Leaving Certificate candidates talking to the media after exams may make comments which are "at variance with factual reality", the State Examinations Commission has told the Minister for Education.
The commission was responding to the Minister, who had asked for a report following widespread criticism of last June's Higher Level Maths and Chemistry papers.
According to documents obtained by The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act, the commission told the Minister: "The responses from the accredited stakeholders on the examination papers have been broadly satisfactory.
"It is to be expected that candidates and others speaking on their behalf, e.g., journalists, etc., may make comments that are at variance with factual reality."
After the Higher Level Chemistry paper, some science teachers and students claimed it included a question not on the syllabus.
The commission apologised the next day, admitting that "part of Question 2, part (e) as set was, through error, not within the ambit of the published syllabus of the subject." The marking scheme was adjusted.
Students also complained through the media after the second Higher Level Maths paper. They said some exam superintendents had failed to read out an erratum on the paper, in relation to question 1 (b) ii. In other exam centres, the erratum was read out late. As a consequence, the commission adjusted the marking scheme for students who were affected.
The commission explained yesterday that when it claimed that complaints were "at variance with factual reality", it was referring to the furore which arose in reaction to the Maths Higher Level paper 2 question 8(c). Many maths teachers said last June that they believed the question involved Applied Maths, and therefore was not included in the syllabus.
However, the chief examiner rejected this claim, insisting in a confidential memo to the Minister that the question was indeed on the syllabus. The question "tested a basic skill that would be within the competence of a good Junior Certificate student," the examiner told the Minister.
The commission said yesterday that "overall the media coverage was broadly satisfactory". It added that in the immediate aftermath of the exams, incorrect statements were made. It did consider Leaving Cert exam coverage to be valuable, however.
Further information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that at least one candidate was caught cheating during an Economics paper.
Examination results were withheld.