LEAVING CERT DESIGN AND COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS HIGHER AND ORDINARY LEVEL:THE THIRD examination of design and communication graphics went well yesterday, as the paper began to "settle into a pattern", according to commentators.

The subject was introduced in 2007 to replace technical drawing.

“The papers were both fair and structured in the expected manner,” said John O’Sullivan of the Christian Brothers secondary school in New Ross, Co Wexford.

“The questions were clearly presented.

“It is commendable that significant efforts were made to test geometry in an applied manner with reference to the Port Tunnel in question D2 and a support cushion for a chair in question C2.”

On the ordinary level paper, students considered the design of a bus shelter and a whistle.

The new course is regarded as very broad compared to its predecessor, covering topics as diverse as geological geometry and perspective drawing.

Students once had a good idea what would appear, so answered the questions in depth, but the new course is much broader.

“The papers examined the breadth of the course with questions pitched at appropriate levels, bearing in mind that students have done assignments counting for 40 per cent,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

The modernised syllabus teaches computer-aided design modules alongside traditional drafting techniques. Students answer three out of five questions from the core syllabus and two of five from the applied graphics syllabus.

The course has been described as “midway between engineering and graphic design”.