Putting finishing touches to your Engineering work

LEAVING Cert Engineering consists of a practical element – a project and a six-hour practical test – and a three-hour theory written exam.

Regarding the project, the deadline has passed, and all elements ought to be completed.

If you get time before the exams begin, get permission from your teacher to polish all unpainted metal parts to a high finish. Use 220 grit then 600 grit Emery paper, along with oil, ensuring all polishing is done in same direction, not in circles.

Finish off with Peek polish and plenty elbow grease to get a high sheen.

With the brief, make sure you colour all possible (minimum of three) and chosen solutions. Do not neglect working drawings!

For the practical test, polish using the same method as above for all your prepared pieces before the day of the exam and, again, finish with Peek polish.

On the exam day, mark out, carefully and accurately, all pieces. A Vernier callipers is useful for this.

Check twice the position and size of holes before drilling. Pay special attention to tapped holes, and do not drill the same size as tap size.

For the theory test, question one A and B are compulsory. Go back over Mock papers to find sample questions for the special topic.

Answer an extra question, choose your strongest five topics, and revise using past exam papers.

You can then compare your answers to those on the Marking Scheme set by the SEC, and note/improve the areas which you may have neglected.

Draw, draw and draw as many coloured labelled diagrams as you can – even when not asked for in the question.

If you can draw a good, labelled colour diagram, you can surely write four or five bullet points on what’s happening in your diagram.

Finally, the theory paper is three hours long. Use every single minute.

Time yourself to 25 minutes per question, allowing for the extra question.

When finished, go back over your answers and see if you can improve them – perhaps by using extra colour, extra bullet points, or so on.

Best of luck and ‘work smart’ – manage your time, resources and mind together in order to achieve a better output.

James Dore, Engineering