The pressure is on – but it’s not too late to make a real impact. These final days are all about smart, focused revision rather than cramming.
Whether brushing up on key concepts or calming exam nerves, a few strategic moves now can boost your confidence. Here are some last-minute study tips from the experts to help you stay sharp and steady for exam day:
English
Tips from Conor Murphy, an English teacher at Skibbereen Community College
Paper one:
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- Familiarise yourself with the exam paper and be conscious of the fact it was designed to lead you into the essay question. The comprehension question, A, reminds you of the various genres as well as genre techniques. B reminds you of the need for structure and purpose. Remember these elements when you attempt the final essay.
- Revise techniques rather than specific genres. There are so many different genres that can be assessed in B, and in the essay, trying to study each one will become overwhelming. Think about the techniques as moving from aesthetic to persuasive, stopping off at narrative and informative on the way. So, you are looking at things like using an appropriate hook, the power of the adjective, the use of aesthetic language, the various rhetorical techniques available. Then look at the question and, with the audience and medium in mind, plan with reference to these techniques.
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Paper two:
- Ignore poet predictions. The poetry question is worth 50 marks, the main text (usually Shakespeare) is 60 marks and the comparative 70. Keep this in mind when you study.
- Narrow down the quotes you are learning off. Instead of having hundreds for the main text, look for a quote that will work for numerous elements. Look at a quote like the famous “give me an egg, and I’ll give thee two crowns”. How many elements can this be used for? The Fool, Lear, Goneril, Regan, Kingship, fertility, the concept of nothingness and a few other topics. This is why the quote is so often (over) used. Use this exercise as a way of revising Lear.
- Similarly for the comparative, narrow down the scenes you are studying to scenes that can be used when talking about at least two of the comparative modes. Obviously these will include the opening and closing of the text. When you have these narrowed down, zoom in on specific elements (dialogue, images, stage directions). These are your specific pieces of evidence needed to illustrate your essays.
- In general, test yourself on the various aspects of the course. Pick a topic and write down what you know, under headings, on a blank sheet of paper with all your notes out of sight. For instance: pick a poet, write down the name of all their poems, then the themes, then the recurring language techniques, then quotes. This will tell you what you know and what you need to go over.
Maths
Tips from Eoghan O’Leary, maths teacher at Hamilton High School, Co Cork and head of maths at The Tuition Centre
General guidance
At this stage, I recommend focusing your revision on individual topics rather than attempting full papers. Concentrate on the topics you’re most likely to choose in the exam. Avoid learning new topics you haven’t already covered in class – it’s time now to revise and refine, not to start from scratch.
Revisit the formulae and tables book, and practice using your calculator, especially for operations that involve multiple steps. Also, write out a list of the formulae not included in the tables book and display them somewhere visible so they stay fresh in your mind.
When the exam starts, my advice is to find a section A question you like and do it. It will settle your nerves. It could be counterproductive to read the entire paper at the start of the exam, because there is some much information.
– Paper one:
- Functions, differentiation, and integration are unavoidable. They appear across both Section A and Section B, so they should be a big focus during your final days of preparation.
- Algebra often appears as a full Section A question and is also embedded in many other questions. Ensure you’re confident with all the key elements.
- Sequences & series hasn’t appeared in a major way in recent years—it could be due this time. Also, be prepared for a long question involving logarithms and indices, which is quite common.
- Complex numbers reliably show up in Section A, but not in Section B.
Students often ask if they should revise topics like induction, formal proofs, algebraic inequalities and financial maths that don’t appear every year. The answer depends on your target grade:
- If you’re aiming for a H1, it’s worth covering everything to maximise choice.
- If your goal is a H6, your time is better spent mastering the more likely and manageable topics, rather than struggling with abstract material.
One commonly overlooked topic is area and volume, which can appear with algebra, differentiation, or integration. Even if it doesn’t feature prominently in paper one, it’s highly likely to come up in paper two.
-Paper two
Paper two is typically more predictable than paper one.
- Section A usually includes one question each on: statistics, probability, the line, the circle, trigonometry, and geometry.
- Section B often features:
- Two questions combining statistics and probability
- Two questions involving trigonometry, geometry, and area & volume
Students often struggle to revise for Paper two because they find several topics difficult – especially probability and geometry. My advice: focus on the core skills in each topic, as these often appear in combination with others.
Should you learn the geometry theorems, constructions and trigonometric identity proofs?
- If you’re aiming for a H1, yes.
- But if you haven’t already learned them in school, it could be counterproductive to do so now. Focus instead on the questions you’re more likely to attempt in the exam.
In the exam:
- Make sure your calculator is in the correct mode (degrees or radians as appropriate).
- Double-check your answers for correct units and appropriate rounding (decimal places or significant figures).
Remember: A score of 539/600 = 89.83%, which equates to a H2. You need to score 540/600 to earn a H1. You don’t want to lose a grade over a rounding error.
Irish
Tips from Séadhan de Poire, Irish teacher with Dublin Academy of Education
Top tips for the run-in to exams?
“For higher level Irish, start to simplify material to make sure it actually makes sense. I’ve corrected the State exams, and I’ve seen a lot of students try to learn material that’s too difficult for them. They then try to reproduce this material in exam settings and because they don’t understand what they’re writing, there’s loads of mistakes in it and it ends up making no sense.
