Could you draw the end elevation of an octagonal pyramid? Or inscribe a regular octagon in a given square?

These were just two of the questions on the technical graphics exam paper which tested Junior Certificate students at ordinary level yesterday.

Mr Patrick McVicar, principal of Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola in Co Donegal and ASTI subject representative, said section A of the ordinary level was difficult and "more difficult than section B", which is not usually the case. However, he said, section B "balanced things out" with its range of questions on such items as a calculator, a TV set, a hair slide and dice. "I like to see very practical things - household, everyday things - being presented," he said. Perhaps the presence of such items as a hair slide "is beginning to reflect the increasing number of girls taking this subject", Mr McVicar observed.

The first question in section A was "a little bit off-putting" in that some of the details were "hidden". Also some of the questions were "a bit wordy", he felt. In Section B, the question about dice was testing also. This would have required spatial comprehension of a three-dimensional drawing. He said the higher level was very fair, particularly section A, which was very reasonable in terms of time, he said. "This would have been one of their worries," he said of the students, who have to answer 12 out of 15 questions. The time factor was taken into account this year and students were happy with that. Some of the questions, such as question 6, were already partly done and students only had to complete the drawing.

Section A was very comprehensive in its coverage of the course and was "suitably testing". All the questions were "clearly presented".

Overall, the paper was "very fair" but it was "tight on time" for the average student, he concluded.