Physics and accounting both puzzlers

AT the start of week three of the Leaving Certificate, those studying physics faced into a three-hour exam.

The TUI’s Michael Gillespie found there were a number of difficulties with the higher level paper, as the first section on practical work was much longer than normal. He said the calculations required on the pendulum and speed of sound questions meant this section may have required an hour’s work, instead of the usual 45 to 50 minutes.

He was also critical of the fact that two of the four section A questions and one of the general questions were from the very specific wave motion and sound section of the course. While most students should have the area covered, Mr Gillespie felt this limited their choice within the paper.

He said the ordinary level paper did not have anything which should have caused major problems.

The ASTI’s Ger Curtin agreed that the ordinary level paper appeared fine and along routine lines.

He said the higher level paper was quite long and the word calculate appeared a lot, where he would rather have seen students asked more about experiments. The exam covered a substantial amount of the course and anybody who had studied particle and nuclear physics would have done well as two subjects on the topic appeared.

Accounting was the afternoon Leaving Certificate exam and the ASTI’s Áine Ní Chéidigh felt the higher level paper was no less challenging than those of the past few years. She believed students hoping beforehand to get a C might have found it tough.

The ASTI’s John O’Sullivan said yesterday morning’s higher level Junior Certificate technical graphics paper was fair, and welcomed the fact that many of the problems related to everyday objects, such a child’s tricycle, a CD player and a jug. He said the paper has previously been criticised for its over-reliance on abstract solids and this development should make the course more appealing, particularly for girls.

He said the ordinary level paper was fair and appropriately challenging, testing geometry knowledge in an applied manner.

Micheál Martin of the TUI said the higher level paper was well balanced with good use of visuals in a number of street signs in a section A question. The first question in section B asked students to draw a plane, elevation and end view but not an auxiliary view as normal, but they did need to show a lot of detail in what was required.

He said the ordinary level paper was also well balanced, although section A questions on sketch drawing and autocad might have been challenging.

In the afternoon, Junior Certificate materials technology (wood) candidates faced their written paper, having submitted project work worth 40%.

The ASTI’s Noel Scott said Section A of the higher level papers demanded precise responses but was fair and student-friendly. Section B had a reasonable balance between the amount of written and sketch work required.

Cornelius Young of the TUI said both papers included a nice variety in the short question sections. He said the higher level drawing question was equally as challenging to those in previous years.