Leaving cert Irish provided a 'few tricky moments' while JC business 'thoroughly' examined

Isabella Bright, Grace McLoughlin, Scarlett Bright and Megan Diggins take a break between exams at Presentation Secondary School in Tralee Co Kerry. Picture: Domnick Walsh

Irish paper 1 presented students with a much tougher exam than in previous years, as well as a listening test that provided a “few tricky moments”, while business studies was “thoroughly” examined on Monday afternoon.

The State examinations continued this Monday evening, with Leaving Cert Irish paper 1 and Junior Cycle business studies.

Many students would have looked at the Irish higher-level composition section, An Cheapadóireacht, and thought ‘where do I start?’, according to Clare Grealy, teacher at the Institute of Education.

“This was a much tougher paper than previous years, not just in terms of its topics but also in how questions were phrased.”

“For example, many would have read the question on 'things that affect the health of the person', seen the word 'health' and possibly started a discussion on the health service.” 

In other cases, the vocabulary chosen in the question was potentially likely to drive students away from question they were well prepared for, she added.

“Many students would have prepared material on homelessness or racism. Only if you knew the term “éagóir” meant “injustice” would you understand.” 

While some prompts were obscured by language choices, others are simply too niche for students to feel confident in the intense setting of the exam hall, she believed. 

“How one goes about approaching 'Irish in the Digital Age’ is something that would perturb teachers, never mind students.” 

“It is important for students to remember that they already have points earned from their oral and have a fresh exam ahead.”

“Hopefully the studied material of paper 2 has less of an opportunity for this paper’s misguided creativity.” 

The listening test, An Cluastuiscint, was “broadly accessible” but did contain its tricky moments, according to Máire Ní Cheallaigh, teacher with the Institute of Education.

“Thankfully students had the opportunity to reuse some of the vocabulary prepared for the Sraith Pictuir.” 

“This was a useful overlap that would have helped them navigate the piece.” 

Studyclix subject spokesperson Linda Dolan also thought that the higher level Irish paper 1 may have presented a few difficulties for students.

"The debate, díospóireacht, question was based on the Irish language and charities. Students would have needed to have been well prepared for those." 

"Overall, this paper may have proved challenging for some students today.

However, the ordinary level paper 1 was well received and “very doable”, she added.

“Students would have been content with the topics that were offered as they allowed them the opportunity to showcase the vocabulary they have learned in both junior and senior cycle.”

"The titles for the Scéal were also very doable and left open for interpretation. Without a doubt, there was something for everyone today on the ordinary level paper.”

Meanwhile, the full specification of Junior Cycle business studies was “thoroughly” examined in this year’s exam on Monday afternoon, according to Ruairi Farrell, TUI spokesperson and teacher at Greystones Community College, Wicklow.

Topical issues such as Ireland’s 50th anniversary of EU membership and the rising prices felt by all families in Ireland today featured on the 2023 paper.

Students were challenged to not only draw on their acquired knowledge but also to apply it to real-life situations, he believed.

"Students were also given the opportunity to come up with creative solutions to contemporary issues such as what to do with a national budget surplus – who knows maybe the Minister for Finance would take the advice of our Junior Cycle students on board.”

There was no shortage of financial calculations on the exam, which looked at both the economic and accounting aspects of the course, he added.

“This may however present challenges for some students in a common level paper.”

“Students could nevertheless relate to these challenging questions as the context was very relevant to the lives of young people focusing on areas such as part-time work, volunteering with local sporting organisations and demand for the new Apple iPhone 14.”

Cloadh McCluskey and Zoe Ncube take a break between exams at Presentation Secondary School in Tralee Co Kerry. Picture: Domnick Walsh

“All in all, students at Greystones Community College described it as a fair paper that provided scope for them to apply their business knowledge.” Students had to answer 15 short questions, worth 90 marks, as well as three long questions worth 180 marks.

The short questions included topics like online shopping and recycling, and contained “nothing out of the ordinary”, according to Imelda Mulhall, subject spokesperson with the ASTI, and teacher at Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí, in Bantry, Co. Cork.

“It was in line with other exams, and there were really on-trend topics being asked that students should know and be aware of.” 

However, a hard question on final accounts, which was asked last year and “really done badly”, reappeared on this year’s exam.

“Students just couldn’t cope [in 2022] with having to do the last part which is a statement of financial position, a balance sheet in the old days, without any crutches.”

“In some of the sample papers, they might have had elements filled in on the structure and they’d have a template almost.” Last year, however, they were expected to do it from scratch.

“They were expected to do it again today; 95% of the students who came out, that is what they said, they couldn’t answer that.”

“Overall, there wasn’t anything nasty bar the fact we weren’t expecting that topic to appear in the same guise but obviously the State Examinations Commission (SEC) is very unhappy with how it was dealt with last year and they want to see have we upped our game.”

She has noticed that a lot of students are leaving exams early this year.

“They are leaving all their papers early,” she said.

“It's not just in business studies. They shouldn’t be coming out of papers like that.”