However, there are avenues for students who experience serious illness affecting their performance:
* Appealing the results: If a student believes their illness significantly impaired their performance, they can appeal their results through the appeals process. This requires strong evidence of the illness and its impact on exam performance, often including medical documentation from a doctor. The appeal board will review the evidence and may decide to re-mark papers or grant other forms of consideration, but a point reduction isn't directly offered. The result might be an improved grade or no change.
* Reasonable Accommodation: Students with long-term or ongoing medical conditions might have already been granted reasonable accommodations during the Leaving Cert (extra time, separate exam room, etc.). A serious illness just before the exams might not fall under this category unless it's related to a pre-existing condition.
In short, while there isn't a "reduced points" system, students can appeal if they believe their illness severely impacted their results. The outcome of an appeal depends entirely on the evidence presented and the assessment of the appeals board. Getting a doctor's letter detailing the illness and its effects is crucial if pursuing this route.