JUNIOR CERT TECHNICAL GRAPHICS AND MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY (WOOD):JUNIOR CERT technical graphics students had a good morning of exams with well-pitched and nicely balanced exams at both levels.

Higher and ordinary level students faced two sections, one of short and one of long questions.

Short questions at higher level were fine, said Teachers Union of Ireland representative Michael Martin. Question seven would have posed a challenge to even the most talented student but with 10 out of 15 to answer that could have easily been avoided, he said.

In the longer section, question four might have been difficult initially but “a good candidate would have seen through it”, Martin said.

Both short and longer questions at ordinary level occasionally gave students pause for thought but overall papers at both higher and ordinary level were, “fair and well-balanced” Martin said.

In the afternoon it was the turn of students of material technology (wood).

At higher level the short questions held no surprises. “Students were very happy with the paper overall,” said Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland subject representative Noel Scott.

The longer questions had a slightly modern edge with a very welcome question about power tools. “The paper was nicely straightforward at ordinary level,” Scott said. “There was a lot of sketching and drawing.”