Receiving Leaving Certificate results can feel like the culmination of years of work, but it also begins another period of decisions.
Some students will be delighted with their results when they receive them on Friday 21 August, perhaps immediately calculating their points and comparing them with the course they have spent months hoping to secure. Others could be disappointed, wondering whether the career they had pictured for themselves is suddenly out of reach.
Colette Twomey, guidance counsellor with Cork Education and Training Board, lecturer on DCU’s Graduate Diploma in Guidance Counselling and former vice president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, says neither reaction should lead students to make immediate assumptions about what happens next.
“Receiving the Leaving Certificate results is a true milestone in young people’s lives. It marks the transition from school completion to the next step in their life journey,” she says.
For those disappointed with their grades, Colette stresses that an exam result does not necessarily reflect the full ability of the person receiving it. “It simply indicates their performance in a timed, exam situation.”
Some students will already have conditional offers through routes outside the CAO, including Further Education and Training (FET), apprenticeships, tertiary degree programmes or applications through UCAS. For those waiting on the CAO, however, results day is only one part of the process.
“It is important not to assume what the results mean with regards to college places,” says Colette. “The results are only one part of the journey and the CAO offers process has yet to take place.”
Before the offer arrives
Round One CAO offers will be available from 2pm on Wednesday 26 August, with a reply deadline of 3pm on Tuesday 1 September.
Colette recommends using the days in between productively rather than trying to predict the outcome.
“This is a great time to revisit course information, explore accommodation options, investigate alternative pathways and discuss plans with family or guidance counsellors,” she says.
Even somebody whose points appear to match or exceed those previously required for their preferred course should avoid taking an offer for granted. Points can rise or fall depending on demand and the number of places available.
“Nobody has an offer until the CAO formally issues it,” says Colette. “Students should avoid making financial commitments or major plans until they receive confirmation.”
I would encourage any student not to jump to conclusions. This is simply one offer to one application at the start of a journey towards the career that they really want
Students unhappy with an examination result can also apply to view their script through the Candidate Self-Service Portal from 5pm on Tuesday 25 August until 8pm on Wednesday 26 August. An appeal can then be considered if they believe the grade does not accurately reflect the work completed.
When offers arrive, students should look beyond where a course sat on their original preference list and consider whether it still suits them.
“Choosing a course is a significant decision and it is important to reflect carefully,” says Colette.
Course content, placement opportunities, location, commuting or accommodation costs and whether it still fits with longer-term interests should all be considered.
Students may receive more than one offer across the CAO lists, but only one acceptance can be recorded in each round. Accepting a course lower on a preference list does not prevent an applicant from later receiving an offer for a course placed above it.
Round Two offers will issue on 7 September, with a reply deadline of 3pm on 9 September, while further rounds may follow where vacancies remain.
Deferral can also be the right option for some students. Colette says taking a year before beginning college can be valuable where there is a clear purpose behind it, including travel, work experience, health considerations or personal development.
“It should not be used simply to postpone a decision,” she says, adding that students should understand the college’s deferral policy before proceeding.
When things don’t go to plan
For the student who misses the points they hoped for, the immediate reaction may be that a particular career has disappeared along with the course.
Colette says this is one of the most important assumptions to challenge.
“I would encourage any student not to jump to conclusions. This is simply one offer to one application at the start of a journey towards the career that they really want.”
Rather than viewing a particular CAO course and the desired career as the same thing, she encourages students to separate the two.
“A career is the destination, the end point, and a course is just one route. There are many pathways to a career and many successful professionals reach their careers through pathways they may not have originally considered.”
For some, the next step may be waiting to see what happens in later CAO rounds. However, Colette advises students not to put every other option on hold in the hope that the points will move in their favour.
“If a student is short on points and they have explored appealing their results they should remain open to later offers while also considering an alternative plan.”
Careers are built over time through learning, experience, resilience and perseverance. There are many routes to success and these results are just one point along the journey towards the ultimate goal
One of those alternatives is FET (Further Education and Training). Students can investigate FET or PLC (Post Leaving Certificate) courses linked to the degree they originally hoped to enter. Through the CAO website, they can search the code of their preferred degree and examine QQI awards that may provide a progression route.
Progression pathway
Colette says PLCs should not be viewed simply as a second-best option.
“The FET/PLC can be an excellent progression pathway. Many degree programmes have reserved places for students who have completed a linked QQI award.”
She has seen students progress through this route into degrees that would otherwise have required more than 500 Leaving Certificate points.
Apprenticeships and tertiary degrees are other routes she believes families can overlook. A tertiary degree allows a student to begin their studies within an Education and Training Board before progressing – once the required academic standard is reached – to a university or technological university to complete the degree.
Repeating the Leaving Certificate may remain an option for some, but Colette says it should be considered alongside the alternatives now available.
“Yes, repeating the Leaving Cert is sometimes the right choice but only when there is a realistic prospect of improvement and a clear reason for doing so.”
When disappointment is fresh, parents can play an important role, but Colette advises against immediately trying to take control. “Parents should acknowledge the disappointment and avoid trying to immediately solve the problem,” she says.
Listening, reassuring and helping their child explore alternatives once emotions have settled can be more useful. The National Parents and Students Leaving Certificate Helpline (01 8874477) is also due to operate after results are issued, while students can contact their school or a local guidance counsellor for support.
Among the biggest mistakes Colette sees is allowing one disappointing result to become a judgement on a student’s entire future, or accepting a course simply because it has been offered even though it no longer suits their interests.
Her message for students is to keep the bigger picture in mind.
“The Leaving Certificate opens some doors on a pathway to a desired career, but they do not define a person’s ability, potential and future success.
“Careers are built over time through learning, experience, resilience and perseverance. There are many routes to success and these results are just one point along the journey towards the ultimate goal.”
SHARING OPTIONS