YESTERDAY'S higher and foundation level maths papers were judged fair but ordinary level may have presented Leaving Cert students with some problems. Mr Sean O'Brien, ASTI subject representative, said that the higher level paper I was fair but challenging.

"The distribution of the higher grades will be determined by a number of testing (c) parts," he said. "These parts were difficult or could be conceived as off putting."

Higher level students needed a very good knowledge of and practice in algebra to complete the questions, according to Mr O'Brien, who teaches in CBS Secondary School, The Green, Tralee, Co Kerry. In CBS Youghal, Co Cork, higher level students were exhausted but very happy with their first paper, reported the principal, Mr Kieran Groeger.

Students in the Donahies Community School, Dublin, were equally pleased with the higher level paper, according to their teacher, Ms Christina Conroy, question 1 was "a present", she said, while parts (a) and (b) of question 2 were straightforward with part (c) more difficult but a fair test. Questions 3 and 4 should not have presented students with many difficulties, although part (c) of question 4 was challenging.

One student at the Donahies described question five as "a gift from the Gods". Ms Conroy identified the most testing sections of the paper as question 2(c) part 2, question 4 (c) and question 7 (c) part 2. Overall, it was a very fair paper and her students were very, very happy, she said.

At ordinary level, Mr Groeger described paper I as much stiffer than the sample and past papers. Students at CBS Youghal managed but they found it much harder than usual, he said. In particular, students singled out section (c) of question 2. The incorporation of an extra formula into question 7 made it more complicated than usual, said Mr Groeger.

Mr O'Brien felt that the standard in the (a) and (b) parts of the ordinary level paper was fair and reasonable. But, the (c) parts were difficult so that the achievement of a high grade would be no mean feat, he added.

He noted the difficulty attached to part (c) of question 2 in both the higher and ordinary level papers. A good knowledge of algebra was also a must at ordinary level.

Ms Conroy said that question 2 (c) was really confusing and only the more able students would have been able to attempt it. The appearance of an equal roots problem in question 3 was completely unexpected on an ordinary level paper, she added, while part (c) of question 6 was probably the most difficult section of the paper.

THE NEW maths course was introduced in 1994 and each year this particular part of question 6 has caused problems. This year was no exception, said Ms Conroy.

As to question 7, she said that she would not expect any ordinary level student to be able to complete it. This question normally featured a quadratic or a cubic equation, she said. Students would not have expected to find a quotient here.

Overall, questions 1(c) part 2, 2(c), 3(c) part 2, 6(c) and 7 (c) were unfair and beyond the grasp of most ordinary level students, said Ms Conroy.

At foundation level, Mr O'Brien said that the paper was suited to that level with many of the questions taken from real life situations. Tax, take home pay, car depreciation and sterling all featured. However, he said that question 5, which dealt with natural and prime numbers, was a little abstract.