Students glad tough papers are finally history

THE final examination of the present Leaving Certificate history syllabus took place yesterday afternoon.

TUI spokesman Donough O’Brien said the higher level paper was testing, with some questions in section A requiring a degree of analysis.

Section C, on European history, had standard questions on the Eastern Question, Russia and Bismarck, while most students would have opted for questions about Stalin, Nazi Germany or the Cold War in section D.

Mr O’Brien said questions on the research topic were straightforward.

He said some ordinary level short questions on Ireland were harder than those in recent years but a range of topics was covered.

The remaining sections offered plenty of choice, according to Mr O’Brien.

In Leaving Certificate business, ASTI spokesman Luke Glynn said the higher level paper featured a variety of nice, short questions section and a good, but rather long, applied business question.

Students were particularly happy with questions on a break-even chart and marketing, he said.

Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland (BSTAI) spokesman David Duffy said the paper was very current and relevant to students, asking about the impact of EU accession states.

He added that communication, motivation and enterprise were predictable topics.

TUI spokesman Joe Gallagher also reported satisfaction from higher level students and said there was little to upset those expecting high grades.

The ordinary level paper was challenging, with tricky, short questions and long ones which weaker students might have found difficult.

ASTI spokesman Pat Morris said it was disappointing that only one of the 20 short questions in section A of the higher level Junior Certificate business studies Paper I had an internal choice.

However, he said, Paper II was relatively straightforward and questions were relevant to the syllabus.

BSTAI spokesman Jerry McCarthy said the higher level morning papers were challenging but fair and referred to the inclusion of just one internal choice in the 20 short questions as tough.

He said there was a lack of space for the adjusted account in Question 4 of section B.

Mr McCarthy said the afternoon paper had a wide range of questions, allowing weaker students to avoid most bookkeeping tasks, which was in line with section B for ordinary level students on the morning exam paper.

TUI spokesman Ivan O’Callaghan said the higher level papers were very fair and student-friendly, with nothing impossible and no unusual twists.

He said the ordinary level paper was also very straightforward and posed no major problems.