A total of 145 students obtained the maximum 600 points in this year's Leaving Certificate, with more than one in four receiving 400 points or more, latest figures from the Central Applications Office (CAO) have revealed.
In a sign of the continued pressure faced by students hoping to gain entry to high-points courses such as medicine and pharmacy, the statistics show that although the number of students sitting the exam fell by some 1,000 this year, 44 more students received maximum points than in 2003.
Similarly, the number of students obtaining between 500 and 599 points rose by 132, although those receiving between 400 and 499 points decreased by 28.
In general, this year's students performed marginally better than last year's in terms of the number of points they received.
Out of 55,223 students sitting the exam, 145 obtained 600 points; 4,134 obtained between 500 and 599 points; 11,464 obtained between 400 and 499 points; 14,025 obtained between 300 and 399 points; 10,737 obtained between 200 and 299 points; 8,159 obtained between 100 and 199 points; and 6,559 obtained less than 100 points.
By yesterday afternoon, the CAO had received around 11,200 online acceptances of round-one offers.
A spokesman said it had begun to receive applications for vacant places, and advised disappointed students to consider the Further Education and Training Awards Council's (FETAC) higher-education links scheme
This offers opportunities for entry to certain higher-education courses after successful completion of suitable FETAC awards, he said.