JUNIOR CERT GEOGRAPHY:"THE EASIEST paper in 10 years," is how one teacher described yesterday's Junior Certificate geography higher level exam – and many students agreed.

Other teachers were more restrained. “Well, no student came out complaining. The questions were broadly similar to previous years,” said Jimmy Staunton of Sligo Grammar School.

The “straightforward and well-presented” exam will add to the popularity of a subject which sees half of all students staying with geography until the Leaving Cert.

Most of the Junior Cert cohort takes the course, with about 80 per cent sitting the higher paper.

“You couldn’t go wrong with this one,” said Mr Staunton. “The higher paper was very nicely presented and easy to follow.

The paper included questions on renewable energy sources and regional inequalities.

In a topical question, students were shown a picture a picture of an active volcano and asked to describe its properties.

Students were also asked a question about population movement and the motivation behind it, from religious persecution to the promise of freedom. They also read a weather chart and examined population density in Hong Kong.

About 10,000 students sat yesterday’s ordinary level paper which presented few difficulties, according to teachers.