best option?

Ginja Ninja

well i know what it says in the charter about "why lc is bad" but i mean from someone stuck in the middle of it i was wondering on a global scale is the points /cao type system used.i mean this as is there a constant assesment system used anywhere or is the whole world placing your whole future on one exam (or set of them) like us paddys?

thanks for any replies ginge

PurpleFistMixer

No, other countries have other systems. I'm not intimately friendly with any of them, but this is what I know of a couple...

In da North, and the UK, with the A-Levels they have a number of smaller exams for their different modules within the subjects, and possibly/probably coursework to hand up that contributes.
In Chile, it's like here in that it's all on exams at the end of the year, except they only have one or two big exams, whereas we have.. well I had 13 or so. (You know, English 1 + 2 counting as 2 exams). Though they might have continuous assessment for some subjects, not too sure.
I think in the USA it might be continuous assessment, the way they go on about credits and stuff, but they do the SAT... lord knows really, it's all a bit mad over there.

Also, other countries have different "college" systems too, even.

I think what makes Ireland somewhat different is that when we apply for colleges we don't do it directly to the college, we do it via the CAO, which makes it all more formal and standardised and impersonal.

What kind of system is best is a matter of debate... People give out about the LC, but I like the anonymity of it. I think in some countries (possibly England) your own teacher has a hand in deciding your grade, which is open to extreme abuse, obviously. At least here, okay the LC is a horrible experience, but everyone has to do exactly the same thing.

(Somewhat unrelated interesting piece of trivia: In Romania, they have a similar system in that they've got end of school exams etc. However, earlier in the year all of the possible questions for the exams are published. Then, when it comes to exam time they just pick a random number of them and then everyone has to do them. Lord only knows why they do it like that.)

Ginja Ninja

how did you get 13 exams how many subjects did you do????:eek:

oh and thanks for the reply but i know everyone goes through it but in biology terms you mentally mature around this time and (in general) grow as a person as well as usually gettin the big 1 8 so does it do you any good going through it all at this time (lil factoid this is also THE most common age bracket (17-20) for suicide AFAIK so is this just mad )

oh and dont you go into US colleges at 19/20 i think that extra year could seriously help

PurpleFistMixer

Irish - 2 exams
English - 2 exams
Maths - 2 exams
French, Music, Art, Physics, Applied Maths - 5 exams.
Sorry, 11 exams in total.

What are you asking? Is this the right age to be doing important exams?
Well, I'd say... 18 is the age you're sort of deemed an adult. So it'd make sense that you leave your schooldays behind and move on into a new life at that point. Which may involve doing further study in university, which then brings about the need for entrance exams. So it seems somewhat inevitable.
Of course, the age of people doing the LC/entering college varies... I was 18 for most of 6th year, another girl was 16, another girl turned 19 during the exams, etc.

jennyq

I'm pretty sure they finish school at around the same age as us in the US, 18 give or take a year or so. As far as I know they get graded on continuous assessment, but it depends on the school how much, and it all gets worked out into an average at the end. The SAT & stuff like that I think is separate for applying to colleges, another way of selecting the best people. Colleges over there require essays and I guess a lot more personal application than just a set of points like here as far as I know.

I think our system is pretty good for the variety of subjects you do, compared with say the UK's system where they only do 3 or 4 subjects. I guess you could say it means our individual subjects compared to their UK equivalents wouldn't be as detailed or focused but I think it's good to do a wider range of subjects. It gives you longer to decide on what you're interested in doing after school and personally I think managing to do well in the Leaving Cert is a bigger achievement as chances are there'll be at least one subject you are weak at or don't like.

stev2604

Interestingly, an international school in Libya take the Leaving Cert as well. According to Wikipedia anyway.....

MathsManiac

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

Irish - 2 exams
English - 2 exams
Maths - 2 exams
French, Music, Art, Physics, Applied Maths - 5 exams.
Sorry, 11 exams in total.

How come you counted the components as separate exams in some cases and not others?
Doesn't French have 3: written, aural and oral?
Doesn't Irish have 4: P1, P2, aural, and oral?
Music: at least 2, I think, (perorming and written)
Art: 4, if I recall correctly: (History & app; imag comp/still life; life drawing; 2D/3Ddesign)

K4t

stev2604 wrote: »

Interestingly, an international school in Libya take the Leaving Cert as well. According to Wikipedia anyway.....

Yeah, I think it's actually an Irish fella who started it out there. I read about it a few weeks back. They actually get better honours maths results (per capita) than us!

PurpleFistMixer

MathsManiac wrote: »

How come you counted the components as separate exams in some cases and not others?
Doesn't French have 3: written, aural and oral?
Doesn't Irish have 4: P1, P2, aural, and oral?
Music: at least 2, I think, (perorming and written)
Art: 4, if I recall correctly: (History & app; imag comp/still life; life drawing; 2D/3Ddesign)

I was only considering the exams which take place in June. Aural is only 40 minutes so it doesn't really count as an extra exam. I wouldn't count it, anyway. It was hardly an exact measurement anyway, I was just mentioning it for sake of comparison.
Also, Music has 2 written papers plus 1 elective. Written are listening and composing, my elective was performance, but if your elective is in composition it's done in the form of a project you submit, afaik.