Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes Total Marks: 160

This paper tests your ability to understand spoken Irish and to write accurately in the language.

Section I: An Chluastuiscint (Listening Comprehension)

• Marks: 60

• Format: This section is governed by a CD/audio recording. The CD/audio recording lasts approximately 20-25 minutes. You have no control over the timing here. 

• Structure:

  • Cuid A: Fógraí (Notices/Announcements) – usually concise, factual information.

  • Cuid B: Comhráite (Conversations) – dialogues between two people (often an interview or casual chat).

  • Cuid C: Píosaí Nuachta (News Pieces) – slightly longer reports.

• Examiner Note: The "Last Broadcast" usually plays the entire recording through once more. Use this to fill in blanks, not to start new questions.

Section II: An Cheapadóireacht (Written Composition)

• Marks: 100

• Requirement: You must write TWO pieces of composition.

• Marks per piece: 50 marks (Total 100).

• The "Locked" Options: Based on the 2020–2025 papers, Question 1 consistently offers the following four choices. You choose two:

  1. Blag (Blog): Usually requires a date and a title.

  2. Scéal (Story): You are given a choice of opening sentences to start your story.

  3. Litir / Ríomhphost (Letter / Email): Requires correct layout (address, date, Do chara).

  4. Comhrá (Conversation): A script of a dialogue between two people.

• Examiner Insight: The Marking Schemes (2020-2024) highlight that a significant portion of marks (up to 20%) can be lost for poor mechanical accuracy (verbs, spelling). Layout counts—if you choose the Blog or Letter, the format must be visible.

Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes Total Marks: 200

This paper tests your ability to read understood text and your knowledge of studied literature. It is symmetrical in its marking.

Question 1: An Prós (Prose)

• Marks: 50

• Structure: You generally have a choice between 2A (Prescribed Prose) or 2B (Unprescribed Prose). Most students do 2A.

• 2A (Prescribed): The paper provides three options based on stories/films you have studied. 

  • Common Options identified in files: Oisín i dTír na nÓg, Dís, Hurlamaboc, Cáca Milis.

• Question Format: Usually 2-3 sub-questions asking for a summary of events or a description of a character/theme.

Question 2: An Fhilíocht (Poetry)

• Marks: 50

• Structure: Choice between 3A (Prescribed Poetry) or 3B (Unprescribed Poetry). Most students do 3A.

• 3A (Prescribed): The paper provides three options based on poems you have studied. You must answer two out of three questions. 

  • Common Options identified in files: Colscaradh, Géibheann, An Spailpín Fánach, Mo Ghrá-sa (idir lúibíní).

• Question Format: Common Questions students should be familiar with:

• - Theme (Téama)

• - An Mothúchán is láidre (The Strongest Emotion)

• - Íomhá / Pictiúr (Image / Picture)

• - Barúil (Opinion) - Did you like / dislike the poem

An analysis of the last 6 exam papers, including the deferred sittings, identifies consistent patterns in topic distribution.

Unlike many other Leaving Cert subjects where question types might rotate (e.g., swapping a report for a speech), Irish Ordinary Level Paper 1 is completely static.

• Observation: From 2020 to 2025 (including deferred papers), Q1A is always a Blog, Q1B is always a Story, Q1C is always a Letter, and Q1D is always a Conversation.

• Strategic Insight: Students do not need to "predict" the format. Preparation can be highly formulaic. They can memorise the structural markers for a Blog, Story, Letter, and Conversation script with 100% confidence they will be tested.

Unlike many other Leaving Cert subjects where question types might rotate (e.g., swapping a report for a speech), Irish Ordinary Level Paper 1 is completely static.  A - Blag (Blog) / Giota Leanúnach (Continuous Piece)

 A - Blag (Blog) / Giota Leanúnach (Continuous Piece)

- Three options to choose from.

B - Scéal (Story)

- Two options to choose from.

C Litir / Ríomhphost (Letter / Email)

- Two options to choose from.

D Comhrá (Conversation)

- Two options to choose from

The data highlights that for both Prescribed Prose (Q2A) and Poetry (Q3A), the exam consistently offers three options (A, B, or C), except for the anomaly of 2020.

• Observation: The curriculum contains a limited number of prescribed works. For example, in poetry, the same poems (Colscaradh, An tEarrach Thiar, Géibheann, An Spailpín Fánach, Mo Ghrá-sa) rotate constantly.

