The Leaving Certificate 2009 Course (which you began in 2007 – 5th Year) comprises of two papers for both the Higher Level and Ordinary Level Exams.
Skoool.ie offers this Guide (almost every Exam Techniques book will have one, they rarely differ):
I would take off 5 minutes off the top of each recommendation here as we all know that we don’t always stick to exact times when writing exam answers. To read the rest of Skoool’s guide please visit
http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_sc.asp?id=4755
Paper 1 consists of two sections: Comprehending and Composing. This format is quite new as it was only devised in the 2000s – it did bring a lot of controversy as many students failed to understand exactly what to do with the paper. To put things simple: You must answer any Question A from a Text, but you must also answer a Question B from a different Text. The Composing Section follows and remember to answer with the correct Register, i.e. if you are asked to write a Speech, write a Speech!
Paper 2 continues the next afternoon or the next day and this is where the last two years of studying Shakespeare, Poetry and other Texts come into play. Everything leads up to this, so remember to give it your best. Your first question is on the “Stand-Alone Text” – for many it will be Shakespeare and this year’s Shakespearean Drama is King Lear. There are 60 Marks going for your answer so time it accordingly. Remember to read the question THREE times before any attempt at an answer!
Section Two is all about the Comparative – remember the novel, the film and that other drama or book you read and spent so much time writing about…now is your change to score 70 Marks. The most popular Texts that will have been chosen are: Jane Eyre, Circle of Friends, Philadelphia Here I Come, Playboy of the Western World, Road to Memphis and Dancing at Lughnasa. There is also the option to use a Film Study in your Comparative and this years lot include Casablanca, Billy Elliot, Inside I’m Dancing, The Truman Show and Il Postino
Section Three is the Poetry Section – there are 70 Marks going for this Section where you will answer questions on the Unseen Poem and then answer the Studied Poetry on 1 of 4 prescribed poets. To give yourself every chance of success you need to have studied 5 Poets each with 5 Poems. There is the myth that there is always an Irish Poet, a Dead Poet, a Male Poet and a Female Poet on offer – it’s best to include these types of poets in your study. For 2010 the poets are: Eavan Boland, TS Elliot, Patrick Kavanagh, John Keats, Michael Longley, Arianne Rich, Derek Walcott and WB Yeats.
And then…You’re Finished!
Damien Gallagher
