JUNIOR CERT SCIENCE:THE REVISED Junior Certificate science syllabus was examined across the country for the first time yesterday and was hailed as "challenging but appropriate".

About 95 per cent of Junior Certificate students take science. The new syllabus, which was first examined in a number of schools in 2007, is said to be “more in keeping with modern science and more connected to everyday life”.

“The higher level paper ranged widely over the course, there were no difficult chemistry questions,” said Gerry King, a teacher in Davitt’s College, Castlebar.

Students complete 10 per cent of the course in class and a further 25 per cent is allocated to questions on the paper that are based directly on class investigations set by the State Exams Commission.

“There were some very topical questions on today’s paper, such as a question on emissions from a coal-burning electricity station and one on the installation of solar panels,” said Gerry King.

Teacher Michael Moriarty reported that his students found the paper “lovely” and had no complaints.

About 35,000 students took the paper at higher level.

There were about 14,000 candidates for the ordinary level paper, which was described as “agreeable, if you had done the work”.