Honestly, How hard is the Leaving Cert?

Inhalerguy

I'm in 5th and certain teachers have turned into drill sergeants, they reiterate on a by-minutely basis how hard the leaving cert.
Granted it's no cake walk and you have to put in work, how hard is the Leaving Cert?

What study is needed (subjective to the person but a rough estimate) our school journals say 3 1/2 hours per day for 5th years including homework.
What should we be covering when we study? Surely we are not expected to read chapter to chapter.

I'm aiming for mid 500s and honesty I am willing to give up a large amount of my time to attempt to achieve high marks.

I'm trying to view the Leaving Cert as a 'points race' more so then another exam year so my goal is simply to get the highest results I can possibly get..

So how hard is this Leaving Cert malarkey?

Tonyandthewhale

Not very.

spurious

A great deal depends on how good you have become over the years at listening properly. people like to say the JC counts for nothing, but good habits developed during it can make things a lot easier.

In terms of points, it's arguable that certain strategies pay off. If you understand and like Maths for example, then Applied Maths and Physics may come easier to you and allow you get more points than, say, Home Economics and Geography.
Similarly, there are courses which are shorter than others.

A native speaker of an EU language should of course take it at LC, though A1s there don't come as easy as people think.

It's not possible in most schools to pick subjects from every single one available, as a school could not afford to keep, for example, an Ancient Greek teacher on payroll, just on the off chance someone might want to do it.

A great deal depends on your own organisation and ability to read questions properly. The number one reason why people do not do well is failing to answer the question asked. Personally, I nelieve the learning off of 'sample' essays is to blame for that, but people keep doing it.

Reading chapter to chapter isn't studying.


tl;dr; Smart subject choice can make it easier for some people, but a lot depends on your own history.

randylonghorn

spurious wrote: »

A great deal depends on your own organisation and ability to read questions properly. The number one reason why people do not do well is failing to answer the question asked. Personally, I believe the learning off of 'sample' essays is to blame for that, but people keep doing it.

+1000

Acciaccatura

Your perception on how hard the Leaving Cert is would also depend on what you're aiming for, and your academic abilities. For example, I knew a girl who was a diligent student, intelligent, but not bookish, and did a fair few ordinary level subjects. She knew she would struggle to get her goal of 400 points for nursing, and yet there was another girl who was looking for medicine/pharmacy/physio, book-smart, a good crammer, who got 485 in the mocks after studying most of her subjects the night before each exam. I reckon both had it equally hard, despite differences in goal and academic ability.

Also, I have a theory that if you plot a graph with effort (measured in whatever units, as the x-axis) vs. CAO points as the y-axis, representing the entire population of LC students, that it'll come out as an ogive curve. What I mean is that I reckon it's easier to jump from 300-350 points than it is to jump from 550-590. But I'll save it for another thread

jaymcg91

I'm finishing my degree this year, and the most stressful time in education I think back to is my LC. Not because it was academically the hardest, but because of the pressure I felt not to fail. Also because I didn't have a choice in the subjects i did, so I was stuck with a bunch of crap subjects I was god awful at.

I still have nightmares about it .

randylonghorn

Acciaccatura wrote: »

What I mean is that I reckon it's easier to jump from 300-350 points than it is to jump from 550-590.

You can take that as given tbh.

Acciaccatura

randylonghorn wrote: »

You can take that as given tbh.

Ah yeah, I guess so, I just wanted to account for any outliers, like any good statistician :P



Plot twist: I'm not a statistician :pac:

randylonghorn

Acciaccatura wrote: »

Ah yeah, I guess so, I just wanted to account for any outliers, like any good statistician :P



Plot twist: I'm not a statistician :pac:

If you start muttering about medians and modes, you're soooo outta here! :P :pac:

Acciaccatura

randylonghorn wrote: »

If you start muttering about medians and modes, you're soooo outta here! :P :pac:

*Calculates the probablity of you booting me out if I do start* :P

randylonghorn

Acciaccatura

randylonghorn wrote: »

The odds of you booting me out have definitely shortened, and I am 98.74% certain, with a 2% margin of error, that this thread has gone completely off-topic.

