Pupils at secondary schools in Ireland should make sure they are familiar with the rules surrounding leaving certificate coursework.

This is the suggestion of the State Examinations Commission, which revealed that last year 22 construction students lost marks as a result of their coursework being found to not be entirely their own handiwork, the Irish Independent reports.

In construction studies, coursework can be worth almost one-third of the overall mark (150 out of 500), meaning falling foul of the board's regulations could have a significant impact on what grade a person receives.

It is permissible for a student to be given guidance and advice from others when putting their coursework together, "but there has to be a clear line between help and direct assistance", the newspaper said.

A total of 57,455 candidates sat leaving certificate exams in 2009, with the pattern of results found to be similar to those recorded in 2008.

Written by Donal Walsh

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