The Construction Studies Leaving Cert exam is assessed at Higher and Ordinary Levels using three components. Students will be assessed on their practical work and have both a practical and written examination. Here, we will cover the expectations and requirements of the written exam
If you are a Leaving Certificate student sitting your exams this coming year or a parent, carer or tutor supporting a student, you will want to understand the structure of the Construction Studies Leaving Certificate written examination. This article will cover what to expect from the exam, how to revise for it and where to find reliable revision materials, past papers and mark schemes. You will also learn about the topics that commonly arise to help guide your revision in the right direction.
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Leaving Certificate Construction Studies exam
The Construction Studies written paper is assessed at two levels Higher and Ordinary. Make sure you know exactly which exam you are due to be taking.
Higher Level
The Leaving Certificate examination will make up 50% of your overall grade. Candidates will be required to answer Question 1 and four out of nine of the remaining questions. Each question will be worth 60 marks.
Ordinary Level
The exam will make up only 40% of your overall grade. Candidates will be required to answer Question 1 and three out of eight of the remaining questions. Each question will be worth 40 marks.
Studying for Construction Studies
You will be assessed on your ability to communicate your understanding of the built environment through construction and materials technology. You will also need to learn how to apply accurate observation and scientific investigation by exploring these materials and processes. To demonstrate your understanding of practical work in the written examination, you will need to apply your knowledge by using various study techniques.
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Practice calculations – such as U-value calculations and dimensions, and practice applying your findings.
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Revise your practical work – it will help conceptualise construction for the theoretical exam.
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Get to grips with the current building regulations.
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Practice sketching – you will more than likely be required to provide a sketch in your exam.
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Practice exam questions – Topics and question types can come up year after year, and practising questions will help you know what to expect.
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Use mark schemes and sample answers – these will help you understand what the examiner is looking for, and they will also help you improve the structure of your answers.
Leaving Certificate Construction Studies revision material
As mentioned, you will be required to demonstrate that you can apply your practical and theoretical knowledge in familiar and unfamiliar contexts. You will need various revision resources to gain a depth of knowledge and learn how to use this knowledge. The table below explores the study guides and textbooks that Schoolbooks.ie has to offer for Construction Studies students.
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Leaving Certificate Construction Studies past papers
Exam practice is one of the essential preparation methods for your Leaving Certificate exam; it helps you apply the theoretical knowledge you have learned from the classroom and your integrated practical projects into unfamiliar contexts. Exam practice will help you understand what to expect from the exam and what the examiner expects from you.
Find practice questions in the Get Constructive textbook and revision exercises in the Construction Technology and the Essential Construction Studies Revision Journal.. It can be beneficial to practice an entire paper under exam conditions, so you know how long it will take to answer each question. Remember to check with your teacher about your specific exam as it may differ from previous years.
Leaving Certificate Construction Studies predictions
Exam predictions can help guide Leaving Certificate students in the right direction with their revision. However, predictions are not definitive and should only be used once students thoroughly study the whole syllabus and want to hone their final revision.
You may be required to answer Question 1 on the exam, and this question often covers:
- Walls
- Roofs
- Timber-framed housing
Pay particular attention to revising the following topics:
- Sustainability
- Passive housing
- Low environmental impact
You will likely get a question on calculating U-values, so be prepared by practising lots of these questions.
It is impossible to make predictions based on a single examination paper; however, in both the Higher Level and Ordinary Level exam papers for 2022, compulsory question 1 has related to walls or roofs, which has been the historical pattern. Our advice is to refer to these exam papers for guidance on the exam structure and topic coverage.