At higher level, you will be assessed through an oral and a written exam. Here's a quick breakdown:
Guide
Everything you need to study Leaving Cert Italian
- 1 minute read
Studying Italian for the Leaving Cert opens up a fascinating world of Italian culture and history through language. It's like embarking on an exciting journey that not only equips you with valuable language skills but also deepens your connection to one of the world's most captivating countries. Here's how Studyclix can make studying Italian easier.
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What's involved?
Oral exam (25%)
Listening comprehension (20%)
Reading comprehension (30%)
Written exam (25%)
The written exam
Here are some things you should know if you want to achieve top marks in the written aspect of the Italian exam:
Section A
This section is the journalistic passage comprehension. This means that the text is either a newspaper or a magazine article. The topic of the journalistic comprehension is therefore rather ‘current’ and unseen, as opposed to topics dealt with in literary comprehensions. This section often has a title that you must read and try to understand as it will give you a hint regarding the contents of the text.
There are 5 questions to answer: 4 in Italian and the 5th one in English/Irish. Question 5 is the only question that you must answer in English (there is one in each comprehension). This question is based solely on the text and the understanding you have of it. The question is designed to show the examiner that you understood the gist of the text.
The question will refer to a particular aspect of the text on which you have to give your opinion based on it, i.e. any statement you make must be taken from the text (no personal opinions allowed). You generally have to make two points which means two statements in English based on what you understood, followed by two quotes from the text ‘to justify your answer’. Try to organise your answer logically:
- statement in English (5 marks);
- quote in Italian to prove your point;
- statement in English (5 marks);
- quote in Italian to prove your point.
Section B
This section is the literary passage which is quite varied depending on which answer you choose to do. There are three possible options and you only choose one.
The first option is always an unseen literary passage followed by questions to test your comprehension, much like in Section A. The second option is a literary passage from a prescribed novel that you'll have studied in class. There are only two possible novels you can study and a passage from both will appear on the paper. If you choose to do Question 2, answer the question on the novel that you studied.
Section C
Section C is an essay on a prescribed text. This section, if you choose it, requires you to write a short essay of your choice from a selection of two essay titles based the novel that you studied. Choose one title and make at least three relevant points within the essay.
This section is the journalistic passage comprehension. This means that the text is either a newspaper or a magazine article. The topic of the journalistic comprehension is therefore rather ‘current’ and unseen, as opposed to topics dealt with in literary comprehensions. This section often has a title that you must read and try to understand as it will give you a hint regarding the contents of the text.
There are 5 questions to answer: 4 in Italian and the 5th one in English/Irish. Question 5 is the only question that you must answer in English (there is one in each comprehension). This question is based solely on the text and the understanding you have of it. The question is designed to show the examiner that you understood the gist of the text.
The question will refer to a particular aspect of the text on which you have to give your opinion based on it, i.e. any statement you make must be taken from the text (no personal opinions allowed). You generally have to make two points which means two statements in English based on what you understood, followed by two quotes from the text ‘to justify your answer’. Try to organise your answer logically:
- statement in English (5 marks);
- quote in Italian to prove your point;
- statement in English (5 marks);
- quote in Italian to prove your point.
How Studyclix can help you study Italian
Read our H1 guide
Learning a new language is never easy but with a few tips and tricks, it doesn't have to be so bad. In this guide, Aoife gives her advice on getting a H1 in this subject.
Sample answers
If you are struggling with writing Italian essays, we have the perfect resource for you. On Studyclix, we offer H1 Italian sample answers for past exam paper questions. Here is why reading sample answers is going to revolutionise your essay-writing ability:
You can get inspiration for what to write in your exam.
You can discover new vocabulary and phrases.
You can learn how to structure your own answers.
There are loads of benefits to reading sample answers so don't hesitate to check them out. You can find them under 'relevant questions' or on the Italian Videos & Notes tab.
Aural revision tool
Studyclix makes revising listening comprehension questions much easier. You will find an audio player above every listening question.
Have some ideas for more resources?
We are always looking for new ways to improve our site so we would love to hear your feedback. Get in touch by emailing info@studyclix.ie 😊