Building blocks of knowledge
Working towards having a strong foundation in Maths is fundamental. Maths teacher at Yeats College Tomás Keane guides the way to achieving your best in this subject
STRUCTURE OF THE EXAM
The Ordinary Level Maths course is split into five strands:
Strand 1 – Probability and Statistics
Strand 2 – Geometry and Trigonometry
Strand 3 – Number
Strand 4 – Algebra
Strand 5 – Functions and Calculus
Each strand examines a different area of Maths. Strands 1 and 2 are found in Paper 2 and strands 3, 4 and 5 are found in Paper 1. However, concepts from either paper can appear on both papers.
Each paper is 2 hours and 30 minutes long. There are 300 marks in total available for each paper. There is no choice on either paper.
Both papers are split into two sections:
Section A – Concepts and Skills
There are six questions in this section and each question is worth 25 marks. This section examines students’ knowledge of various concepts and methods.
Section B – Context and Applications
There are three long questions in this section and the marks offered for each question can be different. This section challenges students by applying their mathematical skills to real-world situations.
HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED
Being self-motivated is the key to success in the Leaving Cert, especially for a practical subject like Maths. It is a subject that rewards students’ critical reasoning and logical thought process. The method is far more important than the answer and the marking scheme reflects this. Practice makes
perfect! Practice will help students remember the method of a question.
Set small achievable goals throughout the year. Having a
study plan will help lighten the load of the subject. Try not to feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the course. Instead, focus on the little victories you achieve in class and use this to fuel your learning. Once you get a taste of achieving your aims on a regular basis, it will motivate you to strive for even more.
Building blocks of knowledge
I often describe Maths as a Lego house of ideas. It is important to have a strong foundation in Maths because the Leaving Cert