BobbyPropane

Imo it's difficult to get 560+ but its relatively easy to get anywhere between 420 and 560

PseudoFamous

fact of the matter is that it isn't really that difficult, assuming you put in the work. I managed 420 points myself, and even from first year of college (Engineering) it was clear that it really wasn't a hard set of exams relative to 3rd level. I think now, had I really bothered about it, I could have done much better overall. I didn't though, and it doesn't really even matter now, but the advice I give to anyone who wants it is really just that you have to put in the work.

Anyway, best you get in the habit of studying and studying hard, because if you choose a particularly intensive course (from my perspective: architecture, medicine, engineering), you may find yourself stumbling at more hurdles than necessary from lack of discipline. Nearly finished at this point, so I suppose its easy to see with the retrospectacles on.

mastodonj

I got 460 points from not studying, at all, not even once. I paid attention in class, did most of my homework, and just generally had a good grasp of what I was dealing with. I'm not sure if studying would have helped me either...

IsMiseMyself

I remember thinking it was fairly handy. I got around 450 points but tbf, I was guaranteed an A1 in English and History just for showing up. I had a natural aptitude for both. I never did homework, was constantly on detention, barely even ever had an actual schoolbook in my bag, studied for two weeks beforehand and breezed through the exams. Paying attention in class helped though. I remember one poor girl bursting into tears before the Physics exam and I was just standing there, befuddled.

The stress levels depend on your aptitude for learning, your interest, your personality type, and how many points you need.

blackbird 49

I think getting ready for the leaving cert starts in 5th year even though most people thinks it's a doss year, listening in class, doing your homework and understanding the subjects you are doing, people might tell you they are not studying but they are. I know of someone who would tell you they did no studying,but I knew they were, she was a clever enough person who maybe didn't have to put as much work in as others had to

shruikan2553

I found it more difficult that many college exams but that was mostly due to 12 weeks worth of material vs 2 years. If you put in the effort it wouldnt be too bad, I remember only studying for physics the night before.

DublinArnie

I'm aiming for mid 500s as well, in fifth year like you.

EoghanIRL

It isn't .
College is much worse.
"The leaving cert is the hardest exam of your life / it gets easier" - all lies, don't believe any of it .

Anonymagician

EoghanIRL wrote: »

It isn't .
College is much worse.
"The leaving cert is the hardest exam of your life / it gets easier" - all lies, don't believe any of it .

Thanks for the uplifting words...

Magnate

It's a subjective question I think. It all relative to how many points you're aiming for and your abilities. Sub 500 and you might find it easy enough but for someone aiming for 625 it may just be the hardest exam of their life

thelad95

Is the Leaving Cert hard? No.

Is it hard to score highly? Yes but only because of bell-curves and strict marking schemes.

spurious

Magnate wrote: »

It's a subjective question I think. It all relative to how many points you're aiming for and your abilities. Sub 500 and you might find it easy enough but for someone aiming for 625 it may just be the hardest exam of their life

Or for some people getting 350 would be a major achievement. Everyone is different.

Magnate

spurious wrote: »

Or for some people getting 350 would be a major achievement. Everyone is different.

Yep, definitely relative to the individual's abilities and aptitude as mentioned.

Troxck

It is difficult in the sense that you're examined on two years of material from 7+ subjects in a space of three weeks. It is also difficult as many people have to study subjects they really have no interest in or ability for due to them being either mandatory or for matriculation purposes.

sponge151

is it hard to get around 200-250 points i have been studying but i still find some subjects hard ?

Digital Solitude

sponge151 wrote: »

is it hard to get around 200-250 points i have been studying but i still find some subjects hard ?

4 HL and 2 OL with C2s in every subject, which is 60-65% is 290, so when you look at it that way, no not really. Of course it comes down to you, I find maths hard but I'd be A standard if I bothered at it, I find chemistry as difficult, if not easier, and I'd be lucky to get a B with hard work

sponge151

i suppose i never really taught of it that way and i do have 4HL subjects i really just hope i get around 200 points at least i would be delighted with 250 !! maths is really my week point and im doing ord level

Bubbaclaus

What's the average (or median) points score in the leaving cert these days? Going by what my class would've got when we did it, and the bonus points now available, I'd guess around 430ish?

Digital Solitude

400 last year anyways. I'd say its 400 most, if not every year

spurious

Digital Solitude wrote: »

400 last year anyways. I'd say its 400 most, if not every year

I think that might be just of those who apply for the CAO - it would be a bit lower if everyone is included.

