Junior Certificate Spanish: Spanish at Junior Certificate level was yesterday welcomed by teachers as a topical exam which introduced students to elements of Spanish life and culture.

The 2½-hour papers undertaken by 3,938 students at Ordinary and Higher level demanded a comprehensive knowledge of the language but posed no great difficulties.

Comprehension questions on "power walking", the cost of eating out at lunchtime, the benefits of studying in natural light and how to cope with the high temperatures appeared on yesterday's Higher-level paper.

Further questions on tapas and Barcelona were welcomed by Máire Ní Chiarba, an ASTI subject representative and teacher in Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, Glanmire, Co Cork.

"I always advise students to revise their numbers, dates and times and yesterday these came up on the written section. Any student who revised these would have done very well and could even aim for full marks."

The letter-writing section in which students were given topics to cover in an letter from Spain was described as "excellent" by Ms Ní Chiarba.

The Ordinary-level paper, with comprehensions on the yellow bands inspired by Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and the need to purchase passports for pets, was popular with both students and teachers.