Junior Cert French: verdict: Yesterday's Junior Certificate higher level French exam was described as both topical and predictable by teachers.

The exam, which lasted 2½ hours, featured listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and a written expression section.

It included articles about advertisements for DVDs on the regions of France, a profile of the first female referee of a European soccer match, and a letter to students' French pen pals.

Mr Bernard Lynch, ASTI subject representative, said the format of the exam was predictable. However, the print size and the length of the articles varied considerably.

"I'd say for higher-level students, it was quite fair and balanced," he said.

"I was quite happy with the listening comprehension. There were no problems with the quality of the tapes."

Ms Mary Costelloe of the TUI felt the listening comprehension was the most difficult part of the paper.

"You really have to think on your feet. Two or three of the questions were difficult this year," she said.

"But all in all, it was fairly accessible for them, with no big surprises."

In the ordinary-level paper, Ms Costelloe described some of the questions as "difficult for students at that level".

Mr Lynch also said the length of the paper, at 16 pages, could be a problem for students.

"My only criticism is that it was too long, but it was fair," he said.

"It wouldn't put kids off if they have the concentration to deal with it ... but maybe they could shorten the paper a bit."