Broad welcome from teachers for Leaving Cert art and business papers

Leaving Cert students Daragh Kelly, Ellie Duggan, and Kate Murray at MICC, Dunmanway, Co Cork, after completing the higher-level business paper. Picture: Denis Boyle

Today's Leaving Cert business paper was fair and accessible, but the ordinary-level paper was a little bit more challenging than in recent years, teachers have said.

Margo McGann, a business teacher at St Augustine's College, in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, said it was a “very, very fair” paper, with a “huge amount of extra choice”.

“Usually you’re given 10 to do eight [short questions], whereas this time, you were given 12 to do four,” she said.

"There were no surprises. It was very much the same structure as past papers.

All in all, I’m very happy with it. I feel the students will do very, very well.” 

Leaving Cert student Ellie Duggan with vice-principal Fiona Nic Chathaigh with the higher-level business paper at MICC, Dunmanway, Co Cork. Picture: Denis Boyle

The higher-level business paper was an excellent, very accessible exam paper, with a very fair choice of questions, according to Keith Hannigan, a business teacher at The Institute of Education.

“The short questions were a little harder than previous years, but with the choice available, students would still have found four that suited them,” he said.

Part two of the long questions was a little bit trickier, but there was still enough choice to make it manageable.” 

Mary Killilea, a business teacher at St Joseph’s College, Nuns Island, Galway, said the higher-level paper displayed a good variety of questions, on a selection of topical issues.

There were challenging elements to all questions on the higher-level paper, but it was very doable, she said.

“On the ordinary level, there were a lot of calculations,” she said. 

Something that I’ve never seen on a paper before, which is a calculation of a redundancy payment — which, for ordinary level, was challenging.

“Overall the ordinary-level paper was fine, but most certainly it was a little bit more challenging than other years, I felt.” 

Leaving Cert students Noelette Roche, Leah Glennon, and Grace Folley at Mount Mercy College, Cork, after taking the art exam. Picture: Denis Minihane

The art exam also took place this afternoon, and was widely welcomed by teachers.

Clodagh O’Hara, an art teacher at St Patrick’s Comprehensive school in Shannon, Co Clare, said it was a “fantastic paper”, which “stayed very much within the traditional format”.

“There was something for everybody,” she said. 

It was very, very fair. Was it easier than any other year? No. I think just there were some lovely choice questions in it this year."

In section one, which is art in Ireland, Ms O'Hara said students would have been delighted that Newgrange came up this year. There were also artefacts from the bronze and iron ages.

"They really brought modern-day art into the fore this year, which is a really good thing," she said. "It was a question for the students who struggled with the older parts of art history."

Leaving Cert student Orla Desmond after her art exam at Mount Mercy College, Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane

Ms O'Hara said students would also have been "thrilled" with the European section as well.

"One of the greats came up, Raphael, this year," she said. 

"We haven't seen him in a few years. It would have been one that art teachers would have been quite happy to see."