State examinations - Testing time but not life or death

For the 113,500 students beginning the Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate examinations today, the most important thing to remember is that while they are important, they are not a matter of life-and-death.

The weather is typical of exam time — beautiful summer days and balmy nights — and is not conducive to concentrating energies on what they are told may be a pivotal time for their futures.

Having been inundated by all the experts writing and talking about the best, most effective and positive way to approach the tests, at the end of the day, it is solely up to each individual student how they perform.

There is some consolation for those doing the Leaving Cert this year. Because the numbers sitting the examination are down by almost 3,500, it means that the CAO points may be lower for several college courses when the results are released in mid-August.

It is too late this year for those sitting the Junior Certificate, but Education Minister Mary Hanafin would do future students a favour by requesting the State Examinations Commission to split at least some of the exams.

It would certainly take the pressure off students and their parents, if part of the English and Irish exams were held in May, as the minister is speculated to be considering.