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RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Leaving Cert Diary: German and Construction cap off another week
What's another week of tough exams between friends?! The class of 2025 have another weekend to relax and unwind - we have some tips to help here! For many, the Leaving Cert is over, but our Leaving Cert Diary entries continue with thanks to members of the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU). Today, we lead off with Isabelle on German, and keep reading as Ryan tells us about his long day with Construction studies... Isabelle - Freitag, den 13. Juni 2025. The day has come. We walked into our exam halls/special centres with our heads bursting with Deutsch at 9.30 this morning. Higher level students were met with Leservrständnis 1, about a professional gamer called Till, and we were asked questions regarding his journey as a professional gamer. This was followed by a grammar section with challenging adjective endings. The second Leserverständnis followed an interview with a Munich student working in Antarctica. The questions related to the harsh winters there. I chose to do the Äußerung zum Thema about the diary writing. The questions were simple and nice, relating to how relevant it is to write diaries in our modern world. The pen pal letter had plenty of nice broad topics, including the Olympics, how we meet new people, and our morning routine. The 10 minute break between the written and aural allowed me to have a much needed stretch and movement break (fellow neurodivergent students will understand!) The Hörverständnis was the part I was very anxious about, but was extremely happy with how smooth it was. The questions were straightforward and the 40 minutes went by in a blissful breeze. I personally was highly expecting topics of AI on the paper, and so was surprised to see that it made no such appearance on neither the written or aural paper. While challenging in many ways, I found the paper relatively straightforward and there was nothing on it that my teacher hadn't prepared me for (shout-out to my wunderbar Lehrerin Frau Prior!) It was all building up to this for Ryan... The Construction Studies exam is over, after months of research and manufacturing of an artefact, a grim 4 hour day practical and a 3 hour long exam it's all finished. Construction Studies was my break from the written subjects over the past two years, I'd look forward to going downstairs to get into some practical work, but then there was the Monday classes where we would do theory, it's not a surprise that the class attendance was always better for the practical classes then the Monday theory class! Today's exam was theory based, the subject is 50% assessment before the exam and 50% for the written paper. I think the exam was fair, but definitely had a few challenges that will have surprised students because they definitely surprised me. The first question was the window detail which is one of the harder detailed drawings, there was a few tricky details thrown into it to catch people. I was happy to see a Safety question come up in Q2 however I was hoping a site safety question would come up somewhere on the paper, which it didn't! Question 3 again was a very predictable question which I was very happy with, although Q4 was definitely not expected and threw me from having options in the exam to having no options of questions. The U Values question this year again had two tricky elements thrown into it which I have to believe will have tricked some people. For the last number of years the two details stayed the same but this year they changed it so I think people will have been caught. Q6 again was a highly anticipated question on Enviormental impact which was very manageable. I personally did not study Q7,8,9 as I opted to go for the chapters that suited me better as there is a lot of choice on this paper, we have 10 options and have to answer 5 questions. Again, Q10 was a bit difficult and required critical thinking but I think most people will have got the majority of the marks here. Overall it was quite a challenging paper compared to previous years but I think students will be happy with it. I'm certainly happy to have it all over but unfortunately I still have one more exam to go, I just have to wait 10 days to do it! Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
RTÉ News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Leaving Cert Diary: History and French are finished for the class of 2025
In this entry to our Leaving Cert Diary, our contributors look back on Leaving Cert French and History. With thanks to our friends at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU), two of their members, Chelsea who is based in Mayo and Dublin student Isabelle took the time to tell us how it went today. As the exams stretch out for some students, make sure to check out these top tips for minding yourself. Une petite aventure Française. This morning, I sat the French Ordinary Level paper- and honestly, it went better than I expected. The reading comprehensions were interesting. One was about fashion, and the other followed a teen on holiday with his uncle. Most texts were manageable, though there was one I found slightly tricky - but nothing too overwhelming. The usual "fill in the blanks" and form section made its return, but it wasn't too bad. The form was on sport, which was a nice topic and overall, not so challenging. There were also good options: a formal letter, a diary, a message and a postcard. The prompts were creative and allowed plenty of room to express yourself. The listening paper was also fair. Each question brought something different, and most of it was straightforward. The last part - the news items - was a little tougher, but still manageable. Overall, it felt like a balanced and well-structured paper with lots of familiar content. For the Class of 2026: stay on top of your vocab and try a few past papers before the real thing. It really helps you to feel more confident and prepared. C'est fini! Au revoir, French paper - on to the next one! How was history for Isabelle? Well, the day we have all been waiting for has come. And now the past 2 years of studying have become history. Time is never on One's side in Leaving Cert History: 2 hours and 50 minutes is a tight space of time to analyse two documents and write just over 3 lengthy essays. I had to have my watch set 5 minutes ahead just to have the smallest hope in finishing in time! It was hard with the exam being in the afternoon, I was fighting sleep as I wrote and wrote and wrote. The Documents Based Question (DBQ), while highly predicted to have been the Nuremberg rallies, turned out to be the Jarrow March. I liked how completely different the documents were as I was able to make quick, sharp comparisons. I answered two questions from Ireland Topic 3: The Pursuit of Sovereignty and the Impact of Partition, and one from the United States and Wider world. In both the DBQ and main essays the questions were wildly different to how they have been in past years. Gone are the questions directly relating to the case studies; now we are seeing the case studies masquerading behind other aspects of the topic, proving to be a wild curveball for many of us. Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
RTÉ News
10-06-2025
- Science
- RTÉ News
Leaving Cert Diary 2025: We say slán to Irish and goodbye Biology!
