Leaving Cert Art: higher level The surprise appearance of designer John Rocha and the predictable inclusion of the megalithic site of Newgrange on the higher-level art history and appreciation exam was welcomed by teachers yesterday.

Having already completed projects accounting for 250 marks of the entire 400 marks, yesterday's exam paper was worth 150 marks to students who had studied the history of art in Ireland and Europe and art appreciation.

Helen Comiskey, an ASTI subject representative and teacher in Dunshaughlin Community College in Co Meath, said it was necessary to set an art exam wide in scope as the syllabus spans the history of art, sculpture and architecture.

In the first section on art in Ireland, students could choose one question from seven options, including the Book of Durrow, Georgian houses, Famine sculptures and Irish designers such as Philip Treacy and John Rocha.

"Section two on European art contained some very generous questions, even though they were quite challenging. You would want to have been writing and writing very fast," said Ms Comiskey.

She predicted that in the final section of the paper, where students were asked to recall a visit to a gallery, museum or national monument, that many students would have chosen to describe the recently acclaimed Philip Treacy hat exhibition in Dublin.

Jane Campbell, an ASTI subject representative and teacher in St Joseph's Convent of Mercy in Navan, Co Meath, said the ordinary-level paper was manageable. She commended the examiners on providing answer headings to help students structure their responses.