Leaving Cert - extra points for extenuating circumstances

A friends daughter was doing the leaving this year and during the exams there was a sudden death in the family. This necessitated both parents leaving the country for about 3 days. The daughter subsequently failed one exam and did very badly on another (A3 in mock to C3). Both exams were held on the day of the funeral.

My understanding was that extenuating circumstances like this were catered for and the students paper would be marked somewhat along the same lines of as if she had taken the paper in Irish (10% of marks not received would be added to the result - 40% becomes 40% + (60/10) = 46%), or something like that.

The principal told the parent that no such arrangement existed and it wouldn't matter which family had died, even the mother.

Was I completely wrong or did such an arrangement exist? I seem to remember some hullabaloo on Joe Duffy a few years back about people getting extra points because their dog had died. Was it discontinued due to abuse or was it just an urban myth?

You don't get extra points as such but people with a disability or with mental issues usch as depression can enter courses with a lower set of points. You must tick the box sayine you have a disability on the CAO form and provide evidence from a consultant. Ordinary doctor won't suffice.
Other than that I don't think there is other circumstances

Another good reason to have continuous assessments instead of deciding kids' futures on the basis of how they perform in one single exam.

I did my leaving cert two weeks after fracturing my skull, collar bone and shoulder. They made bugger all allowances for it.

One of my classmates did his LC while on traction in hospital. He got about 10 minutes extra at the end of his hons maths exam.

I've never heard anything of the sort.

If such a system was in place, it would end up being abused anyway.

There are arrangements in place for students with physical disabilities or as a result of accidents (eg, they can have someone transcribe their answers). I'm not aware of any arrangements for things like a death in the family

Mpsox said:

There are arrangements in place for students with physical disabilities or as a result of accidents (eg, they can have someone transcribe their answers). I'm not aware of any arrangements for things like a death in the family

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I could just about write (at about 25% of normal speed) but all the XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX had me high!

Myth busted.