Good spread of topics affords opportunity

Leaving Cert construction studies/classical studies:Students were spoiled for choice in yesterday's exams with a broad range of questions that stretched right across the syllabus.

ASTI subject-expert David Madden described it as "generous" with a good spread of topics that would enable students to do well.

Construction studies is a popular choice with over 8,000 students opting to take it each year. The written exam was only one element of subject assessment with students having already completed a project and a practical. It will account for 40 per cent of marks at ordinary level and 50 per cent at higher level.

The ordinary level paper was welcomed by teachers. "There was nothing to throw students, nothing that they wouldn't have covered in class," Mr Madden said.

He also commended the fact that students were asked to draw sketches and diagrams as part of the questions, seeing it as an effective way to help the student answer the question. Both papers were praised for being topical and relevant. The higher level paper featured questions about renovation of property, heritage, solar heat gain and sustainability.

One problem noted was with the syllabus students are being taught. "It's 25 years old," Mr Madden said. When a paper is trying to be current, emphasising the importance of sustainability for example, a syllabus as old as that will not do, he added.

Classical studies students sat a "fairly good paper" that featured a "variety of topics spanning the course," said Michael Barry of St Patrick's College, Cork. Candidates of yesterday's exams were said to have been happy with questions reappearing from previous years for the first time.