Reaction/Coláiste Iognáid, Galway: It was the entire line left out of Question 1 on the higher maths paper that had students at Coláiste Iognáid in Galway talking.
It was the entire line left out of Question 1 on the higher maths paper that had students at Coláiste Iognáid in Galway talking.
The supervisor came around individually to tell the students about the correction on Question 1. There was one line to the question that was missing the vital words "if the centre of three circles lie in a straight line".
Tristian Ryder said: "It's a bit off-putting in the exam. You don't want anything to disturb you. I was halfway through the question when he decided he would go around and tell everyone individually. The paper was quite different from the last few years."
Compared to the higher maths in the Leaving, the Junior Cert "was a walk in the park", he added.
Classmate Kevin Doherty said: "There were a few surprises. It was tough enough. Even last week's higher maths I was looking easier in retrospect.
"I think the main thing was it was just so different. A lot of the C parts were difficult," Kevin added.
Ordinary maths "wasn't as nice as paper I", said Sarah Colclough. As with the higher level paper, "the C parts were different and a lot harder.
"I was much more prepared for paper I. But most of the people I spoke to found that paper 1 was harder."
The higher geography Leaving Cert has students pleasantly surprised, for a change.
Cillín MacDonncha said: "It was fine. Everything I expected to come up, did. The first question on the maps was fairly standard, and the one on the regions was pretty open, but I was pushed for time."
The sheer effort of all that writing is beginning to get to students in the second week of the exams. "My hand is really sore. I filled almost the entire answer book," said Lena Walter.
"I think it went pretty well, but part C of the map question was confusing in the way it was phrased."
Maeve O'Neill described geography as "a grand, average paper. Rivers came up - I was hoping for that and I liked having the choice of country in the regional section, but in the field trip section, there was a question I hadn't really planned for, which was a bit of a surprise."
Sarah Colclough concluded: "I was really happy. For one question there was a Scandinavian country and a question on how the sea affects a country.
"You can be fairly specific about what you study. I was really happy with it and there was a pretty big choice."