Leaving Cert Engineering is a mixture of theory and practical work. It involves quite a bit of metalwork and metal-related theory but also includes other areas such as plastics, mechanisms, robotics and electronics. The practical side is composed of a practical exam (which usually takes place in May) and a project (which runs from October to March). The theory exam takes place in June and it contains quite a bit of choice in the exam paper topics and long questions.
Guide
How to get an O1 in Leaving Cert Engineering
By Gráinne Enright - 10 minute readGráinne is an electronic engineer and teacher who has corrected state exams, written mock papers and mentored and patented prize-winning technical projects in the Young Scientist competition. In this guide, she gives her advice on getting an O1 in Leaving Certificate Engineering.
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Introduction
Breakdown of the marks
You can get great results if you spend your time on where the marks are going. Let's have a closer look:
Theory exam
As 40% of your marks are going for the theory exam, you should spend at least 40% of your time on your theory and practicing exam questions.
Your built project
22% of your marks are going for your built project. You need to make sure you do a good job but be careful not to spend too much time on it.
The project folder
The project folder (folio) document is worth an extra 8% (almost as much as a whole long exam question) so it’s worth doing a good job here too.
Practical exam
You can get up to 30% by doing a good practical exam so it’s well worth putting effort into getting prepared for it (more on this later).
Have a look at the diagram below (the size of the boxes shows the importance of each area):
Top tip
Don’t spend all your time building your project. It's important to leave lots of time to write up your project folder and to study for your exam.
The theory exam
The theory exam is really important because it is worth 40% of your marks. Here are some top tips for revising it:
Do lots and lots of previous ordinary-level exam questions.
Understand the choices you have in the exam paper (see below).
Read through the full exam paper and time yourself for each question.
Get to know the topics and the choices in the exam
The diagram below shows you how many questions you have to answer, what topics they are usually on and what kind of choices you have:
Summary
You have to do Question 1. A (short questions) but you only have to answer 6 out of the 8 questions.
You have do Question 1. B (short questions) but you only have to answer 3 out of the 5 questions.
You have to answer 3 long questions out of the remaining 6 long questions in the paper (Questions 2-7).
Remember
Within the long questions, there is often a choice as well. For example, there may be two (d) parts (on different topics) and you can choose which (d) part to answer. Read the questions carefully and watch out for the 'or' words in the instructions.
Short questions
The short questions cover all the core topics of the course/book but the questions and the answers are not long or complicated. The best way to revise the short questions is to do lots of them and you’ll soon begin to see the kinds of questions that come up and you’ll start to get good at them.
If you know the answer, it is quick to write down. If you don’t know the answer, you can look it up on Studyclix (marking scheme), look it up in the book or ask your teacher and you’ll know it for next time.
Top tip
The short questions include a wide variety of questions on non-metalwork-related areas. The answers to these questions are not difficult though so it is well worth making sure you have revised for and practiced short questions.
Long questions
This section covers Questions 2-7 and the best way to prepare is to do lots of previous ordinary-level exam questions (exam paper booklets and Studyclix are good for this). Practice all six long questions from a number of previous exam papers to see where you are strongest and where you might need to study more.
You can choose not to study certain topics for the long questions because in previous years there has always been a choice of topics in those questions (see diagram above). However, there is a small risk if you do not study all areas for the exam.
Timing
You have 2.5 hours in total for this exam. I recommend reading through the entire paper first so that your brain knows what’s coming up and you can get an idea about which long questions you might like to do.
Allow yourself just under 30 minutes to answer each long question or section (this will leave you a few minutes at the end). If you run overtime on a section, move on to the next as you may be able to come back to it later. Here's my advice on approaching the sections:
Do the short questions first (Q.1 Sections A and B) as you can pick up marks more easily there.
Look at all the remaining long questions again (Questions 2-7) and decide and mark which three questions you are going to answer.
Top tip
Use all the time you have and do not leave early. Go back to any skipped questions and check previous answers. If you have time, do another long question as you will be marked on your best answers.
The practical exam
The practical exam is worth 30% and is made up of two parts:
Pre-practical work
This is where you manufacture some components in class so there is no exam pressure. However, it is important that you start these early and make sure they are ready well in advance of the required date. Try not to leave it until the last week as you may make mistakes and have to start over from scratch.
This work needs to be completed before a set date in April and the better you manufacture these components, the better and easier the practical exam will go for you. Make sure to:
Double-check all of your drawings and measurements.
Mark out and then check the marking out before you use any tools on it and again after using the tools.
Get your finishes smooth.
Not use machines and tools other than those you are allowed to.
