Leaving Cert: How do Examiners Grade Leaving Cert Students?

Coherence of delivery involves maintaining relevance, providing evidence, and organizing ideas logically. Responses must be sustained throughout the entire essay, especially in comparative tasks where consistent coherence across all elements is necessary. For personal essays or short stories, the work must form a satisfying whole.

The video introduces the topic of how Leaving Cert examiners mark papers, addressing common student questions about point allocation. It highlights that both Paper 1 and Paper 2 are equally weighted with 200 points each. The four main elements of grading are purpose (clarity of purpose), coherence of delivery, efficiency of language, and accuracy of mechanics.

The four main elements are each assigned a percentage: Clarity of Purpose (30%), Coherence of Delivery (30%), Efficiency of Language (30%), and Accuracy of Mechanics (10%). The presenter emphasizes that accuracy of mechanics, though only 10%, is naturally integrated if one is fluent and practiced.

Efficiency of language focuses on clear communication, avoiding repetition and clichés. Non-native speakers particularly need to work on English fluency to avoid awkward sentences. Paragraphs must be well-structured and serve a clear purpose, indicating a logical progression of arguments or examples. Effective use of connective words is also important for flow.

Accuracy of mechanics primarily covers spelling and grammar. Although it's only 10% of the grade, it's often grouped with language as they are interconnected. Students are expected to have a solid grasp of these fundamental English aspects.

Clarity of purpose requires a clear and purposeful engagement with the task. Examiners look for confident, energetic, and relevant answers. Losing points here happens when students go off-topic or fail to take a clear stance when one is required, such as stating a definite like or dislike for a character rather than being indecisive.

The video concludes by stressing that clarity of purpose is the most critical criterion. A low grade in purpose automatically caps the maximum achievable marks for coherence, language, and mechanics. If a student gets a 4 out of 9 for purpose, their maximum potential for the other 9-point criteria also becomes 4. Therefore, staying on topic and understanding the task in Paper 1 and Paper 2 is fundamental for success.