Students who sit the new junior cycle programme from next year will be able to pass their final written exams by scoring as little as 20 per cent.

The changes form part of major reforms aimed at placing less emphasis on rote-learning and written exams and more on modern approaches to assessment and learning.

A 24-page draft circular issued by the Department of Education to teachers’ unions and education partners is understood to outline key changes to how exams will be graded. Instead of traditional grades, such as As and Bs, it proposes that students would be graded using descriptive terms such as “merit” or “distinction”. For example, a student who receives between 90 and 100 per cent in the final written exam will receive a “distinction”.

Higher merit

Between 75 and 90 per cent will be receive a “higher merit”, while between 55 and 75 per cent will be a “merit”. Students who score between 40 and 55 per cent will receive an “achieved” grading, while those who score between 20 and 40 per cent will secure a “partially achieved” grading.

Scores of under 20 per cent will be deemed to be “not graded”. The new approach will be used in the final written exam for English next year, and is due to expand to include all other junior cycle subjects over the coming years.

A spokeswoman for the department declined to comment on the circular, except to say it was being finalised.