Leaving Cert Irish - Paper 1 & 2 Marking Scheme

Paper 1 is marked out of 100. Five marks are for 'style', emphasizing correctly identifying the format (debate, story, etc.). Misidentifying the format results in losing all five marks. Fifteen marks are for 'ideas', so students should provide a variety of opinions relevant to the topic. The remaining 80 marks are for 'grammar' (rúl, téarmaí, briathra, tensí), making it crucial to reread the answer multiple times to correct grammatical errors.

Paper 2 has a reverse marking order with fewer marks for grammar. For 'Leamhthuiscint' (comprehension), students can take answers directly from the text, unlike junior cycle students who must paraphrase. However, question 6B requires answers in the student's own words, but mistakes here are not heavily penalized as long as understanding is demonstrated.

Prose is marked out of 30. Twenty-five marks are for 'information' (content/vocabulary from the story), and only five marks are for 'Irish' (grammar like síneadh fada, úr, briathra, rialacha). Answers should typically be six to seven points long, spanning about 1.5 pages.

Poetry is also marked out of 30, with a similar breakdown: five marks for basic 'Irish' grammar and 25 marks for 'content'. Students must directly answer the question, providing the requested number of examples (e.g., two metaphors, four to five feelings if asked for 15 marks worth).

For the last question (novel, play, or prescribed poetry), answers typically span 2 to 2.5 pages and are marked out of 35. Five marks are again allocated for grammar (síneadh fada, úr, etc.). A beneficial option is Question 4F (Filíocht Fógrach), as the poem is provided, making it easier for students to answer by having all the information readily available.