THIS YEAR'S construction studies exam was topical and well-formatted, according to David Madden of Coláiste Choilm, CBS Swords, Co Dublin.

"Certainly there were no surprises on it" he said. "There was a very good choice of questions. The topics covered were well spread among the syllabus, so they should have been straightforward to answer".

He said that the content was quite up to date, focusing on installation of green technology and the environmental impact of house design as well as windows, glazing and radon gas barriers.

"There was a question on a solar panel collector that particularly caught my eye in terms of topicality," he added. A question on green house design, focusing on passive solar homes was welcomed by Mr Madden, as was one on attic conversions. He said the paper reflected current thinking within the construction industry, but warned that the syllabus itself was badly in need of an update.

"It was written in 1984" he said, adding that while the course had been revised, it had not yet been implemented. In general, most were pleased with the paper. Liam Fallon, St Gerard's College, Castlebar, said students should be happy with both higher and ordinary exams. He said it was good to see the paper reflecting the changes in the industry, with the focus on new technologies. Mr Madden agreed, noting that examiners should be congratulated for tackling such subjects as radon gas, which would have been nearly unknown in 1984.

At ordinary level, current affairs were well represented by a question on landfills and waste disposal, said Mr Fallon, who noted that from press coverage of legal cases and increased awareness, students would be well aware of the issues involved. EOIN CUNNINGHAM