English
How Leaving Cert English is marked
Your written answers are marked on four criteria, known as PCLM: Purpose, Coherence, Language and Mechanics. The first three are worth 30% each and Mechanics is worth 10%.
The four criteria
| Letter | Criterion | Share | What it asks |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | Clarity of purpose | 30% | Do you answer the question you were asked, and keep answering it all the way through? |
| C | Coherence of delivery | 30% | Does the answer hang together? Does each paragraph follow from the last, with references that back up your points? |
| L | Efficiency of language use | 30% | Is your writing clear and controlled, with vocabulary and tone that suit the task? |
| M | Accuracy of mechanics | 10% | Spelling, grammar and punctuation. |
What that means in marks on Paper 2
Paper 2 is worth 200 marks. The same 30/30/30/10 split applies to each answer, so you can work out what each criterion is worth:
| Question | Marks | P | C | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single text | 60 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 6 |
| Comparative study | 70 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 7 |
| Prescribed poetry | 50 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 5 |
The unseen poem is worth 20 marks. Paper 1 is also worth 200: two comprehension questions worth 50 each, and a composition worth 100.
What this tells you
- Mechanics is the smallest share. Perfect spelling can’t rescue an answer that drifts from the question.
- Purpose and coherence are 60% together. Both depend on answering the question in every paragraph, not only in the introduction.
- A good quote isn’t enough on its own. It earns when you use it to make a point about the question.
How somalc uses thisIMark gives a range for each of the four criteria and points to the paragraph where an answer stops referring to the question.