Wanderer78

ah the leaving is overrated folks but thats not a reason to goof off in school. do the best you can but dont set your goals too high and stress yourself out too much. if it doesnt work out for you, theres always other options in life and generally back doors into whatever you wanna do in life. best of luck with the exams and enjoy the summer

Lollipop95

I did my leaving cert last year and I wish someone had sat me down in 5th year and told me to stop being lazy and study. (Sorry for long post! )

For my leaving I did 2 higher level subjects - English and Home Ec
The rest were ordinary. Because of sheer laziness I ended up doing ordinary in business and biology. At the time I didn't really care tbh but now (hindsight is a great thing!) I'm annoyed I didn't work harder. If I'd actually knuckled down in 5th year I know 100% I would've been doing 4 higher level subjects instead of 2. I did foundation level maths but well, that was always going to be the case as I possess ZERO ability with figures. Miraculously I ended up with a D2 in the leaving.

I got 250 points in my leaving cert AND I'm proud of that because in my mocks I only got about 100 and something points (again, couldn't be arsed to really study that hard). I failed home ec in the mocks by quite a bit and in the leaving due to really studying hard over the Easter (probably would've gotten a better grade if I started studying sooner tbh!) I got a C3.

Same was with biology - failed that miserably in the mocks and after being told a few weeks before the leaving cert by my biology teacher that she was worried I'd fail (I'm so glad she said it because it motivated me a hell of a lot) I studied really hard and got a C2.

I sometimes wonder what points I could've gotten if I bothered to actually study properly from the get go and I know I could've done a hell of a lot better. But then, I was NEVER a very academic student - the only subject I enjoyed was English. I LOVED English and I got a C1 in that. That grade still deeply annoys me because I didn't feel I deserved it. I suppose I could have spent more time on it but it was the one subject I've always loved. Probably should've appealed but meh! I know myself that I deserved more than a C1 and exams don't accurately reflect true intelligence imo. However they're VERY important.

So to sum it up - if you study, the leaving cert will be a breeze imo. Just don't stress because it's made to be a mountain out of a molehill. Honestly, familiarise yourself with exam papers (godsend for biology) and study consistently and you will be grand!


Just to add - my points would've given me the course I wanted in an IT but not the maths grade so I would've needed around 300 points to get into arts in
NUIG, which I was hoping for. I was a bit disappointed at the time but I did a plc in business and I'll now hopefully get
the course I wanted originally in an IT this September! Actually delighted tbh I didn't get arts now..so it all works out in the end. There are back door routes into everything!

wattlebird

I would say they're more stressful and mentally draining than academically hard... Regardless of studying, it's extremely difficult not to succumb to the "The next two weeks determines EVERYTHING and my life will be over if I don't get the points I need" train of thought.

I did my Leaving in 2011 and have never experienced anything near that feeling of impending doom with college exams. Yes the college exams were more academically challenging, but each of those exams contributed towards a small percentage of my overall degree grade, so it didn't seem like the end of the world if I did badly in one, because there was plenty of time to make it up.

With most Leaving Cert subjects on the other hand, your entire grade for 2 years of work depends on 2-3 hours of frantic writing. If you happen to be feeling sick or just have a bad day, tough luck.

I am quite academically-minded and find it easy to learn off chunks of information, so I did well in the Leaving Cert. This hasn't stopped me from being mentally scarred due to the immense pressure! I cried before, during and after getting my results purely because I had built it up so much in my head... It's cringy to remember it now, but if there's a course you really want, it's incredibly difficult to get some perspective when the importance of the exams is constantly being drilled into your head.

TLDR - The pressure surrounding the exams is much more difficult to deal with than actually sitting the exams themselves.

