Papers not too bad between the jigs and the reels

MUSIC and engineering were down for examination on the second last day of Leaving Certificate 2004.

John Francis Murphy of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said the higher level listening test was searching but fair.

He said any well-prepared ordinary level student should have been able to answer the listening exam questions well.

In the afternoon composing papers, Mr Murphy said the A-flat key for the higher level melody question might have thrown some students and the fact that it was in jig time made it more challenging.

Mr Murphy said the ordinary level paper did not have any troublesome questions and it was very predictable.

Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) spokesperson Ann Maxwell said the listening question on Mozart’s piano concerto should have eased higher level students into the exam well. But she felt question six was disproportionately long and contained a few awkward parts.

Ms Maxwell said the composition paper was more challenging, with some difficult questions on melody writing. She said some difficult technical terms made the ordinary level listening exam challenging but the composing paper was very accessible.

More than 80 music students also faced engineering papers in the afternoon.

Despite TUI protests that the subject clash means students spending up to 10 hours in the exam hall, the State Examinations Commission says it has to stick to set dates to allow exams be marked in time for mid- August results.

The engineering papers were described by TUI spokesperson Dr Lawrence Smyth as fair but probing. He said only well-prepared students are likely to get top grades in higher level.

Dr Smyth thought a question asking why tungsten inert gas welding is suitable for welding aluminium might have posed problems for some students.

Engineering Technology Teachers Association spokes -person Michael Walsh agreed this and another question on submerged arc welding would have been difficult for most students. He felt the paper was not too difficult otherwise.

ASTI’s engineering spokesperson Kenny Donagher said the higher level paper was very fair. He said the ordinary level paper was reasonable but had a few difficult questions.

On the last day of the Junior Certificate, the biggest group of students was those taking classical studies.

ASTI’s subject spokesperson Michael Barry said the exam was very long but his only reservation about the content was that there is little difference between the higher and ordinary level papers.

He said the language is quite difficult for ordinary level students but he welcomed the fact the illustrations accompanying the questions were recognisable.