More than 900 Leaving Cert students spent yesterday afternoon answering the classical studies paper.

ASTI subject representative Mr Michael Barry said students had to answer four topics out of 10. If they chose particular topics, they could end up writing eight essays in only three hours.

Both higher- and ordinary-level papers involved a lot of writing and students at St Patrick's Girls Secondary School, Cork, were very tired but relieved it was all over, he said.

Very much a minority subject, Latin had just 133 students entered for yesterday's exams.

Mr Joe Thullier, a teacher in Belvedere College, Dublin, said the higher-level paper was long but contained "no tricks and no great problems". Question 1 was fine for students with good vocabulary.

Candidates were supplied with plenty of vocabulary to help them with question 2, the unseen passages - which were lengthy but fair. The illustrations accompanying question 5 were clear and the questions simple.

A well prepared student should have been pleased, Mr Thullier said.