By Eimear Dinneen - 2 minute readEvery year for Construction Studies, 6th year students must undertake both a project and a practical skills test. If prepared and done correctly, this can get you huge marks, as together, they're worth 60% of your final mark. Val O' Connell, a Construction Studies teacher, has put together some information and tips to help you get the most marks possible.
Your project must include a physical artefact that you have manufactured yourself and a written portfolio, documenting your design thoughts, research, and thoughts on manufacture. In addition to this your portfolio must include three building experiments.
There are three types of projects you can choose from:
A building detail incorporating a minimum of three craft practices.
A building Science Project relating to craft practices.
A written/drawn project relating to craft heritage/architectural heritage or the built environment.
Your project will be graded by your teacher. An examiner from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will visit your school in June and select a random sample of projects to ensure your teacher’s marks are accurate.
I would advise you to stick to specific guidelines and details given to you by your teacher and adhere to all advice and feedback given. As they will be marking it and they know what they are doing.
Your project will be graded by your teacher. An examiner from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will visit your school in June and select a random sample of projects to ensure your teacher’s marks are accurate.
The practical skills test as it is known officially, but also known as the ‘day test’, ‘skills test’ or simply ‘the practical’ is an exam for your Leaving Cert Construction Studies.
It is a 4-hour test that is held in the month of May. The exam assesses a student’s skills and knowledge in working with wood in terms of reading and interpreting drawings, marking out material, processing material and assembly of components to make the artefact drawn on your working drawing sheet given to you by your superintendent.
Your artefact is graded by an examiner of the State Examinations Committee (SEC). Your work is sealed in a plastic bag and sent to the SEC headquarters.
The practical skills test is worth 150 marks.
The practical skills test will be held in your school in May. This will be shortly after the deadline for submission of project work has passed.
The exam will be held in the woodwork rooms in your school. As each room can only hold 24 students max, most schools divides their students into groups and give each group a different day or time.
Thus you will have to find out from the school, your group, date and time that you will be doing the exam.
The different marking out tools and how/when to use them.
The different hand tools for processing material i.e. when to use a coping saw or tenon saw.
The different joints available to use in woodwork and how to manufacture them.
How to read working drawings (elevations, end elevations, plans and pictorial views) and mark the information onto your work pieces. Also how to assemble pieces.
Manage your time efficiently.
Label every component in every view and put your exam number on each one.
Be organised, tidy and consistent.
For more tips, read construction studies and Wood Technology teacher Val's guide by clicking the attachment below.
Wishing you all the best with your project and exams!
