Good presentation and sequencing of questions on the higher-level Latin paper drew praise from Mr Paul Bermingham, a teacher in Belvedere College, Dublin. The paper was straightforward and very fair, though the translations from Latin to English were challenging, he said. The ordinary-level paper was also of a suitable standard.

There were 167 entries for Latin and 852 for classical studies this year. The classical studies paper was long, with students having to write eight essay type answers. Mr Joe Thuillier, who also teaches at Belvedere College, made a plea to the Department of Education and Science to give students an additional 20 minutes next year.

Students at Belvedere College were happy with the higher-level paper, though they worked until the last minute to finish, Mr Thullier said. The ordinary-level paper was fair, requiring narrative-style answers rather than analysis.