Leaving Cert students get 'really nice and well laid out' biology exam
Students would have been expecting questions on genetics, the skeleton and photosynthesis.
This year's Leaving Cert biology exam gave students plenty of choice, and had a good focus on human biology and ecology, as the State exams continued on Tuesday.
This afternoon's exams were "fair" and "student-centered" papers that would have been well received, according to teachers who analysed the questions.
Many biology students will be very happy with this year’s exam papers, according to ASTI subject spokesperson David O’Brien, a teacher at Ballincollig Community School. The higher level exam was a "very fair paper,” he said. “There was a lot of choice on the exam.”
The shorter questions in Section A featured topics like aerobic respiration, the digestive system and the scientific method. “Teachers would have had their students well covered for this exam,” he added.
Students he spoke to after the exam were “delighted” to see an experiment question on ecology. “Many students around the country would have expected a question like that. Most students would be very happy.”
Students would have been expecting questions on genetics, the skeleton and photosynthesis. “So, it was no surprise that those questions appeared.”
Plant reproduction appeared on the exam for the second year in a row, Mr O'Brien added. “Students may have been surprised but again, the teachers would have had the full curriculum covered so students should have had no problem accessing that question.”
The ordinary level also had a good balance of topics, he believed.
“Anatomy was assessed, plants were assessed, and cellular biology was assessed,” he explained. “There was such a good balance of topics, the ordinary level student would have found this very accessible.”
Liam Hennelly, a Biology teacher at Belvedere College in Dublin and Studyclix subject spokesperson, said the higher-level exam was a "really nice and well laid out paper".
"It gave students plenty of choice across all three units of the course and allowed them to show off what they know," he added.
"Some of the questions were challenging in places and required an in-depth knowledge of subject material, as you would expect with any higher level paper.
There were also four questions on human biology students could have attempted for a total of 200 marks out of 400, amounting to 50% of the exam.
"This would have been a relief for a lot of students. Overall, this was a very student-centered, fair and current paper that would have been well received.”
He also agreed that the ordinary level paper was very fair and accessible and students had a lot of choice.
