JUNIOR CERT: skoool.ie is there to help you get to grips with the knowledge gained over the past three years and pass that first key exam

For those taking their Junior Certificate exams this year, the importance of the next few months will have sunk in as preparation begins for the first of life's key exams. In the weeks and months ahead, the task in store is to get to grips with the knowledge learned during the past three years, condense it, revise it and use it to answer the exam questions as well as possible.

A tall order? Too right, but it will come as a relief to students to know that in addition to the many text books, revision aids and study solutions, help is at hand at skoool.ie.

So - what does skoool.ie offer a Junior Certificate student? skoool.ie is a website specifically for Irish students taking Irish exams. All material on the site is directly related to the Irish curriculum and is directly relevant to the subjects students are studying and revising both in the classroom and at home. With skoool.ie online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, learning and revision doesn't have to end once outside the classroom.

Those taking Junior Certificate science or business studies will be able to benefit from the free interactive courses available on the site. The business studies section offers 15 different lessons - each one completely interactive to make learning more fun and more effective. They cover everything from household expenditure and finance for business to national budgets. In addition to this (and especially useful at this time of year) are the separate assessment and revision sheets; there's one for each of the 15 areas covered in business studies so it's easy for students to test their knowledge and then pinpoint the areas they most need to revise.

The same depth of information is available for Junior Certificate science - "Ecology", "Elements of the Periodic Table", "The Earth and Beyond" are just some examples of the course topics awaiting exploration. All that remains is for students to immerse themselves and interact with the learning experience with a difference that is skoool.ie.

While it is vital for students to have the necessary knowledge that will enable them to answer the questions on exam day, general exam preparation is also key. How many have ever given any thought to: what will the paper look like; how many questions will I have to answer; what time is allowed for the exam; and what marks are going for each question?

Do not underestimate the value of this vital information. Students often tell themselves they'll worry about it nearer the time, but if exam preparation is something that's been put on the long finger, the Exam Centre on skoool.ie can be squeezed for all the practical information needed.

Covering nine Junior Certificate subjects (Irish, English, maths, French, history, geography, science, business studies and home economics) there is the "Past Exam Paper Analysis", which in addition to providing information on exam structure and strategy, gives a walkthrough of the paper question by question. This is broken down across higher and ordinary levels, so students can pick what's appropriate to them personally. The revision planner is also extremely useful - it provides a list of all areas to be revised, which can be ticked off as they are covered. Key sections to revise for those aiming at top marks are also highlighted.

There is also an online study planner for students to fill in with information on what they're going to cover and when they're going to do it - this can then be printed off for reference. New features in the pipeline include poetry lessons for Junior Certificate English.

skoool.ie content has been developed by key members of the teaching profession in Ireland, including members of the curriculum and examination boards, and is specifically focused towards Junior and Leaving Certificate subjects.

skoool.ie is fun, exciting, interactive and different - more than enough to entice Junior Certificate students to log on and learn.