The first hurdle is over for Leaving Cert students who completed yesterday afternoon's technical drawing paper I. TUI subject representative Mr Philip McLaughlin said both ordinary- and higher-level papers were fair. Ordinary-level students went home happy after "a good, balanced paper."
At higher-level there was little to complain about, he added; all of the questions were drawn from the syllabus. Students shied away from question 2, while question 6(b) may have caught some people out. "It would take a very good student to achieve the higher grades but, at the same time, the average student should have been able to achieve a pass easily enough," said Mr McLaughlin, who teaches in Carndonagh Community School, Co Donegal.
ASTI subject representative Mr Philip O'Callaghan was also pleased with papers which were "clear and well-presented" with no major problems or surprises lurking within the questions. Ordinary-level students may have had some problems with question 3(c) and the completion of question 7 may also have caused difficulties.
At higher-level, time is always a factor, said Mr O'Callaghan, who teaches in CBS Naas, Co Kildare. "Students needed every minute they could get." Question 1 was time-consuming but of a similar standard to previous years. Students may have found part (b) of questions 3 and 6 difficult while question 7 may also have caused problems. But, overall, students who had put in the work should have been able to deal with the papers.
Leaving Cert technical drawing students sit paper II this afternoon.