutorials

 Beacritical listeneranddon’tbe afraid to ask questions afterwards.

 Become familiar with new terminologyandconcepts

Developyour own shorthand system keywords points checkyour notes at the end of eachclass

Read books criticallyscan chapters forkeywords and concepts develop relevant questions asyou read thechapterwith a view to answeringthe question writeit alldown

Takebreaks between study– studyis ayear round affair not just acramming session a few weeks prior to exams.

Rewardyourself whenyou have completedataskand try and makesurethat you manageyour time effectively.

Please read this paragraph very carefully!!

Remember: If you feel that you have made a mistake with respect to your chosen course or are having second thoughts about same, the PLEASE PROCEED TO THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE ASAP AND DISCUSS YOUR OPTIONS WITH THE RELEVANT COLLEGE AUTHORITIES.

THEY MAY BE IN A POSITION TO REFUND THE FEES OR PART THEREOF TO YOU OR SUSI OR FIND AN ALTERNATIVE ARRANGMENT ----CHANGE OF COURSE OR DEFERRAL.

DROPPINNG OUT OF A THIRD LEVEL COURSE IS AKIN TO FAILING THE END OF YEAR EXAMS AND WILL BE VERY COSTLY IF YOU HAVE TO REPEAT THE YEAR OR CHANGE COURSE.

YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR THE STUDENT CONTRIBUTION FEE OF 3,000 EURO AND THE FULL COLLEGE FEES OF APPROX . 5,000 EURO …..A TOTAL THEREFORE OF 8,000 EURO OR MORE.

PortmarnockCommunity School GuidanceCounselling Service

Colleges ofFurtherEducation

CollegesofFurtherEducationalsoknownastheFurtherEducationSector or PLC colleges,offerover one thousand courses in more than two hundred centres nation-wide, with 24,700 studentstakingpartannually intheseoneandtwoyearprogrammes.Coursesinclude everything fromDancetoProfessionalComputercourses,aswellasthemorefamiliar such asBusiness,Marketing,Childcare, FashionDesign,ArtandDesign,Teleservices, ComputerApplications,Law,FitnessandLeisureManagement,Beauty TherapyPre- nursing.

Ifyouareofferedacollegeplace bytheC.A.O.We highly recommendyouconsiderthis alternative. These courses are F.E.T.A.C. accredited (see and are consideredlevel4or5andinsomecaseslevel6intermsoftheNational Qualification framework (see

UnlikeCAOcourses,placesarenotawardedonthebasisofpoints-entrytoallcourses isby directapplicationtothecollege,usuallyfollowedbyaninterview.PLCcoursesare of one andtwoyearsduration and generally entail a Resource contribution fee of approx 250/350 euro per year (beauty therapy courses are slightly more expensive as students need to purchase their own equipment) together with a Government charge of 200 euro introduced by the DES in 2011. There may also be a small charge for examination purposes. If you have been approved for a student grant, you will be exempt from paying this Government levy.

LocalETB’s (Educational Training Boards)andsomesecondlevelschoolsoffer PLCcourses.AsofyetthereisnocentralapplicationsystemforP.L.C. coursessostudents must apply individually to each college; most colleges require an interview. Atinterview stage, collegesattempttomatchstudentstocoursesandtoensure thatstudents understand the nature of the courses for which they have applied. WeareblessedthatlivinginDublinwearewithineasyreachofthefollowingColleges of Further Education operated bythe Cityof Dublin ETB;

BallsbridgeCollegeof FurtherEducation

Ballyfermot Collegeof Further Education

KylemoreCollege

WhitehallCollegeof FurtherEducation

St. Kevin's College

ColaisteDhulaigh-CollegeofFurtherEducation

Crumlin Collegeof Further Education

InchicoreCollegeofFurther Education

ColaisteIde-CollegeofFurtherEducation

KillesterCollegeof Further Education

Liberties College

Marino Collegeof Further Education

Plunket College

Rathmines College

Ringsend TechnicalInstitute

PearseCollegeofFurther Education

A listof colleges operated bytheCountyDublinV.E.C. can befoundbelow:

College ofFurtherEducation Dundrum

Collinstown ParkCommunityCollege

Deansrath CommunityCollege

DundrumCollege

Grange CommunityCollege

Greenhills College

Stillorgan College ofFurtherEducation

In ALLcases application forms can becompletedonline from the individual colleges websites and completedforms maybe returned throughout theyear. However, popular courses tend to fillup asearlyas April. Some colleges hold interviews inMaybut interviews are also held in Septemberand in somecases places areofferedright up to the start of the courses. Eachcollegehas its own procedures-somerequireanon-refundable deposit with the application form whileothers donot requireadeposit unless theyare actuallyofferingaplace.