As we say slán to Irish, it means that the mandatory subjects are out of the way. It was still a long slog those sitting Irish Paper 2 and Biology. We are here with another instalment of the Leaving Cert Diary series, with thanks to our friends at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU). Rónán is a sixth year student and Irish language activist based in Wicklow, and he is back again today to chat Paper 2. But, first we hear from Galway student Michaela who sat Biology this evening. Don't forget to take a break while you can, and if you want any tips for the remaining subjects, plus lots more besides visit RTÉ Learn. Walking into the Biology exam today, I don't think I've ever been as nervous. Biology is one of those subjects where the paper can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. As someone who's passionate about the subject and hoping to become a Biology teacher in the future, I was really hoping the paper would go my way. Thankfully, it did - for the most part. From the moment I opened the paper, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. The short questions were a lovely start, covering topics like photosynthesis and food - two areas I'd spent a lot of time revising. They're some of my favourite topics, and seeing them right at the beginning gave me a huge confidence boost. In Section B, I tackled the ecology question and the experiment on osmosis. I was genuinely delighted to see osmosis appear. It's always been one of the easier experiments for me to understand and explain, and it felt like a reward for the hours I'd put into preparing for all the practicals. Ecology can sometimes be a bit unpredictable, but I felt I managed it well this time. That said, the paper wasn't without its tricky moments. Some questions, particularly in Section C, were worded in ways that made me pause and think carefully. But I stayed calm and reminded myself to trust the work I'd done. I was really pleased to be able to answer questions on three of my favourite topics: the skeletal system, the circulatory system, and homeostasis. These are the parts of Biology that really sparked my interest in the subject, and getting the chance to write about them in detail felt like things had come full circle. Overall, I'm absolutely thrilled. After all the time, stress, and effort, it felt like everything came together when it counted. The exam challenged me, but I felt prepared. Today reaffirmed why I love Biology so much, and it made me even more excited about my future career. I walked out of the exam hall smiling, knowing that my hard work had truly paid off. It's Rónán arís with his blog on Irish Paper 2... There was a quiet focus this morning as students opened Paper 2 of the Irish exam, a paper that was both challenging and fair. The general reaction was relief, with just a few moments of confusion where wording would have pushed students' vocabulary to their limits. The first léamhthuiscint paid tribute to Rory Gallagher, marking thirty years since the legendary guitarist's death. A fitting inclusion that offered a blend of culture and history in a way that felt fresh and thoughtful. The second reading comprehension took on sport in Ireland, highlighting key themes like recognition for athletes, the growing role of women in sport, and the continued need for government investment. Prose followed the predictions closely. Hurlamaboc gave us another look at Lisín, ever polished and endlessly in control. Oisín i dTír na nÓg returned too, asking students to examine the hero caught between two worlds and one that many had prepared for. Poetry brought another wave of reassurance. Colscaradh and An Spailpín Fánach came with reliable questions, giving students a chance to settle into familiar territory. Then came the filíocht breise, and with it was a twist. I had joked yesterday that if Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire appeared, I'd be ag caoineadh myself, hoping for Colmáin which hasn't appeared on the paper since 2019. At first glance, the Caoineadh question looked daunting. The language was weighty, which fits the poem itself. But with a steady approach and a good grasp of its emotional depth, it was very much achievable. This was a fair and fitting conclusion to the Irish course. The texts were familiar, the themes engaging, and students were given a real chance to show what they'd learned. Is fada an bóthar nach mbíonn casadh ann and a few may have felt those bends in the road briefly lost in the phrasing of some questions - a bit like Oisín trying to find his way, but I hope that most found solid ground in the end. Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
RTÉ News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Leaving Cert Diary 2025: Students are free from English exams