“What I tell a lot of my students is to focus on having simpler Irish that they understand and that they can use instead of trying to learn things off by heart. Especially for Irish paper one, for the essay.”
Hot predictions?
“For Irish paper one, it’s all based off current affairs so there’s no magical list of topics. You kind of have to be following what’s in the news in and around November, December and January time. That’s typically when the paper’s set.
“Based off that, the topics that I’m looking at with my own classes this year would be politics, because of the elections that took place here and abroad, the education system, the Irish language, the housing crisis and a little bit on technology. A tip I’d give students is you can overlap a lot of material between those different topics.
“For example, if you’re talking about politics and problems – well, housing is a political issue. You don’t have to learn five brand new essays. You learn a couple of paragraphs that suit different titles and then you try to fill in the gaps afterwards.”
French
Tips from Elizabeth Lyne, director of FrenchNotes.ie
- The French Leaving Cert paper is 2.5 hours, encompassing the reading and writing tasks. There is then a short 10 minute break, after which students complete the aural or listening section of the exam.
- For the reading comprehension, students have to read two texts and answer questions based on those texts. The first text is usually journalistic in style and tends to address current issues. The second text is usually an extract from literature, and is more challenging.
- My top tip is to start with question six as this is asked in English and may give an indication as to the subject matter. Read each section carefully, underlining key parts of the questions, so that you know exactly what you are being asked.
- For the written section, my top tip is to keep your French clear and simple. Make sure that your opinion questions have an opening, main point/counter or supporting point/personal point and conclusion.
- Finally, while it is impossible to predict what will appear on the paper, I suggest focusing on climate, refugees, artificial lintelligence, school uniform, study of foreign languages, science as a ‘male’ subject, circular economy, screen dependency, disposable vapes, over-tourism and emigration
Spanish
Advice from Katie Lenehan, French and Spanish teacher with Dublin Academy of Education
Top tips for the run-in to the exams?
“The biggest piece of advice I would give is to recognise the importance of your reading comprehensions. They’re worth 30 per cent of the final grade. They’re worth even more than the oral exam is and potentially it’s something that students forget about because they have so many other things on.
“For the listening papers, I’d also try to sit a full listening paper each week ... They’re quite practical elements that you can do. For the written paper, I’d recommend making sure you have a solid introduction and conclusion learned off for your opinion piece. And have 15 to 20 pieces of vocab for each topic that you’re planning on covering for the exam, so it nearly becomes a game of jigsaw.”
Hot predictions?
Though she prefers to steer clear of the term predictions, Lenehan encourages her Spanish students to focus on papers from 2008-2014, which may crop up again this June. She lists a range of topics to cover – emigration, social media, AI, money, changes in Ireland and the environment.
Common mistakes to avoid?
She says she had “crippling” OCD during sixth year and learned the hard way how important it is to look after yourself. “Absolutely, study has to be a priority, but it doesn’t have to be the only priority. [Students] need things like friendship, fresh air, good food. They need to sleep. Try to surround yourself with people that have a similar work ethic, or that have the same target grade as you, and try to encourage each other.”
Biology
Tips from Róisín Doyle, biology teacher at The Institute of Education
- Every year, section A tends to start with a 20-mark question on the topic of food. Knowing your ecology definitions (these will benefit you later in the paper also), and having DNA and cell division prepared, will contribute to a total of 100 marks in section A.
- For section B, have your 21 experiments prepared – focus especially on those related to the topic of food, enzymes and plants. There will be three questions in this part of the paper: answer two of them for a total of 60 marks.
- Section C is worth 240 marks – complete four out of a possible seven questions. Going by historical papers, you can expect questions on the topics of ecology, genetics, photosynthesis and respiration. I’d also recommend that you revise human and plant reproduction, plant structure and transport, and the monera and fungi kingdoms so you have a good range of content covered for the exam.
History
Tips by Jamie Dockery, Studyclix history expert and teacher at Tyndall College
- As the history exam approaches, it’s vital you practise writing out your essays at home. The best way to do this is to revise your notes and essay plans and then write the essay under time pressure (42 minutes maximum). Try to do it without any notes in front of you. This will prepare you for the exam and give you a clear sense of what topics you are comfortable with.
- The exam papers and marking schemes are your best friend. Go through them and be familiar with what types of questions come up and what the examiner is looking for.
- The history paper is always tricky to predict. Make sure you know your “case studies” and “key personalities” – but don’t rely on these alone if you are hoping for a top grade
Geography
Tips by Lesley Aslin, geography teacher at The Institute of Education
- Be strict with time management: You will have two hours and 50 minutes to complete the exam - this can prove challenging. Stick to a set time per question (E.g., 7 mins for 20m, 13 mins for a 30m) and move on when it’s up—even a part answer is better than none. Prioritise attempting all required questions over completing just a few in full.
- Answer strategically: Read each question carefully, highlight key words, and begin your answer by defining those key words. Use examples early (e.g., named features or locations), and keep your answers concise—avoid waffle. Aim for 15 SRPs (Significant Relevant Points) in 30-mark questions. If the question has parts (e.g., two rock types), split your points evenly (e.g., 7–8 SRPs per rock type).
- Prepare for common topics: While questions vary year to year some common topics do tend to reoccur in physical geography. Topics like erosion/deposition landforms, human interaction with the rock cycle/surface processes and Karst landscapes often appear. Study these areas well to improve your chances of success.
