Junior Cert German: The usual topics of holidays, household chores, pocket money and school life came up on yesterday's Junior Certificate German paper.

Some higher level students were disconcerted at the inclusion of a question about the World Cup. Unlike the Leaving Certs, students at this level were not expecting such a specific topic.

"Students were asked their opinion on Ireland's failure to qualify for the World Cup, and whether they considered it better to support England or Germany instead," said a surprised Noel O'Callaghan, teacher at Bray Senior College. "This was a tough exercise for this level."

Some students were also confounded by vocabulary in the reading section.

The word "Kopfball", which turned out to the be name of a German quiz show, confused some students who translated it directly and were left none the wiser.

The last question, which required students to compose a note for a youth club notice-board, was also considered to be slightly more testing than normal and presented a challenge for weaker students, according to commentators.

Overall, however, students were pleased with yesterday's higher paper.

Yesterday's ordinary level paper, taken by more than a third of the 10,661 Junior Certificate students taking German yesterday, was described as "straightforward" and "fair".