THE higher-level history and appreciation of art exam was "difficult" and "overly specific". Ms Helen Comiskey, TUI subject representative, said that it managed to ask the most awkward questions about the most obvious items.

For instance, question 1, which asked students about the decoration of the Turoe and Castlestrange stones, also asked them to discuss the Celtic decorative influence on later Irish art. Ms Comiskey said this could mean anything from the early Christian period to the 20th century.

Felim Egan and Pauline Bewick, who featured in question 7, were not in the text-books, she noted, so students would be relying on additional information supplied by teachers. The European section of the paper was a disaster, she added. From the Gothic to the 20th century, the questions concentrated on fringe figures and fringe movements.

For instance, in the 19th century question, students were asked about the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood rather than the impressionists, post-impressionists and romantics. But, question 13, which was very open, may have saved her students, she noted.

Ms Jane Campbell, ASTI subject representative and a teacher in St Joseph's Convent of Mercy, Navan, Co Meath, said that the paper was very confusing and wordy. The language was a little too difficult for second level and questions were overly specific. The ordinary-level paper was broader, but, again, it was very wordy, she said.

Ms Comiskey said that the ordinary-level history and appreciation paper was "wonderful". The questions were straightforward and covered all of the major movements and figures. It was a much fairer paper, said Ms Comiskey, who teaches in Dunshaughlin Community College, Co Meath.