Sum of all fears: Angle mistake causes confusion
Bríd Griffin, Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) maths spokesperson, said the ordinary-level exam was not near as wordy as might have been expected, but a statistics question was particularly long as it had 10 parts.
Otherwise the first section was straightforward and clear, but the final part of a trigonometry question was challenging.
Elaine Devlin of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said many questions were similar to samples, but said it would have been easy to make mistakes in the statistics question because of the amount of flicking between pages to check the tables.
The higher-level exam caused confusion for many students by the incorrect angle given in a triangle on the trigonometry question about a ship’s journey, an error the State Examinations Commission last night said it regrets.
Ms Devlin said there was a nice statistics question but the use of an arbelos shape in a geometry question may have been challenging.
Ms Griffin had mixed reaction to the higher-level exam, and was critical of the amount of work expected of students in the troublesome trigonometry question. She said area and volume and geometry questions were demanding but it was otherwise a fair paper.
The TUI representative was also pleased with the clear structure and presentation of the foundation-level exam, although the amount of information given about blood types in a statistics question could have been quite confusing.
The afternoon Leaving Certificate Irish papers began with listening tests that Irish Teachers’ Association spokesperson Dónal Ó Murchú said contained no major dialect problems and quite clear language.
ASTI Irish spokesperson Robbie Cronin said that some ordinary-level students found the pace a bit fast, but this is not unusual. He thought the higher level essay titles very broad, with good opportunity for stronger students to do well with a debate around political performance.
TUI’s Ruth Morrissey said the composition titles were topical and relevant, with many issues students would have prepared for in their oral exams. These included the education system, emigration, and sports with just one about the environment and its future the only one she thought might pose vocabulary challenges.
She said ordinary-level questions on the aural test had a noticeable focus on numeracy, asking for dates, times, and years. The essay titles, she felt, gave candidates a chance to talk about personal topics like sports or other hobbies, and their native places.
Mr Cronin agreed on the essay titles and suggested many students would have chosen one about friends calling over for a party while their parents were away. His only criticism was about a letter to a friend about an audition for an upcoming TV show, as the Irish word given for talent might not have been known to them.
Mr Ó Murchú said foundation-level Irish was very student-friendly, with nice comprehension pieces about the Rinn Gaeltacht in Co Waterford, actor Brendan Gleeson, and the Volvo sailing race.
