Second Level digest: Leaving Cert

Seven students have achieved eight H1s ( between 90-100 per cent) in the Leaving Certificate while 53 have achieved seven top grades, it has been revealed. The seven were in Coláiste Pádraig CBS in Lucan, Oatlands College in Mount Merrion, Christian Brothers College in Dún Laoghaire, St Andrew's College in Blackrock, Christian Brothers College in Sidney Hill, Cork, Midleton College in Cork , and Yeats College Galway. Read the full report here.

The Irish Times' free online helpdesk is receiving questions from teenagers and their parents over what implications the 2018 Leaving Cert results might have for them. The following is A selection of questions put to our guidance counsellors about the 2018 Leaving Cert results. Éanna Ó Caollaí reports.

Sweeping changes to the Leaving Cert grading system were introduced last year. The old familiar grading system - A1, B2, C3 - was replaced with grades from H1 to H8 (for higher-level subjects) and from O1 to O8 (for ordinary level subjects). If you are still puzzled by the new grading system, read this.

More than 3,700 students have failed their Leaving Cert maths papers, effectively locking them out of many third-le vel courses which require a pass as a basic entry requirement. Carl O'Brien reports.

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Last year, Leaving Cert students said goodbye to As, Bs and Cs, and hello to higher (H) and ordinary (O) 1s, 2s and 3s, all the way down to a grade 8 (fail). Now, with the grading system in its second year, it's clear the Leaving Cert results, at both higher and ordinary level, have remained broadly the same. Peter McGuire reports.

What should you do if you are unhappy with your results? If you feel you should have done better, you can view your script to decide if it's worth having it rechecked. Brian Mooney outlines the options.

First-round CAO offers for college places will be made on Monday, August 20th. What can you expect to happen next, and how do you handle it? Careers expert Brian Mooney reports.

So now you have your results. And you thought your first day of secondary school was scary. Starting in college is a whole new world: yes, you're independent, but you're also responsible for yourself. Peter McGuire on what students can expect when they enrol for college.

For many people, starting college gives the first taste of a semblance of financial independence. Estimating your costs and budgeting accordingly will pay off in the long run. Aoife Hardesty has some tips on how you might control your finances in college.