Fair but testing papers covering a wide range of topics pleased teachers and students at ordinary and higher level.

ASTI subject representative Mr Paddy Keays said the amount of choice within questions on the higher-level paper was welcome. Both levels of papers were student-friendly, with plenty of graphics, said Mr Keays, who teaches in Crescent College Comprehensive, Limerick. Some topics were common to both papers, but the difficulty of the questions was appropriate.

Dr Lawrence Smyth, of Falcarragh Community School, Co Donegal, said the higher-level paper was pitched at the correct depth. Question 2 was somewhat long, but students had a good choice. The continued appearance of electro-slag welding and submerged-arc welding on exam papers was surprising considering their rarity, he said.