Leaving Cert students at Sligo Grammar School who sat yesterday's higher-level maths exam all agreed that it was much harder than the first paper.

Walking through the door of the administration block, there is more of a feel of a university than a second-level school. Uniforms have been abandoned for the exams and the combats and sweat-tops add to a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere.

Because of the school's six-year programme, all those sitting the Leaving are at least 18 years old. They appear to be taking the exams in their strides without any hint of panic.

The fee-paying school in the centre of Sligo has a total enrolment of about 420, 120 of whom are boarders. There is now a waiting list to get into the school, with more than 100 applying for the 75 places in first year. Traditionally Church of Ireland, it now attracts more and more pupils from different backgrounds. Some even come from abroad: nationalities include Russian, German and Spanish.

Vice-principal Oliver Morris, who also teaches Leaving Cert higher-level maths, said the school prides itself on good rapport between pupils and teachers.

Twenty-two of the 81 students doing the Leaving Cert sat higher-level maths, but just five of these were girls. Morris said it was "a continual battle to break down the cultural attitude" which prevents students, and particularly girls, from doing higher-level maths. He takes special pride in the number of girls he has taught who have gone on to study engineering.

Suzanne Brummett from Dromard, Co Sligo, said she opted for higher level because maths was always one of her best subjects. She decided not to do higher-level English and concentrate on maths instead, but it did prove her most time-consuming subject.

"It was harder than the first paper but I never really liked paper 2 anyway," she said.

Alistair Macey, from north Co Sligo, agreed, saying the first maths paper was easy compared to yesterday's. In their revision work, they had gone through papers from the past 12 years and he thought this year's paper 1 was the easiest he had seen.

Brian Williams from Ballysadare said the paper was reasonable, but he had found with higher-level maths that you had to keep "plugging away" at it throughout the year.

Rowan Lee from Ballygawley was upbeat, saying it had gone better than expected.