Byusingqualifax.ie – the national learners databasewebsite()and followingthe links– Students- coursefinderpost leavingcertyou willbe able to

view allavailablecourses. Finally, itis important to check out thequalityand suitability ofacourseto ensureitis right foryou.

PortmarnockCommunity School GuidanceCounselling Service

Repeating theLeaving Certificate, a possible option.

RepeatingtheLeavingCertificateisadecisionthatrequirescarefulconsideration,itcan beanexpensiveoptionandtherearetheemotionalimplicationsofremainingbehind whilefriendsandpeersembarkonanexcitingnewlifeincollege.Having saidthat,the majorityof students whorepeat the LC do improveupon theirprevious performance.

Itispossible totake a dedicatedRepeatLeavingCertificatecourseatVECschoolsand FurtherEducationColleges.Thesecoursestend tohavea mixture of repeatstudentsand mature studentswhomighthave leftschoolearly.The advantage of these dedicated coursesisthateveryoneisatthesamestage,takingaone-yearcourse,andteachers realise thatyou willnothavecoveredcertainareasbefore. A number ofschools, particularlyinDublin,offerdedicatedrepeatclasses,where studentsare treatedassecond levelplus.VECschoolsare agoodbetfor repeatclassesand,inDublin,classesare offered at Plunket College, Whitehall College, Pearse College, Crumlin College of Further Education;RathminesCollege;Ringsendand,GreenhillsCollege,Walkinstown. Among thetraditional Dublinschoolswithagoodtrackrecordof repeatyearsare Marian College,Ballsbridge,and,onthe Northside StJoseph'sCBS,Marino,andO'Connell Schools.

Apopularalternativeareprivateinstitutions or‘grind’schools,whichconcentratesolely onthefifthand/orsixth year.Studentsenteradedicated repeatclassorintothecollege’s sixthyear.(Ifyoudoenterintosixthyear,don’t worryaboutbeingleftbehind.These collegesare wellawareofthechallengesfacingrepeatstudentsandwillmakesurethat youarequicklyincorporatedintothelearningprocess.)Many ofthesecollegesarevery focusedandofferstudentsadditionalservices,suchasflexible timetables, examination techniquesandstudyskillsseminars,togivestudentsagoodopportunitytoimprovetheir results andCAOopportunities.

Thereareanumberoffactorstoconsiderwhenyouaredeciding wheretorepeatthe Leaving Certificate.Costisan issue–coursesatFurtherEducationinstitutionsaverageat around€200,whereasprivateinstitutionscanchargeinexcessof€5,500.Thereisalso thecostofspending anextrayearineducationtoconsider.Whateverchoiceyoumake, it isimportanttodoplentyofresearchbeforehand.Ifpossible,talktopastpupilsabout theirexperiences.Askthemrelevantquestionsaboutclassesandstudy aids.Iftakingthe collegeroute,youshouldalsopayavisittothecollegeitselftosatisfyany queriesyou mighthave.Itisalsoagoodidea tomakean appointmenttotalktotheprincipal ora guidancecounsellorifthisispossible.They shouldbeableanswerany queriesyoumay have toassistyouinyour decision,such asinformationonclasssizes,subjectsonoffer and the averagepoints increase forrepeatingstudents at their institution.

A number of contact details can befoundbelow:

Plunket Collegeof Further Education

Swords Road Whitehall Dublin 9

Tel:01 8371689 / 8371680

Rathmines Collegeof Further Education

Town Hall

Rathmines

Dublin 6. Phone: 01 497 5334 Fax: 01 4979678

Pearse College

Clogher Road Crumlin Dublin 12

Tel 4536661/454

WhitehallCollegeof Further Education

Swords Road

Dublin 9

Tel:01 8376011 or01 8376012 fax: 01 8377717

O’ConnellSecondarySchool

North Richmond St

Dublin 1

01 8748307

Institute of Education

Address:82-85LowerLeeson Street, Dublin 2

Telephone: 01-6613511

Fax: 01-6619050

E-mail:

Private FeePayingCollege

Dublin TutorialCentre

Address:19 Mount Street Upper, Dublin 2

Telephone: 01-6612209

Fax: 01-6618362

E-mail:

Private FeePayingCollege

Ashfield College Templeogue, Dublin 6W Telephone: 01-4900866

Fax: 01-4900871

E-mail:

Private FeePayingCollege

Good luck all!!

Go n-éirí libh go léir!!

Frank Farrell – Guidance Counsellor PCS