Leaving Cert: Teacher analyses 'well-rounded' Maths Paper One
'Overall, the 2025 Leaving Cert Higher level Maths Paper 1 was quite nice for students, however, many may agree that the tone of Section B felt different to other years,' said Studyclix subject expert Stephen Begley, Head of Maths at Dundalk Grammar School.
'It was more prompted and scaffolded than usual and did not appear as dense as it has in the past.
Advertisement
"While the short questions were rather delightful in ways, the long questions were a little light feeling in parts and were heavily scaffolded.
"Beneficial in ways, the examiner was generous throughout in pointing out what methods and techniques students should use to approach a question, for example by indicating to use a certain formula or technique.
'While it was not without challenge, this made for a rather sound HL Maths Paper which presented a decent set of questions that harnessed an essence of fairness and accessibility, and indeed challenge.
"The short questions saw the usual suspects of Algebra, Calculus, Complex Numbers and Functions, while the long questions focused on Arithmetic and Algebra, Calculus and Functions, and a considerable amount of Sequences and Series with a sneaky Induction proof to finish off the paper.
Advertisement
'Overall, it was a well-rounded paper covering many main areas at LC HL. Notably, Financial Maths and Area and Volume were absent from the paper, so don't rule these out of the game in Paper 2 on Monday. Additionally, Trigonometric Functions didn't appear so glace over them this weekend
'It is important for students to remember of the advantage the choice provided by Covid amendments gives students by only having to answer 5 of the 6 and 3 of the 4 long questions and so they could have played to their strengths in this paper."
LC Maths Paper 1 (Ordinary)
Stephen Begley said: 'A fair paper spanning the usual suspects of Financial Maths, Complex Numbers, Algebra, Calculus, Functions, Patterns and Area.
"While parts were certainly not without challenge, the short questions in Section A were quite nice and students could play to their strengths answering any 5 of the 6. Those who prepared using past papers would have benefitted from the familiarity of question styles from years gone by.
Advertisement
The long questions in Section B had students answer any 3 of the 4. The topics covered here were Functions, Differentiation, Financial Maths, Number Patterns, and Area. Topic wise it followed suit with previous exams and students were well prompted and guided in parts.
Overall, a good start to the ordinary level maths exams and all eyes will be on the Paper 2 on Monday which I advise students to take a look at their Statistics, Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry of the Line and Circle and Probability over the weekend as these are always the main players.'
LC Foundation Level
'The Foundation Level paper was well rounded for students as it spanned all topics on the course; Arithmetic, Statistics, Probability, Financial Maths, Geometry, Patterns, Coordinate Geometry and Distance, Speed and Time
"The questions were well balanced and well prompted to guide students through an exam busy with various topics.
Advertisement
"Students would have been pleased with a number of tables, graphs and charts to work with throughout, given their heavy feature within the course," he said.
Junior Cert Maths (Higher)
Stephen Begley said: 'This year's paper saw a balanced yet busy higher-level paper spanning all major topics on the course, though as usual, it wasn't without its challenges.
"There was a good mix of topics assessed; arithmetic, pattens, statistics, coordinate geometry, geometry, area and volume, trigonometry, with the later questions were heavy with functions and algebra.
"The opening three questions would have been a delight for students and certainly would've eased some nerves on basic percentages and patterns.
Advertisement
'Some nice algebra questions on long division, simultaneous equations and a quadratic equation emerged throughout the tail end of the paper, and a familiar area and algebra cross over in Question 13 closed the exam.
'Notably absent from the paper were questions relating to Pythagoras'
"Theorem, Number Systems and Indices. All eyes will be on the marking scheme to see how the updated grade descriptors will be awarded and that those mathematicians deserving of a top grade will be awarded such, given that a distinction grade has now been broadened to 85-100 perc cent, a higher merit from 70-85 per cent and a merit from 55-70 per cent.'
Junior Cert Maths (Ordinary)
Finally, Stephen Begley said: 'The Junior Cycle Ordinary Level Maths paper was a very accessible, well presented, and well represented exam. Students were put through the paces on their knowledge of the entire course with essentially all topics appearing; Arithmetic, Financial Maths, Statistics, Area and Volume, Sets, Algebra, Graphs (Distance, Speed & Time), Coordinate Geometry, and Trigonometry.
