Students advised to stick to English study plans for rescheduled exam

LEAVING Certificate students have been advised to stick to their English study plans regardless of what they have heard about the Paper II which students had seen on Wednesday morning.

While text messages and internet forums gave various details and descriptions of the test, particularly in relation to the poets examined in the paper which had to be postponed, experts believe there is no point in candidates changing their focus this near to the rescheduled exam tomorrow morning.

Sheila Parsons, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) English spokesperson, said they should simply revise what they had been doing, regardless of what they have heard about the other paper.

“I would tell students to do what they were doing all the time. Maybe there might be one or two changes, but nobody knows so they are best concentrating on their strengths and to focus on what they had been studying all the time,” she said.

“They should disregard anything they have seen, heard or read about. There’s no point going learning about a poet they don’t know at this stage,” Ms Parsons said.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) said the alternative higher and ordinary level papers are prepared in accordance with the same principles and protocols as those which had to be withdrawn, and that they will be of an equivalent standard.

However, despite the short notice of the timetable change, the SEC will expect all students to attend tomorrow’s exams except – in keeping with normal rules – in the event of emergencies such as serious illness, accidents or deaths involving close relatives or friends.

The alternative papers will be taken in all 2,000 Leaving Certificate exam centres – most schools have a number of different rooms or halls used for sitting of the state exams – tomorrow, from 9.30am to 12.50pm, the same time as the original paper was to have been examined.

Bus Éireann and the Department of Education last night assured affected students that the second level school transport service will operate tomorrow as it otherwise does throughout the exams period, bringing eligible students to their exam centres by 9am and departing again after the exams at 1.30pm.

Students with school transport scheme permits will be able to use their ticket on Bus Éireann public bus, Dublin Bus, Irish Rail and privately operated public scheduled services as they would on weekdays.

The SEC said the exams will be marked in accordance with the established standards, and any student who had a reasonable accommodation – such as a reader, a scribe or use of computers, tape recorders and other equipment – will be granted the same arrangements as with any scheduled exam sitting.

* More information is available at www.examinations.ie or telephone [phone]. Queries from school transport ticket holders are being handled by local Bus Éireann school transport offices.