Exam day dawns for students

Extra precautions have been taken in the preparation of Junior and Leaving Certificate exams after controversy over a range of errors in many of last year?s papers.

As almost 120,000 students begin the exams across the country this morning, the State Examinations Commission has detailed some of the measures adopted, including the recruitment of contract staff to help prepare the extra papers required for the phasing in of the revised Project Maths curriculum.

Last year, errors and lack of clarity were detected on a number of papers leading to criticisms about the quality assurance procedures used by the SEC.

Among the factors behind the mistakes, which emerged in a review carried out at the request of Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, was the retirement of a number of exam-setters and the resultant loss of expertise.

One of the main recommendations of last August?s report was a review of personnel structures for preparing the papers, and overseas practices have also since been reviewed.

?Under this measure, the 2014 curricular Leaving Certificate written papers have been subjected to scrutiny at an advanced stage of preparation by a subject expert who has not been involved in generating the paper,? said the SEC.

The first papers for Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, and Leaving Certificate Applied this morning are in English, with exams continuing for some students until June 20.

Mr Quinn said he hopes the hard work and long hours put in by students will pay off. ?But it is also worth bearing in mind, while the State exams are an important milestone in a young person?s life, they are not the only one. There are a vast array of opportunities for education, training and to get new skills throughout their lives,? he said.

Irish Second-Level Students? Union president Craig McHugh said students should take care to relax over the next few weeks and avoid cramming.

?The most important thing is for them to present what they?ve learned over the course of their studies, not in the night before,? he said.

A record high proportion of Leaving Certificate students are expected to sit higher-level maths, as the 25 bonus college entry points on offer for those who pass continue to have an effect.