THE first paper of this year's technical drawing examination caused general agreement about the ordinary level exam but provoked some differing views on the level of difficulty involved in some of the higher level questions.
Mr Paul McDonnell, a spokesperson for the Association of Materials Technology and Technical Graphics Teachers and vice principal in Bishop McEgan College, Macroom, Co Cork, said that the higher level paper was pitched at the same level as previous years.
"There were some questions that wouldn't have borne the same similarity to more recent questions but the level of difficulty was in no way more greater than in previous years," he said.
Question 2, which students traditionally shy away from because it is the most abstract of technical drawing questions, was less abstract than in previous years. Question 5, which included a logarithmic spiral, had not featured in recent years but had featured in the past, Mr McDonnell said, and higher level students would shave been expected to be prepared for it.
Mr Patsy McVicar, ASTI subject representative and a teacher in Pobalscoil Chloich Cheann Fhaola, Falcarragh, Co Donegal, praised the clarity of presentation of the papers at both levels and described the higher level paper as particularly good and fair, but testing.
All three parts of question 1, which is popular with higher level candidates, were very manageable, Mr McVicar said. The setting of the diagram in question 2 was quite testing, as was section (c) of that question, though that was to be expected, he added.
Question 3, on solid geometry, was very much in line with similar questions in recent years. The second part, however, was testing though manageable, Mr McVicar said. Meanwhile, the presentation of question 5 was more straightforward and less complicated than in other years, while question 6(a) required a good knowledge of basic principles and question 6(b) was very fair for higher level.
Question 7, on auto graphic projection, was very straightforward but, again, testing.
Mr Philip McLaughlin, TUI subject representative and a teacher in Carndonagh Community School, Co Donegal, described question 3 as a "stiff question", while question 4, on the integration of solids, was very time consuming. "It's not that there was anything difficult or anything that hadn't come up before, but there was an awful lot of drawing involved."
Question 7 was also difficult, he felt.
Mr McDonnell said the ordinary level paper was quite straightforward in all areas and very fair. "I felt any candidate doing it would have been quite comfortable with the paper. It charted familiar territory for the students."
The first question was the most difficult he said, in that it involved projections of a line though all the questions were pitched, at the right level, Mr McDonnell added.
Mr McLaughlin said he was quite happy with the ordinary level paper. "It was very fair and easy enough for weaker students to get a pass and at the same time give the average student the chance to get a good grade."
Mr McVicar said it was very much based on the pattern of recent years but "it was quite testing, as always, and it did require a full knowledge of the basic principles, of the subject".
Students will sit the second paper in this subject, on the application of the basic principles to either building or engineering, on Monday morning.