Leaving Cert Diary 2025: Maths Paper 1 and Geography finish the first week
In this entry to our Leaving Cert Diary we look back on Maths Paper 1 and Geography. The first week is done! Make sure to rest and relax this weekend.
Thanks to Kayleigh from Athlone, Co Westmeath and Sarah from Co Louth who are back to write about Maths Ordinary and Higher Level respectively. And to Laura from Galway who sat Geogrpahy earlier in the day.
The Leaving Cert Diary series, with thanks to our friends at the Irish Second-Level Student's Union (ISSU), is all about getting a first-hand account of how the exams went each day.
Read Kayleigh's blog...
The weather might not be the usual Leaving Cert sun but if the papers keep giving us something to be happy over I think that's a trade I'm willing to take. Another lovely paper from the SEC, I'm almost worried there's going to be a catch on Paper 2!
Leaving Cert 2025 has the same accommodations as last year with six 30-mark questions on part A, where you needed to answer five, and four 50-markers, where you needed to answer three. Maths Paper 1 was entirely predictable and certainly provided me and many other students with a lot of security. I am glad to have been able to answer every question and given myself the best chance at good marks.
There were no particularly challenging questions or overly complex wordings in the problems either. Financial maths was the bulk of the questions with series and sequences, algebraic functions, complex numbers, calculus, scientific notation, length area and volume all making their appearances too. There were a lot of tables and graphs featured on the paper that certainly gave students plenty of chances to pick up easy marks.
I am certainly relieved for week one to be over and to have another exam out of the way. I think we're all ready for a little rest from the exhausting cycle of paper after paper this weekend; but not without some cramming thrown in. If the SEC continues to be nice to us I'm sure the rest of the exams will fly just the same as this week has. Fingers crossed!
Sarah's blog kicks off with a maths pun...
Unfortunately the only pie I saw in Maths Paper 1 was two dimensional and inedible. On the better side of Section A, algebra was an enjoyable question one. It gave me the confidence to begin the paper. Integration was nice and simple and even if someone was uncomfortable with this topic they would have gotten a lot of marks from attempting using the log tables provided.
As well as that, logs and indices sneaked into a good few questions. De Moivre's Theorem and the binomial theorem were through the entire paper as a constant. Those who were not familiar with it, might have had no choice but to leave a lot of gaps blank. I luckily spent my morning trying to revise this topic. I attempted all questions for section A. I got the minimum done for section B with 3 questions answered.
Proof by induction at the end stunned me for a few minutes. I was quite confused with the wording and began with some of the steps to help me get my focus back but failed to come up with a conclusion. Many other people I had talked to, found this part challenging. I wonder will the points be reduced for it? On the positive side, sequences and series was a welcoming question In section B but I found myself skipping the rates of change. I got just about three out of the four questions done when the time ran out.
Overall it was a tough paper but there were many chances for every student toshine. Now I have to throw this out of my mind and prepare for the second round. See you Monday!
Read Laura's blog here...
The Geography Leaving Cert exam is finally over, and honestly, it's caused a lot of mixed feelings among students and teachers alike. I found the short questions quite fair, there was a good variety, and nothing too tricky. But it was the essay section where things really changed.
Physical Geography was more or less what we expected, although I was surprised not to see the formation of metamorphic rocks essay, which had been heavily predicted. Still, that section felt manageable.
The real curveball came in Regional Geography. Almost none of the predicted essays came up, and like many students, I felt completely thrown off. My confidence dropped halfway through the paper because I felt like everything I had focused on just didn't show up.
The 20-mark questions were as expected, and weirdly enough, you could skip the sketch map portion almost entirely which is unusual. In Section Four, I answered the Geoecology question. Luckily, it followed some predictions, but a lot of people were expecting a question on brown earth soils, which didn't appear either.
It honestly felt like the paper was made to ignore predictions maybe because the course is going through changes. I know predictions aren't everything, but the total lack of overlap this year really shocked a lot of us.
In the end, it wasn't the hardest paper ever, but it was unpredictable, and that made it stressful. Now it's time to move on, take a breath, and face into the next exams with a fresh mind.
Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
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RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Leaving Cert Diary 2025: Maths Paper 1 and Geography finish the first week
In this entry to our Leaving Cert Diary we look back on Maths Paper 1 and Geography. The first week is done! Make sure to rest and relax this weekend. Thanks to Kayleigh from Athlone, Co Westmeath and Sarah from Co Louth who are back to write about Maths Ordinary and Higher Level respectively. And to Laura from Galway who sat Geogrpahy earlier in the day. The Leaving Cert Diary series, with thanks to our friends at the Irish Second-Level Student's Union (ISSU), is all about getting a first-hand account of how the exams went each day. Read Kayleigh's blog... The weather might not be the usual Leaving Cert sun but if the papers keep giving us something to be happy over I think that's a trade I'm willing to take. Another lovely paper from the SEC, I'm almost worried there's going to be a catch on Paper 2! Leaving Cert 2025 has the same accommodations as last year with six 30-mark questions on part A, where you needed to answer five, and four 50-markers, where you needed to answer three. Maths Paper 1 was entirely predictable and certainly provided me and many other students with a lot of security. I am glad to have been able to answer every question and given myself the best chance at good marks. There were no particularly challenging questions or overly complex wordings in the problems either. Financial maths was the bulk of the questions with series and sequences, algebraic functions, complex numbers, calculus, scientific notation, length area and volume all making their appearances too. There were a lot of tables and graphs featured on the paper that certainly gave students plenty of chances to pick up easy marks. I am certainly relieved for week one to be over and to have another exam out of the way. I think we're all ready for a little rest from the exhausting cycle of paper after paper this weekend; but not without some cramming thrown in. If the SEC continues to be nice to us I'm sure the rest of the exams will fly just the same as this week has. Fingers crossed! Sarah's blog kicks off with a maths pun... Unfortunately the only pie I saw in Maths Paper 1 was two dimensional and inedible. On the better side of Section A, algebra was an enjoyable question one. It gave me the confidence to begin the paper. Integration was nice and simple and even if someone was uncomfortable with this topic they would have gotten a lot of marks from attempting using the log tables provided. As well as that, logs and indices sneaked into a good few questions. De Moivre's Theorem and the binomial theorem were through the entire paper as a constant. Those who were not familiar with it, might have had no choice but to leave a lot of gaps blank. I luckily spent my morning trying to revise this topic. I attempted all questions for section A. I got the minimum done for section B with 3 questions answered. Proof by induction at the end stunned me for a few minutes. I was quite confused with the wording and began with some of the steps to help me get my focus back but failed to come up with a conclusion. Many other people I had talked to, found this part challenging. I wonder will the points be reduced for it? On the positive side, sequences and series was a welcoming question In section B but I found myself skipping the rates of change. I got just about three out of the four questions done when the time ran out. Overall it was a tough paper but there were many chances for every student toshine. Now I have to throw this out of my mind and prepare for the second round. See you Monday! Read Laura's blog here... The Geography Leaving Cert exam is finally over, and honestly, it's caused a lot of mixed feelings among students and teachers alike. I found the short questions quite fair, there was a good variety, and nothing too tricky. But it was the essay section where things really changed. Physical Geography was more or less what we expected, although I was surprised not to see the formation of metamorphic rocks essay, which had been heavily predicted. Still, that section felt manageable. The real curveball came in Regional Geography. Almost none of the predicted essays came up, and like many students, I felt completely thrown off. My confidence dropped halfway through the paper because I felt like everything I had focused on just didn't show up. The 20-mark questions were as expected, and weirdly enough, you could skip the sketch map portion almost entirely which is unusual. In Section Four, I answered the Geoecology question. Luckily, it followed some predictions, but a lot of people were expecting a question on brown earth soils, which didn't appear either. It honestly felt like the paper was made to ignore predictions maybe because the course is going through changes. I know predictions aren't everything, but the total lack of overlap this year really shocked a lot of us. In the end, it wasn't the hardest paper ever, but it was unpredictable, and that made it stressful. Now it's time to move on, take a breath, and face into the next exams with a fresh mind. Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- RTÉ News
Kildare man who was 'lost' in LC finds his way in tech
As thousands of students prepare to sit their Leaving Cert exams, we are hearing from young people who took alternative paths to the CAO points race. In 2020, Kildare native Jack Yeates was not sure what he wanted to do when his time in secondary school wrapped up. Diagnosed with dyslexia as a young child, he knew that taking an academic route after school was not something that he wanted to do. "My idea was always that I wasn't going to be this big academic scholar by any means, but I still wanted to do as best as I could," he said. When he was discussing his options with career guidance counsellors, Jack said that he was more drawn to apprenticeships and community colleges. "I always enjoyed more physical subjects in school, like construction, and it was from that that I was recommended maybe being an electrician or a network site engineer. That's where my focus was." In the year after he graduated from school, Jack worked full time in retail and in September of 2021, he did a Post Leaving Cert course in Advanced Computer Science at St Conleth's Community College in Newbridge. PLC courses usually last one to two years and after Jack completed his year-long course, he began making applications for a two-year apprenticeship in software development. After receiving offers from three companies, Jack began his apprenticeship at Salesforce, a cloud-software company which has its European headquarters based in Dublin. "The PLC was a bit of a shot in the dark," Jack said. "It was something that I got real enjoyment out of and it gave me a broad scope of the industry and I thought 'You know what? Maybe I could make something of myself in this industry'." In August of last year, Jack completed his apprenticeship and won the ICT Apprenticeship of the Year Award the following October. After his apprenticeship ended, Jack was on the lookout for jobs and came across a role in Salesforce, which he felt suited him. He secured the position and began working as a Customer Centric Engineer for the company last February. "I found that the job scope and what they were looking for really suited what I had done in the past, and I believe my apprenticeship stood to me massively," he said. Now, Jack is keen for people to know that exams are not the only option and that there are other paths that can be taken after secondary school. "There were days when a lot of my classmates would be going off to college open days and writing down their dream colleges and dream courses," he said. "It did get a little disheartening at a stage, you do generally feel a little bit lost in that kind of way when you've made up your mind that 'college isn't for me'." "One exam isn't the 'be all, end all' for you," he said. "There's so many doors that can open if you just go looking for them. "Sometimes they won't show to you, you just have to really go and look for them yourself."
