BRITISH students will soon find it easier to get into Irish universities – as the entry requirements get reshuffled.
From September 2016 the Irish Universities Association will increase the number of entry points awarded for each top A-level grade from 150 to 180.
As it stands the system leaves many British school-leavers unable to apply to study on some of Ireland’s top courses - such as law or medicine - because they cannot meet the points requirement.
In 2005 the number of Central Applications Office points offered for A-level grades took a cut. The move was designed to take into account the fact that Irish students study for at least six subjects for the Leaving Cert, as opposed to the three A-levels generally undertaken in Britain.
The existing points system offers 100 points for an A1 grade at Leaving Cert level and 150 for an “A star” grade at A-level.
As a result, a British student hoping to study in Ireland can achieve a top grade of 450 points, versus the 600 that Irish students can aim for.
A law course, for example, requires over 500 points in both Trinity College and University College Dublin, making even the highest achieving British applicants ineligible for entry under the current points system.
The new system will increase the points awarded for an A-star to 180 from 150 – with an A grade rising from 135 to 150, while a B grade will rise from 120 points to 130.
C grades will not change, remaining at 100 points.
It is hoped the move will attract more students from Britain and the North of Ireland to the Republic’s seven universities.
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