JUNIOR CERT SPANISH AND METALWORK:THIS HAS not been a stellar year for examination proofreaders.Junior Cert students sitting the higher level Spanish paper yesterday morning were the latest student group to encounter an error on their paper.
It wasn't a show-stopper, but it would have given students reason to pause and wonder what was required in the fourth comprehension section on the paper.
A dialogue between two people, Rafa and Inma, was fine, according to ASTI representative Robbie Cronin. However, there was a problem with the first question. The question read, “Where does Rafa? And when does he work there?” Cronin said. Obviously the word “work” is missing from the first part.
Apart from that omission, the higher level paper was described as fine. Comprehension pieces offered plenty of variety while there were no surprises in the letter section. It dealt with the usual holiday spent in Spain with the pen-pal, Cronin said.
The paper at ordinary level was great, Cronin said. It was pitched just right for this level, he said. There was a great deal of variety on the paper and we even got a photograph of Ronaldo with a hurley. The written section was also very good, Cronin said.
After lunch, more than 7,000 students filed in to do their metalwork exam which would complete the final 25 per cent of their grade. Earlier in the year students did a project and a practical exam worth 75 per cent of their final mark.
The project, in particular the part in which students were required to design a model go-kart had been very successful, according to ASTI subject representative Kenny Donagher.
A change in yesterday’s higher level paper was noted and welcomed by Donagher. Questions one and seven included photographs rather than line diagrams, he said. They were very clear and well laid-out. It’s a definite improvement, he said.
Students would have enjoyed a question about their project although there was no question about the practical exam, something examiners might want to think about according to Donagher. There were no surprises on the paper otherwise, he said.
The ordinary level paper was fine and should have presented no problems to students.