Irish Independent
01-06-2025
- Irish Independent
‘I'm getting paid to actually study' – meet the TikTokers who earn cash for Leaving Cert videos
How to get to 635 points, the finer points of the tuiseal ginideach and concerns around grade inflation are among issues covered in the online ecosystem of the TikTok influencer. Ella Martin (19), from Co Meath, has a place in a dance college in Dublin secured already, so points are not too relevant for her. Her 'Spend The Day Studying with Me' TikTok content features video of her at her desk interspersed with other activities and hanging out with friends. Ella is a brand ambassador for Simple Study, an online subscription platforms that provides access to revision notes, past papers and quizzes. 'I got a message from them about four weeks ago asking would I be interested in doing one video for them and I said absolutely. I was earning commission off however many people used [my discount] code,' Ella said. 'Now the videos I'm making up to the Leaving Cert are all paid for as well. It's €20 a video, which is really good for just videoing what I'm going to be doing during the day anyway. I'm getting paid to actually study. 'It was really motivating. It meant I had to get up and make my bed tidy, make my bedroom presentable, and then actually sit down and study.' Eighteen-year-old Ryan Dolan, from Co Westmeath, needs to get at least 500 points to study law in Galway. He started his TikTok account this year after an injury left him unable to play Gaelic football. 'It was quite nerve-racking, I won't lie. I didn't know what the perception was going to be at the start,' he said. 'It felt like there was a lot of slagging going on at first. But people started to realise, 'oh, Ryan's able to put up a TikTok in the evening and he makes as much money as I'm making [at a part-time job] over the weekend'.' At one point he was getting so many negative messages, he had friends logging into his account to filter what was coming in. But he said things have calmed down since. Ryan works with a company called Grinds 360, whose investors include former rugby star Brian O'Driscoll. He describes himself as a Leaving Cert creator, and makes videos that are typically 'day-in-the-life' content. 'I don't get paid to make the videos, but for anybody who uses my code, I get €50 for a referral,' he said. Ryan recounted an incident in which a 'random account' posted a video accusing him and other exam TikTokers of scaremongering. 'That wasn't very nice,' he said. 'There is a lot of scaremongering out there, but I try to motivate people away from the fear of the Leaving Cert.' Catríona Lawless-Molyneux (19) sat her Leaving Cert last year. From outside Mullingar, she now lives in Belfast, and has just finished her first year studying English and Irish at Queen's University. She's an ambassador for study website Studyclix. 'Last year they gave us free full access to the website, and Studyclix merchandise,' Catríona said. 'This year I have been involved in a number of paid promotions for them, receiving up to €250.' She posted recently about fearmongering. 'Looking back at myself last year, I was definitely part of a group of people that I'm sure people were sick of seeing on their social media just talking about the Leaving Cert. But I feel like this year it has taken on a whole new form. I've seen videos of people saying they're waking up at 5:30 in the morning to do a 12-hour study day,' she said. Aisling Walsh, from Co Mayo, is currently in Australia on exchange as part of her studies in law and politics in UCD. The 21-year-old sat her Leaving Cert in 2022, the year that several people pinpointed as the year this kind of content really took off. She became known at the time as The Leaving Cert Girl. 'I started to do day-in-the-life videos. I was doing these study days that were between five and eight hours, which obviously was a lot of study. It blew up because of people's reaction to the amount of study that I was doing,' Aisling said. She now works for Studyclix's social media team, having posted sponsored content for the company when she was studying for her Leaving Cert. Jake Glendon, a 19-year-old from Kilkenny, sat his Leaving Cert last year and still posts online advice for students. He also runs grinds on Zoom for a €15 hourly rate. He previously worked with Studyclix, and now works with Simple Study. 'If the video does really well, and you do 20,000 views, you could get anywhere from €70 to €100. They give bonuses depending on how the content does,' Jake said. Caoimhe Graham's 'Day in the Life' TikTok videos have a slightly different context. The 18-year-old, who lives in Galway, has a kidney condition – IgA nephropathy – that has flared up in the past few weeks. It means she is studying and posting videos from her hospital bed. Last November, her mother Susan died. 'Considering everything, I definitely think I am doing really well,' she said. Caoimhe went back to school two weeks after her mum died, and sat every paper on her mocks. 'They were fine,' she said. She is hoping to get Advanced Therapeutic Technology in RCSI. She describes her TikTok as 'a studying account. I've really enjoyed it, and being able to help people. I've had messages from people all over the country. People come up to me and thank me for posting videos'.
