Dear Editor,
The matter regarding the interpretation of grades as opposed to percentage ranking is a significant topic that Brian O’Brien raised in his letter published on August 27th. Not just in the case of Leaving Cert outcomes, but grade inflation has seeped into numerous university programmes as well.
I’ve authored numerous recommendations for students aspiring for postgraduate studies throughout the years. The details that were typically required pertained to the student’s ranking in the class, usually expressed in terms of being in the top 1%, 5%, etc. It was seldom about the grade. In many respects, grades can be ambiguous, unless, for instance, it is clearly indicated that an A grade was attained by only 10% of the students.
However, using the percentage rank to compare graduates from different universities in a particular year can be quite restrictive. How does one make a comparison between a student who is in the top 5% of a programme with an entry requirement of 625 points in one university to another student from a university requiring 400 points for entry?
Comparisons become even more complicated when it involves universities from different countries with vastly different grading systems. This complex scenario led to most universities, particularly those in the US, implementing a graduate records examination (GRE), typically a lengthy multiple-choice exercise. For a student to be accepted onto a postgraduate course, they need to score well in this exam, the definition of ‘well’ based on the university they apply to. Evidently, this issue also affects doctor recruitment in the US, as mentioned in a previous letter.
Grade inflation has become so rampant that a first-class honour in today’s university degree often conveys limited information unless it is clear what percentage of students achieved a first. With 40% of some university programmes’ graduates now gaining a first, it becomes imperative to understand a student’s overall yearly ranking by larger percentage categories.
We are overdue for a meaningful debate on grade inflation in universities. The subject of percentage rank against grade should be thoroughly examined.
Yours sincerely,
John O’Hagan,
Economics Department,
Trinity College Dublin,
Dublin 2.