LEAVING CERT CHEMISTRY:STUDENTS FACED a challenging higher-level chemistry paper yesterday afternoon. They would have needed to be very astute to get good marks, said Camille King, TUI subject representative.
Arnold Edge, chemistry teacher in the Institute of Education, said candidates seeking the top grade would require a thorough understanding of the entire syllabus, and the ability to apply that knowledge under challenging conditions.
The first section, the experimental section, was described as predictable enough by teachers.
In chemistry, students must answer eight questions. At least two of those must come from Section A. “It would not surprise me if many students selected all three practical questions, thus expanding their choice in Section B,” Mr Edge said. Question three tested students’ ability to analyse significant amounts of data.
While Monday’s physics paper drew praise from teachers in the way it related physics theory to real life, yesterday’s chemistry exam did not, much to the disappointment of teachers.
“You would normally expect to see more questions which bring chemistry into a real-life context,” Ms King said. “There was a question which mentioned smoke detectors, and another on auto ignition, but from previous years I would have expected more.”
“It was good to see the continued return of electrochemistry,” Mr Edge said. “It’s a considerable topic which has been largely ignored over the years. Students with mathematical flair were glad to see the topic of equilibria afforded a full calculation question rather than the descriptive half question.”
Mr Edge also liked the fact that organic chemistry covered nearly four questions. The synthesis question represented a good test of the students’ overall grasp of key organic topics, he said.
Overall, it was a long paper, Ms King said. There were no major surprises on the paper however and the questions were in line with what would usually be expected.
Almost 8,000 students sat the exam yesterday. Although chemistry lags behind the 30,000 students who sit biology, it is notable that the vast majority of those taking chemistry sit the higher-level exam. Just 652 students sat the ordinary level paper.
The lower paper featured questions that were appropriate to the level, according to Mr Edge.