Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the difficulty of the leaving certificate ordinary level mathematics Paper 1; if she has had any engagement with the State Examinations Commission with regard to the level of distress the paper caused for students taking the examination; if the commission will adjust the marking scheme to reflect the difficulty with the paper; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24349/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I am aware that concerns have been raised by students about the content of the ordinary level Leaving Certificate Mathematics paper 1. I have asked the State Examinations Commission to bring these concerns to the attention of the Chief Examiner for the examination. Commentary and correspondence on the examination from teachers, professional bodies and other interested parties is considered by the Chief Examiner in developing the draft marking scheme.

The State Examinations Commission has assured me that, as is normal practice, prior to finalising the marking scheme, it will initially apply the draft marking scheme to a random sample of scripts so as to test the effectiveness of the examination paper and the scheme in setting and maintaining standards year on year. The outcomes of the random sampling will be analysed and if the outcomes indicate that the paper and/or the marking scheme is too hard or too easy the marking scheme will be adjusted to take account of this. This will ensure consistency in the marking of the examination and fairness to all candidates.

I can assure the Deputy that there is no intention to set an examination paper that is not suitable to the mathematics curriculum which ordinary level students have studied. The paper is devised specifically for the needs of ordinary level students and reflects the content in the ordinary level syllabus.