"No topic overly dominated and questions were well presented with some pleasing visuals to aid contexts. Overall, students would have found this to be a fair Junior Cycle exam. Notably, Geometry and Functions were absent from the paper.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Scientists map Antarctic seafloor canyons to help predict climate change
Scientists have mapped 332 Antarctic canyon networks to help assess the future course of climate breakdown. The research, published in the journal Marine Geology, shows in high resolution submarine valleys that can reach down more than 4,000 metres, more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon in the US. The resulting data shows that the canyons may have a bigger impact than thought on ocean circulation, ice-shelf thinning and climate change. The study was carried out by researchers from the Faculty of Earth Sciences at the University of Barcelona, Spain, and the marine geosciences research group at University College Cork, Ireland. The Antarctic canyons resemble those elsewhere 'but tend to be larger and deeper because of the prolonged action of polar ice and the immense volumes of sediment transported by glaciers to the continental shelf', said David Amblàs of the research team. He added: 'That's why we must continue to gather high-resolution bathymetric data in unmapped areas that will surely reveal new canyons, collect observational data … and keep improving our climate models to better represent these processes and increase the reliability of projections on climate change impacts.' Submarine canyons are carved valleys on the seafloor that play a crucial role in the movement of sediments, nutrients and the creations of biodiverse habitats. Antarctica's canyons become enlarged because of the turbulent water currents that carry sediments at high speed through them. Scientists have been able to map in high resolution only 27% of the Earth's seafloor, uncovering 10,000 submarine canyons worldwide. But most of these canyons remain underexplored, especially in polar regions. Using data from the International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean, researchers produced high-resolution maps of 332 Antarctic canyon networks, five times as many as previous studies had managed. The most spectacular of these are in east Antarctica and 'characterised by complex, branching canyon systems', said Amblàs. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Maps of the Antarctic submarine canyons are increasingly recognised by scientists as essential for understanding the impact of the climate crisis. The canyons channel warm water from the open sea towards the coastline, thinning the floating ice shelves and contributing to the rise in global sea levels, said Riccardo Arosio, another of the researchers. Mapping the seafloor and its influence on the movement of water is necessary to build accurate ocean circulation models that can be used to predict the impact of the climate crisis, especially in vulnerable polar regions.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
BBC and Met Office team up to tackle ‘weather disinformation'
The BBC and the Met Office are to work together to counter 'weather disinformation'. Britain's main weather forecasting service, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, was dropped by the corporation in 2017. But the relationship has now been renewed in order to provide 'weather education' to combat conspiracy theories and other false information. The concerns relate to a minority of online content that misrepresents the reality of the weather, including conspiracies about cloud formations and other phenomena. One widespread theory contends that vapour trails left by aircraft at low-temperature altitudes are in fact chemicals being sprayed into the atmosphere. The purpose of this is not agreed on by the conspiracy theorists spreading the claim, with some saying it is weather control, and others say it is for psychological manipulation of the human population. Other concerns about misinformation relate to exaggerated online claims about impending and devastating 'heatwaves' and 'snowbombs'. Safety concerns over online weather content Broadcast bosses are also worried that some online content could prevent the public taking proper measures to ensure their safety during severe weather. Tim Davie, the director-general of the BBC, said that there has 'never been more need for trusted and impartial information to help people understand today's weather'. He added that the new partnership would help everyone in the UK to make informed decisions about the weather. The announcement of the plan to work with the Met Office comes after the BBC's own weather app wrongly predicted 13,000mph winds across the UK in 2024. This error was blamed on a data issue with the US meteorological service, DTN. In 2021, the BBC made a 'Climate Content' pledge to create programming with more information on climate change that would inspire audiences to make 'greener choices'. It began a process of embedding climate-related messaging into popular programmes. Climate message in BBC programming A 2024 report into the progress of this project stated: 'The BBC has found opportunities to authentically embed sustainability themes into its content, from blockbuster natural history titles such as Asia, which launched this autumn, to gripping climate thriller On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace. 'And even in coverage of the world's biggest sporting event, the Olympics.' The report added that programme-makers would continue their 'commitment to finding audience-relevant ways to reflect sustainability' in BBC output 'across all genres'. Penny Endersby, the chief executive of the Met Office, said of the new partnership with the BBC: 'As the UK's national weather service, we are excited to be back working closely with the BBC again. 'Together we can reach even more people with essential weather information, helping them to plan their days, stay safe when it matters and keep well-informed in our changing climate.'
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Sexual assault defendants and complainants equally prone to memory gaps
Both defendants and complainants in sexual assault cases are equally prone to memory distortions, new research suggests. The results of the study from University College Dublin and University College Cork puts a focus on why complainants' memories in sexual assault cases are scrutinised in court when the accused can be equally prone to error. Advertisement Published in Nature's Scientific Reports, the 'He Said, She Said' study involved a series of experiments using an immersive first-person video playing out a date scenario. Those taking part were later assigned the role of either the complainant or the accused before being shown fabricated 'witness' accounts that included misleading details and altered key facts from the video. For example, some participants were shown testimony from a barman claiming that the accused was plying the complainant with drinks, even though this was not in the original video. The study found that individuals in the role of both complainant and accused were equally likely to absorb and recall false details, even when those details supported their assigned narrative. Advertisement There were more than 1,300 participants in three separate experiments. 'We hope that this study will encourage people to re-examine their assumptions regarding the role of memory in sexual assault cases,' said lead author Associate Professor Ciara M Greene of UCD School of Psychology. 'We have noticed that these cases often hinge on discussions of the complainant's memory. 'As memory scientists, we find this strange, since we know that everyone – male or female, complainant or accused – is human and has the same memory frailties. Advertisement 'This study provides concrete evidence that memory errors and distortions are not unique to one side of contentious legal cases.' For the study, two versions of the simulated date were filmed, one featuring a male actor and the other featuring a female actor. The two videos were identical in all other respects, with each filmed from the perspective of a person going on a date with the man or the woman. The first cohort of participants in both roles received the same misinformation details (experiment 1), wherein those in experiment 2 and 3 were provided misinformation that was tailored to their assigned roles – that is, information designed to make the sexual assault appear more likely or less likely to have occurred. Advertisement Strong misinformation effects were observed in both groups, with the complainant and accused equally likely to misremember details of the events leading up to the sexual encounter. The study included both male and female victims and perpetrators, but interestingly found that memory distortion effects were not affected by gender. While the study was based on fictional scenarios, its authors argue it highlights that memory is reconstructive and subject to bias, regardless of one's role in a dispute. Co-author and Associate Professor Gillian Murphy said: 'We have a responsibility as memory scientists to banish myths about memory. Advertisement 'In our book and in this paper, we stress that our memories mostly serve us very well and provide a good account of our experiences, but they can sometimes be prone to error, no matter what side of the courtroom you're on.' If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help.
