Now that most of the course has been completed you should try and get a feel for the overall picture, says award-winning teacher Sheila Porter

'Invest yourself in areas you enjoy and results will follow." This is a quote from a lecture given by Dr Andy Grove, one of the founders of Intel. You decided to study physics, chemistry or biology for the Leaving Certificate, you have worked hard, so have confidence and go for it.

This is an exciting time to be studying for the Leaving Certificate in physics and in chemistry. Both syllabuses have been revised recently and are to be examined for the first time this year.

It is hoped that the introduction of these new syllabuses, bringing course content into the 21st century and increasing the emphasis on practical work and the applications of science, will help bring about a sustainable change in the perception of science as a subject and as a career option.

Following on the new syllabuses, the layout and allocation of marks in physics and chemistry will be different this year. Teachers have attended a number of in-service courses and sample papers have been sent to the schools. (Based on feedback from teachers some minor changes have been made to the sample papers. )

In this supplement, the exam guides for higher- and ordinary-level physics and higher-level chemistry have used questions from past papers. While these questions based on the old syllabuses should be a good guide to the content of many of the questions on this year's papers, the total marks for each question will be different, as explained in the exam guides.

Make sure you are familiar with the new layout and allocation of marks. As the new syllabus in biology has not yet been introduced the biology papers will have the same format as in previous years.

Having completed the mocks, you should now have an idea of what it is like to sit through a Leaving Certificate examination. You should also have identified your strengths and weaknesses and know which areas you need to work on. Don't make the same mistakes twice. Examination technique is very important. Ordinary-level papers tend to test learned information, whereas higher-level papers require a degree of understanding and an ability to read a question and interpret what is required. The answers to some questions may appear short, but that is because time should be spent thinking before starting to write.

Answer only what is asked; additional information gets no extra marks. In descriptive questions do not write an essay. Remember marks are awarded only for valid points.

Choose your questions carefully. Look at the marks awarded to each section within a question. This may help you to make a wiser choice. Always answer the required number of questions and make sure you do not leave out a part of a question. If you don't know the answer, guess. You could be partly right, which is better than no marks.

When using your calculator do not just write down the final answer. Instead, show each step in the calculation clearly. If you make a mathematical error within the answer you may still gain most of the marks. In describing apparatus, a well-labelled diagram is better than a long-winded description.

Now that most of the course has been completed you should try and get a feel for the overall picture. Try brainstorming. Write down a topic in the centre of a page. Try to jot down all the related topics. Having a real understanding of osmosis, for instance, will help with learning about contractile vacuoles in the amoeba, root pressure, the kidney etc. You could try the same technique for electricity in physics or the periodic table in chemistry, for example.

It is probably difficult to do a lot of revision at this stage but it is worthwhile to try and do a little each day. Before revising a topic check any relevant questions on past exam papers. This gives an idea of the important areas and the depth of knowledge required.

Have a jotter at hand and, having learned a section, test yourself.

In physics and chemistry it is a good idea to have a notebook containing formulae and definitions. This is very useful for last-minute revision. In sixth year I advise my students to do written homework without the textbook. It is too easy to turn out a model answer straight from the textbook, but this is not a true test of ability.

Note that some topics appear on the exam paper more often than others, but it is foolish to believe predictions and leave out sections. You may not be lucky.

So get plenty of rest and study between now and June. Remember two years of hard work will be tested in a three-hour exam. So when you read the paper keep calm and do your best.

Sheila Porter received the Intel Teacher Award at the Esat Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in 1998 and again in 2000. She was selected to attend the Intel ISEF as an honorary Alumna for the Science Educators Award in 2001. This year she has been invited to attend as the leader of an international team. She teaches at Loreto College, St Stephen's Green, Dublin, and has worked as an advising examiner for Leaving Certificate biology for several years.