The Exam Times phone line was buzzing yesterday as teachers and students rang to register their dismay with the Leaving Cert French aural tape. Ms Lucy Hamill, a French teacher in St Paul's College, Raheny, Dublin, said there were problems with the speed of the tape and the level of difficulty. Both ordinary- and higher-level students listen to the same tape but answer different sets of questions. The aural is worth 20 per cent of the higher-level paper and 25 per cent of the ordinary level.

Ms Hamill, who spoke to teachers in three other schools, said the open-ended nature of the higher-level questions, which required a good deal of detail, meant students were in trouble. Competent students were shocked with the level of difficulty. It was "quite unfair" to be faced with this after a very demanding higher-level paper. However, in general, the higher-level paper was demanding but fair and interesting, she said. A Blackrock College, Dublin, student, who said he had spoken to 15 students in his own school and students in three other schools, said he "felt very disappointed that it was so much harder than in previous years . . . but I was happy with the written paper. In the aural they were looking for too high a standard."

At Belvedere College, Dublin, student Chris Keane said the aural was "unbelievable".

ASTI subject representative Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick agreed with the general consensus. She described the aural as challenging, difficult and demanding, but emphasised that her overall reaction to the higher-level paper was positive. The two comprehensions were very suitable, clear and well laid out, she said, and the questions were fair.

There was a good choice in the written section, Ms Fitzpatrick said.

At ordinary level, the general reaction was also positive, she said. The TUI subject representative, Ms Dellemar Keane, said the ordinary-level paper was standard and fairly predictable - even if question 1, which featured a picture of an alien, was a bit "futuristic". The poem, however, was difficult to read.

Ms Margaret Le Lu, ASTI subject representative, commended the Department for allowing students to retain the French names for the astrological signs in their answer to the second comprehension. The written expression was fine, she said, and her ordinary-level students went home happy.

The higher-level paper was fair but demanding, Ms Keane said, with a lot of variety in the written section. The literary passage was a big improvement on last year's offering, she noted. The text was easily accessible and the questions were appropriate.

Ms Le Lu said the first comprehension, an extract from a novel about Polish immigrants, was fine. The second piece, a piece of journalism about a woman who had been forced to flee Algeria, was also fair - the last question was searching but manageable.

The written expression in section 2, was better than last year, giving students a lot of scope, she said. Question 2, section 2 (a), "Have you a dream you would like to realise?", was the sort of question teachers would welcome.