Which exams started today? (100 points)

THE waiting is over. Almost 120,000 students who've spent the last few months studying everything from Shakespeare to Stalin will today begin their Leaving and Junior Certificate exams.

While the World Cup was a major distraction last summer, the tension was no easier around homes and schools this morning, where students were having a last look at their notes for the English exam.

All the exam papers have been delivered under tight security to almost 800 schools around the country, ready to be unlocked by supervisors this morning.