Local students create new online study guide for the Leaving Cert

Two midlands students are part of the creative team behind a new website designed to maximise study techniques and strategies ahead of the Leaving Cert examinations.

Former Coláiste Chiaráin Athlone student Keela Plunkett, and Ben Maguire, who attended Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan, are at the core of The Points Game (pointsgame.ie) and are joined by Meath native Sean McLoughlin who, along with Ben, is a co-founder of the online platform.

All three are recent Leaving Certificate graduates and received the Naughton scholarship for their exceptional academic achievements following their 2025 exams.

The Naughton Scholarships promote the study of engineering, science, and technology at third level in Ireland, offering €25,000 to eligible students pursuing STEM-related courses.

Keela is currently studying maths in University College Dublin, while Ben is a student of engineering, also at UCD.

Their Points Game online platform offers students essential tips on how to study and deal with exam stress through insightful videos and educational tools including an interactive study planner, a points calculator, a topic analyser (to identify frequently asked questions) and a past paper viewer.

Higher level maths support, containing solutions for each past paper question and its corresponding marking scheme, is one of the key features of pointsgame.ie, while coping techniques on managing exam stress, building confidence, and performing under pressure are provided by qualified therapist Helen McGrath.

The platform was launched three weeks ago following an intensive period of research undertaken by the three students, each of whom achieved more than 600 points in the Leaving Certificate.

"The content on the website has been sourced with a 'cram-style' principle in mind. The Leaving Certificate is just over a month away, so it's vital that students can make the best use of their study time in advance of the exams," said Ben.

Ben said students can "feel overwhelmed" by the Leaving Cert experience both "before and during" the exams.

It's a view echoed by Keela, who explained that many students "simply burn out" in the run-up to the exams.

"Our website aims to support students in the closing weeks prior to the exam, to top up their short-term memory and sustain their motivation for what is to come in June," she said.

Ben said that he and Seán worked 12 hours a day sourcing content for the website, and he is grateful that his coding knowledge helped him to develop the online platform before its launch.

Keela has been a creative influence on the website, contributing her "lived experience" of preparing for her Leaving Cert exams in 2025.

"I speak about procrastination, how to stay focused, and developing a mindset to offset the nerves in the lead up and during the exams," she said.

Keela and Ben both say it's the responsibility of secondary schools to help sixth year students cope with stress ahead of landmark exams.

"Stress can play a crucial factor in determining the outcome of a student's Leaving Certificate results. With the help of a qualified therapist, we have focused on how best to ease the stress as students prepare, and hopefully they will get some benefit from the coping techniques discussed," Ben said.

Keela agreed that "exacerbated stress levels" impact a student's "ability to revise and memorise" as they study for the exams in June. While she had the support of her older sister as she prepared for her Leaving Cert last year, Keela still found the experience daunting.

"My sister completed her Leaving Certificate in 2024 and she was helpful with study tips, but I did find the sixth year experience quite stressful. I worked through each subject, prioritising my schedule as well as I could, and as the exams approached, I focused on how best I could manage my study time in the closing weeks," Keela said.

It's that experience Keela brings to pointsgame.ie and she believes it will benefit those who have yet to map out a regular study routine with the Leaving Cert start date on the horizon.

"Essentially, thepointsgame.ie provides students with a structured study guide ahead of the exams in June," Keela stated.

A one-time payment of €29 is required to access the content on the website, which both Keela and Ben believe is "affordable".

The trio have made more than €500 on sales to date, which Ben said is "a positive sign" given that the website is still in its infancy. The preparation course and study tools can be accessed by students on their mobile phones, tablets or laptops.

Looking to the future, The Points Game is a project which they are eager to progress and enhance further.

"While we are initially focusing on the weeks leading up to the exams in June, we will look to provide more content that will be beneficial to students from the start of sixth year, and we are already in the process of sourcing this material for the site," Ben added.