Junior Cert home economics: Teachers and students reported few difficulties with yesterday's home economics papers at both higher and ordinary level.

The papers were well laid out and the key topics were clearly marked, according to Deirdre Healy of Asti who teaches at St Joseph's secondary school in Stoneybatter, Dublin.

The papers for both levels covered a diverse range of topics, but some of the questions on the ordinary level paper might have been difficult for students with special needs.

According to Maureen Nugent of the Teachers Union of Ireland, who teaches at the Holy Family community school, Rathcoole, Dublin, the part B, question 2 in the higher level paper, which focused on cooking methods, covered topics found in a number of chapters and could have been difficult to prepare.

For ordinary level students, the exam accounted for 40 per cent of the overall marks due to prior examination while for those doing higher level, the paper accounted for 50 per cent of the overall mark. Overall the papers were accepted as being challenging but "quite doable", thanks to the choice of questions.