To paraphrase today's Leaving Cert Diary blogger, who was referencing The Shawshank Redemption, we say students are free at last from English exams! The Leaving Cert Diary series, with thanks to our friends at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU), will continue to share the thoughts of the young people sitting the state exams over the next two weeks. Here, Sarah from Co Louth and Kayleigh from Co Westmeath tell us how English Paper 2 went for them. We also have advice on how to eat well, get a good night's sleep and manage stress - click here! Read Sarah's blog here... As the English Paper 2 finishes, I am sure many students' hands are falling off. Like Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, we are finally free from the prison, the prison of English exams! The comparative had three modes this year which was guaranteed to any student sitting the exam. The theme or issue question I wrote was how a character's frame of mind aided the author's exploration of the complexity of a theme or issue. I thought this question allowed more interpretation than the cultural context question on consequences of not conforming to societal norms. The Single text gave a wide variety of what I could talk about from injustices/ justice and betraying one's conscience on The Crucible. The unseen and prepared poetry section was handy for anyone who studied the female poets. I found I was torn between Eavan Boland and Tracy K Smith questions as they both were accessible to answer. Day two is done, but there are many more exams ahead of us. The next challenge? Algebra, calculus and Functions. Read Kayleigh's blog here... English Paper 2 seems to have gone over equally as well as Paper 1. Tracy K Smith made her debut on the paper with a question on "thought provoking questions about the nature of our lives". Boland made an appearance which I think the whole country was hoping for! Though Mahon is also another popular choice I think the question was unusual and would have certainly put me off going for it. The first King Lear question seems to have been disliked by a few students. Personally I found it nicer than the second question, though the content for both is very familiar. There seems to be students unhappy with every single comparative question, I wasn't a fan myself of the cultural context question, especially as some leaving course media has more obvious encouragement of division than others. The unseen poetry was nothing out of the ordinary either with both the two ten mark questions or the one twenty mark question being easy to approach. Overall I think depending on what students had prepared the paper could have gone either way but was still mostly what was predicted. I think we're all delighted to have one of the two paper subjects out of the way! Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
RTÉ News
04-06-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Leaving Cert Diary 2025: English Paper 1 is the exam for writers
The Leaving Cert Diary series, with thanks to our friends at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union, is back for another year. Here, Waterford student Lidiia gives us her take on English Paper 1. And keep scrolling as Kerry student Maeve tells us what was cooking in Home Economics... But, before you go any further remember to look after yourselves during exam time - here are some tips to help you eat, sleep and manage stress. Lidiia's Exam Blog The paper that 'you cannot study for' is also, I believe, the one that writers love the most. It is where you can play with your imagination - becoming, for example, a hotel manager and writing a response to a bad review. It is the Paper where practice is more important than knowledge. This year's general theme for Paper One was 'Perspectives', which I was very happy with, as it can be interpreted and explored in many ways. I was also happy with all three comprehension texts, and I found all three Question A prompts manageable. Personally, I chose to answer Question A on the first text, 'The Underdog Effect', where in Part Two I managed to intertwine Shakespeare's King Lea r and The Secret History by Donna Tartt into my answer. I then answered Question B on the second text, The Perspective of a 'Wise Old Counsellor. The part of the exam I was most thrilled about was composing. I had decided at the beginning of 6th year that I would answer the short story question, and it was lovely to see two options. I chose to write a story in 'which a plucky chancer challenges a more privileged or established opponent'. However, I believe my choice was unusual, as most of my classmates opted to write a personal essay. Overall, I ended up writing a full sixteen pages in my script and was happy with how Paper One turned out. Nevertheless, I must confess that due to the stressful nature of the exam, I unknowingly skipped Part 3 of Question A. In moments like these, it's important to remind ourselves that not answering one question is absolutely not the end of the world. Mistakes happen; human error is normal and should not be shamed. Student to student, it's okay to feel disappointed in the moment, but you must remind yourself to keep calm and carry on! Paper Two is tomorrow, and I'd like to wish the best of luck to everyone. I'll sign off with a quote from Epictetus: "We cannot control the external events around us, but we can control our reaction to them." Maeve's blog Second exam finished today with Home Ec! Honestly after the highs of English Paper 1, this paper brought me back down to earth fairly fast. Home Ec is such a content heavy subject and it's really difficult to prepare for what will appear on the exam, as not one aspect of the course can be left behind and the paper is incredibly difficult to predict. To start the paper, I found that the short questions in Section A were challenging at first glance but most were doable when the gears began turning. Lipids coming up as the main macronutrient in Section B was a welcome relief and Section B question 1(a) was a really nice table to analyse. The choices for the rest of Section B were broad so they would have suited a lot of people. Section C part 4 is where things got a little rocky, with an extensive analysis of meat required, and I found option (b) and (c) to both be difficult options to choose between. Overall a challenging paper I hope that the marking scheme will be kind to us! Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
