Your education questions answered by Brian Mooney.

My son is completing his Transition-Year programme and is considering his subject choices for fifth year. When he took his Junior Cert in June 2004 he experienced a high level of anxiety while taking the written papers.

We have sought support for him to enable him to address it. At a recent meeting in school, the principal stated that in a number of Leaving Cert subjects, a component of the examination is taken beforehand, in the form of a project or portfolio work, which is pre-submitted.

I believe that my son would benefit greatly from such subjects, as he would be able to show his true strengths under such arrangements. Which subjects provide such facilities?

There has been a shift away from exclusively written examinations, across a range of Leaving Cert subjects in recent years, as syllabuses are revised and updated. In the area of languages, oral and aural work now make up over one-third of the marks awarded.

The oral takes place some weeks before the written paper, with the aural taking place on the day of the written paper, but as a separate component. I am glad to see that the State Examination Commission has moved over to the use of CDs for the coming year, which should lead to a high standard of sound quality for students.

Apart from languages, the following Leaving Cert subjects have a practical coursework element, which is completed prior to the written examination:

LCVP: The Leaving Cert Vocational Programme enables a student to present a portfolio of six items of work, which attract 60 per cent of the overall marks awarded. Students securing a distinction will be awarded 70 points in their CAO points score.

History: Students can now secure up to 20 per cent of the overall marks by submitting a research paper on a selected topic, from a range set out by the State Examinations Commission. The topic for the research paper must currently be selected from a topic on early modern or late modern history. (New syllabus to be examined from 2006.)

Geography: Students have the opportunity to undertake a geographic investigation, which is allocated 20 per cent of the overall marks in the final examination, and is submitted by the end of April in the year of the student's Leaving Cert. (New syllabus to be examined from 2006.)

Home economics social and scientific: Twenty-five per cent of the marks are awarded for a course work journal, done within normal class time, and submitted prior to the examination.

Religious Education: This year, for the first time, religious education will be examined at Leaving Cert level. Some 200 students who have taken this subject as an examination subject since they entered first year will sit it in the Leaving Cert. Twenty per cent of the marks in this subject, which is accepted by all the colleges for points purposes, are awarded for the student's journal, which is submitted prior to the examination.

Apart from these, a number of other subjects award marks for project work. These are agricultural economics, construction studies and engineering. Agricultural science has a coursework component. Music in the composing elective has a portfolio requirement. Finally, practical examinations are held in art, construction studies, engineering and music.

I hope your son may find some of the opportunities offered in the above subjects fruitful, in addressing his anxiety over taking entire examinations, in a single written paper format.

Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. E-mail questions to bmooney@irish-times.ie