Leaving Cert: Mixture of fair and tough for students

Chemistry and Spanish took the attention of Leaving Certificate students yesterday.

For higher level chemistry candidates, Ciara O’Shea of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) thought diagrams were used well throughout the paper.

While a titration question on vinegar had a calculation phrased a bit differently to what they would be used to, she thought it was nonetheless a nice opening question.

Students who did their practical work over the two-year senior cycle would have been rewarded, and she found no problems with the short questions on the exam.

Mary O’Callaghan, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) subject spokesperson said all elements of the syllabus featured in a fair and balanced paper. She said it was good to see students challenged in areas like data analysis and the application of their chemical knowledge to new scientific areas.

Ms O’Callaghan said the ordinary level exam was also fair and balanced, covering a wide range of the syllabus.

She thought the wide-ranging questions gave students good choice, and said a reasonably-prepared student should have found it within their capabilities.

Ms O’Shea said ordinary level students would probably have been pleased with a question about water, as it is a topic they tend to like.

The reference to two organic preparations within the first question rewarded students who had their practical work done. There were very nice diagrams and an atomic theory question was very accessible

However, Ms O’Shea said there was a lot of detail in some of the short questions for students at this level.

Yesterday morning’s Leaving Certificate higher level Spanish paper was described as challenging but fair by Robbie Cronin of the ASTI.

He thought the comprehension section was good, particularly a very interesting piece about Uruguay’s ex-president José Mujica on which fair questions were based.

Mr Cronin thought the optional opinion pieces, asking to write on statements about life being simple or doing more for others.

However, he thought another comprehension piece was very difficult. There was very tough language in the item about a teenager who fell from a cliff while taking a “selfie”, and the difficult rescue that followed.

While the dialogue question was considered a good option, some students would have found it difficult offering a translation for a sailing course which they were to ask about in the conversation. There was also a nice letter question about part-time work, and the choices of note or diary entry were fair.

Mr Cronin thought the ordinary level exam, taken by around 1,700 of the 6,700 Leaving Certificate Spanish candidates, was very fair.

Unfortunately, however, he thought the first section was very difficult.

He suggested the first question was not properly asked, as the answer was not in the paragraph suggested to students.

The written section of the exam was good, he said, and of an expected standard. Mr Cronin said a comprehension piece about graffiti was interesting, but a little bit challenging.