Prep for the practical exam
Before
You need to start preparing well before May. Look at previous years’ practical exams and make sure you understand the drawings and instructions. Try making the objects from previous years’ practical exams in class. Finally, make sure you have all the parts, tools and equipment needed for the practical according to the list provided.
During
This takes place for six hours in May. During the exam, it is important to read the drawings and instructions very carefully. Decide what order to make the parts in, taking into account the materials and tools needed and how they need to fit together in a final assembly. Make a plan for your time, including:
The time to mark out and make each component.
The time to create the final assembly (and any sub-assemblies).
The time for final polishing and finishing.
Top tip
Measure twice and check your marking out before and after using tools.
A good exercise is to think about how the examiner is going to mark your practical exam. Remember that:
Marks will be going for each part (so make sure you make all parts).
Marks will be going for the main features on each part, e.g. holes, slots, profiles, lathe work and bench work.
Marks are going for the final assembly (and whether it functions) and for the overall quality of the finish and polish.
Example
If there were four main parts, 20% of the marks would go for each part and the final 20% would go for the final assembly and the overall finish. This can vary, however.
The project
The practical project is worth 30%. You receive a 'project brief' (short document) in October and you need to deliver two things, usually in early April.
The project brief will give you a design and a drawing to build. You can choose to do your own version of the design as long as you keep within any rules that are written down in the project brief.
The project will usually contain mechanisms and electronics/motors and switches, etc. so you need to understand these and the components you have available to build with.
Top tips for your project
Do not spend most of your time on building your project. Remember, it’s worth 22% of your grade.
Leave time for writing up your project folder, practicing exam questions and for preparing for your practical exam.
Make out a plan (schedule) for your project at the start (what you need to get done by when).
Ask your teacher regularly for advice on your project and what you should be doing next.
Use a template for your project folder and fill it in as you go along.
Your project folder
Make sure your project folder includes the following:
A plan (schedule) for your project including the stages of your project and when you need to get them done.
If you are going with a slightly different design, describe it and include diagrams and reasons.
Parts lists and working drawings.
Write up how you are going to manufacture the design (materials to be used; manufacturing processes/steps; assembly steps; finishing treatments).
How you tested the built project and what you had to fix or change.
Write up your evaluation of the whole project including what worked well and what you would do differently next time.
Remember
You get marks for your folder being neat and in a good order.
Checklist
Before you complete or build your design, check your design against the type of checklist that the examiner will be using below and then check it again while building it.
What examiners will be looking for in your built project (model):
Is it/does it do what was asked for in the project brief?
Did it observe the constraints specified in the project brief (e.g. not using bought-in parts, sizes, voltages or any other restrictions)?
Does it use a range of appropriate materials in the design?
Does the design use appropriate component parts?
Does it show that different processes were used to manufacture and assemble it?
Did it use CNC processes in the manufacturing?
Does it show a good level of skill in the manufacture and assembly?
Does it show a high quality of manufacture/assembly and a high-quality finish?
Does it show that health and safety were taken in to account?
Does it work?
Top tip summary
Top Tips
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Theory exam
Know where you get your marks in Leaving Cert Engineering and plan and prepare accordingly. Concentrate on your theory exam as 40% is going for this. Do lots of previous exam questions and ensure you understand your options in the exam paper. Time yourself for each section and each long question in the exam.
1
Practical exam
Make sure you have made all the components you need for the practical exam well before the deadline. Practice by building similar items from previous years’ practical exams.
2
Project
Start your project early, plan it out and finish well on time. Do not spend most of your time on the project.
Project folder
Don’t forget about your project folder as it will need a bit of time to do well. It’s
worth it though because there are good marks going for it. Use a template or a good example for your project folder (folio) and fill out all the sections.
A summary of the top tips
for Leaving Certificate Engineering.
Theory exam
Know where you get your marks in Leaving Cert Engineering and plan and prepare accordingly. Concentrate on your theory exam as 40% is going for this. Do lots of previous exam questions and ensure you understand your options in the exam paper. Time yourself for each section and each long question in the exam.
Practical exam
Make sure you have made all the components you need for the practical exam well before the deadline. Practice by building similar items from previous years’ practical exams.
Project
Start your project early, plan it out and finish well on time. Do not spend most of your time on the project.
Project folder
Don’t forget about your project folder as it will need a bit of time to do well. It’s
worth it though because there are good marks going for it. Use a template or a good example for your project folder (folio) and fill out all the sections.
Hope these help - you've got this!
Best of luck in your exams - you got this!
By Gráinne Enright