Good luck everyone - I know I drastically failed to do this during my Leaving, but just try to remember there's light at the end of the tunnel no matter how many points you get. There's always another way. :P

RoRo979

it is a generic test, so what i say is easy or hard is not the same for you. Personally i have pretty good intelligence, dont need to do much work, 400 zone is reachable with minimal studt for me. However put someone else in the same scenario and with minimal study they would be lucky to pass everything

thewhistler8

Really depends on you, on how you study, what your natural ability is etc. Im doing my leaving now and personally I have done a total of about 12 hours study in the last 2 years. Did a similar amount for Junior Cert and got 2 A's, 7 B's and 3 C's. I'm expecting to get between 450-500 points for leaving cert depending on whether physics and religion go well.
I know other people who study their asses off 2-3 hours a night and are aiming for 400 points... I do higher in all subjects but I might take the ordinary physics paper because it's going to be my 7th subject without a doubt anyway.
So basically some of us can manage all honour grades in higher level doing nothing while others study for hours to do the same thing. Your fifth year summer exam results combined with your knowledge of the effort you put in for them are probably a good indication of what you can expect for the work you put in.

yoyojc

I'm almost finished mine and I can honestly say it's alot harder than I was expecting.

The thing is there is no way anyone would last at a Higher Level subject without putting in work unless of course it's their native language.

You have to put in so much work to every subject...

but if you keep on top of things and work hard you'll be fine, not necessarily going to mean you'll do great but you'll be just fine. Alot of it depends on whether or not the paper has q's that play to your strengths also. You could be very unlucky and be very weak at calculus and get a maths paper saturated with it...

LordKingJimmy

In my opinion it really depends on the subject. With the likes of English if you know the poetry and texts then you are set. If you practice eassys that your teacher gives you for homework the you will be fine. Same with maths if you just do the homework then you'll be fine.
However other subjects such as biology where the volume of information is so large you should be studying for it. I only started study for my leaving cert a week before and felt fine in the exams. However I had my PE teacher and Spanish teacher telling me i should be doing 4-5 hours of study a night for ALL my subjects but the My english teacher (who was a lot more qualified then them Phd and a lecturer in UCC) Told me that doing my homework and an hour or two on the stuff i found difficult was enough.

michele101

It's hard. Just finished my exams today and it was much harder than I expected. Throughout the past two years I worked hard and as I went through exam papers I felt it was getting easier!
The pressure was on after the mocks as my results really let me down. The thought that I mightn't get the points for my dream course is really scary, don't think i'm able to do that year again.
I felt quite depressed and stressed throughout the year and the exams themselves are really draining which makes it harder as the week goes on.
Don't think I realised how hard it was until the exams actually started tbh.
That was long haha oops

Stooped

I've woken up mornings forgetting I was doing exams that day. It depends on every student but for me, I'm one of those ones that 'have potential' but unfortunately I'm also quite lazy so those two don't go hand in hand. I know that I have the ability to get 500 points but I just can't be bothered. Right now, I'd be delighted to break 350. I do really regret not studying until late May and if I go to university next year (depending if I fail maths or not) then I will definitely try become studious and make the most with what I get.

The Leaving Cert can be stressful depending on how much preparation you've done for it. I've cried over it and I'm a lad. My last exam's tomorrow and I'm just going to get that out of the way and enjoy my summer without the dread of August hanging over me. But all in all, with the Leaving Cert you get what you put in.

YouKnowNothing

I'm doing it now at the momemt, personally I think it's all overrated, I feel like I'm breezing through it at the moment. Just do your homework regularly and then knuckle down hard after the mocks.
On another subject, still have no idea what I want to do next year :L stuck between maths, physics or pharmacy

The_N4sir

YouKnowNothing wrote: »

I'm doing it now at the momemt, personally I think it's all overrated, I feel like I'm breezing through it at the moment. Just do your homework regularly and then knuckle down hard after the mocks.
On another subject, still have no idea what I want to do next year :L stuck between maths, physics or pharmacy

I would somewhat agree. I think the studying and the build up is worse than the exams themselves IMO

EoghanIRL

The_N4sir wrote: »

I would somewhat agree. I think the studying and the build up is worse than the exams themselves IMO

Plus in college you have finals which is just like the lc again and you get used to having big exams at the end of each year.
The lc is the first time you sit important exams and is just a learning curve tbh.

Shanmcg97

There's no easier way to say it but just put in the work throughout the year. Put the effort into your homework so that you don't be writing out decent essays the night before the exam. You don't want to be the person getting up at half 5 to study for a subject. It sounds so simple and it's often said But if your doing a bit every night your doing well. The exams themselves are physically and mentally draining and there is defo a lot hype built up as they approach which isint needed. And p.s don't tell yourself that you'll cover something the night before an exam, cause that doesn't happen.