It was the last day and many Leaving Cert students felt applied maths was the hardest exam of all. Some questions on the higher-level paper were "beyond belief."

A widespread feeling that it was "a very hard paper" was reported by Mr Oliver Murphy, an applied maths teacher at Belvedere College, Dublin. "There were twists and turns in most of the questions. Only questions 3 and 10 were straightforward."

His students were "not happy" with the paper. "There was no question that did not require alertness and cleverness." The most difficult were question 2, about relative velocity, and question 9, on hydrostatics. David O'Callaghan, a student at Clonkeen College, in Blackrock, Co Dublin, phoned Exam Times to say that the higher-level paper was "awful." He and about 10 others "were all frowning at each other during the exam. Each of us came out afterwards wondering was it just me or was that awful?" Question 4 (b) floored them - David had never seen anything like it before. "I should have been able to do it but it seemed odd," he said. "That was possibly the worst question. But question 7 was a bit strange too." The last part of most questions were "unfinishable."

Ciaran Durcan, a student at Pobalscoil Neasain in Baldoyle, Dublin, also rang to complain. "The higher-level paper was very, very hard," he said. "Every single question had a twist at the end. There were no easy questions and everyone in the class found it hard. A lot of people said they couldn't complete six questions." Ciaran said that no amount of examples could have prepared students for the paper. "Some questions were beyond belief. I was upset that the questions were so hard and I'm disappointed because I don't think I've done very well."

Mr Murphy said that students would have to "very bright, alert and thinking on their feet. Most felt it was the hardest exam they had done." It was "an arduous, tricky little paper, hard to get right answers." The questions were "do-able but they had unusual twists and turns to them."

A smaller number of students generally complete the ordinary level, which Mr Murphy said was "not easy. It was tricky enough, especially question 6."

Mr Damian Cooke, a teacher at CBS, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, and ASTI subject representative, said both papers "were very well presented with good clear diagrams. They both reflected the syllabus and gave scope for candidates to do well." Question 4(b) on the higher level "was a bit tricky," he added.