In the first significant overhaul of the state exam of note in two decades, Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan today outlined plans to reshape the grading of the Leaving Certificate.  Going forward, students will see the number of possible grades awarded drop from 14 to eight. Currently, grades range from an A1 down to a NG. From 2017, students will instead be graded from H1 to H7 for Higher level paper. It is believed that this new grading system will be reflected in Ordinary level exams, ranging in a grade scale from O1 to O7. Points will also be offered to students who take on Higher Level subjects and earn more than 30 to 39 per cent in their exams. Currently, that represents a failing grade. Students will also still be granted bonus points for sitting the Higher Level Maths paper. The new grading system and points scale will apply to students who have entered 5th Year this week and who will sit the Leaving Certificate in 2017. It is hoped that the new grading system will help reduce the pressure facing students who are currently sitting their Senior Cycle. Announcing the changes, Minister O’Sullivan said: “In April I announced a package of ambitious reforms designed to better support students transitioning from second level to higher education, including a new grading scheme for the Leaving Certificate to be used from 2017. The new progressive points system which I’m announcing today is a vital element of those reforms. “The new scale has been designed to minimise random selection for third level entry, which can be a source of huge frustration for students and their families. It will also reward students who aim higher, both where they take the risk of sitting a higher level paper and for succeeding in those papers to a high standard.”