• Strategic Insight: Students do not need to study the entire curriculum. By studying 4 poems thoroughly, a student is mathematically guaranteed that at least one (and likely two) of their studied poems will appear on the paper, given that 3 distinct options are presented annually.

Use this table to identify which topics appeared in specific questions across recent years. This includes data from standard and deferred sittings.

Time management is the single biggest differentiator between a H3 and a H1. You cannot afford to run out of time on the heavy-hitting questions.

• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (110 mins)

• Total Marks: 160

• Golden Rule: The Aural section runs on a fixed tape. Once that concludes, you must be disciplined with your composition time.

Tutor Note: Do not borrow time from one composition to fix the other. Stick to 40 minutes per task.

• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes (140 mins)

• Total Marks: 200

• Golden Rule: Spend approx. 0.7 minutes per mark. Don't spend 40 minutes on a 10-mark poetry question.

Download official SEC exam papers and our annotated solutions. We have included Deferred Papers and Aurals from 2022 through to 2025. These are official papers that provide excellent, unseen practice material.

2025

• [Download 2025 Paper 1]

• [Download 2025 Paper 2]

• [Download 2025 Deferred Paper 1]

• [Download 2025 Deferred Paper 2]
  

2024

• [Download 2024 Paper 1]

• [Download 2024 Paper 2]

• [Download 2024 Deferred Paper 1]

• [Download 2024 Deferred Paper 2]

2023

• [Download 2023 Paper 1]

• [Download 2023 Paper 2]

• [Download 2023 Deferred Paper 1]

• [Download 2023 Deferred Paper 2]

2022

• [Download 2022 Paper 1]

• [Download 2022 Paper 2]

• [Download 2022 Deferred Paper 1]

• [Download 2022 Deferred Paper 2]

Follow this structured approach to cover the syllabus efficiently.

Goal: Secure the easiest marks on Paper 1 and start the most frequent Prose text.

• Paper 1 (Composition):

  • The Blog (An Blag): Master the layout (Date, Title). Learn 5 generic opening sentences that fit any topic (e.g., "music," "sport," "summer").

  • The Letter (An Litir): Learn the address layout and the sign-off (Do chara,).

• Paper 2 (Literature):

  • Prose: Oisín i dTír na nÓg. This is the heavy hitter. Learn the plot summary and 5 key keywords for Oisín and Niamh.

• Grammar Focus:

The Past Tense (Aimsir Chaite): 80% of the Story and Blog tasks require the Past Tense. Master the irregular verbs (Chuaigh, Rinne, D'ith, etc.).

Goal: Tackle the Poetry "Rule of Three" and the Story format.

• Paper 1 (Composition):

  • The Story (Scéal): Practice writing stories starting with the standard exam prompts (e.g., "I woke up and..."). Focus on keeping the story simple but grammatically correct.

• Paper 2 (Literature):

  • Poetry: Study Colscaradh and Géibheann. These are short, accessible, and frequent. Learn the "Strongest Emotion" (Mothúchán) and "Image" (Íomhá) for both.

• Grammar Focus:

  • Question Words: Memorize the "W-Words" (Cé, Cén, Cathain, Cén fáth). This is critical for the Listening Comprehension.

Milestone: Christmas Exams. Treat these as a trial run for Paper 1 timing.

Goal: The second Prose option and Listening skills.

• Paper 1 (Listening & Oral Prep):

  • The Conversation (Comhrá): Writing a script for Paper 1 helps you study for your Oral exam simultaneously.

  • Aural: Start doing one full Listening paper per week. Get used to the dialect speeds.

• Paper 2 (Literature):

  • Prose: Dís. This is your backup if Tír na nÓg doesn't suit the question. It is a dialogue-heavy story, easy to summarize.

  • Poetry: An Spailpín Fánach (or your teacher's 3rd choice). This completes your "Rule of Three" safety net.

• Grammar Focus:

  • The Present Tense: Essential for the Comprehension answers.

Goal: Reading Comprehension technique and Oral Exam completion.

• Oral Exam Period: Focus intensely on spoken Irish. This naturally improves your vocabulary for the Written Paper.

• Paper 2 (Reading Comprehension):

  • Stop "Lifting." Practice the skill of Verb Manipulation.

  • Drill: Take a sentence saying "I went to the shop" (Chuaigh mé go dtí an siopa) and rewrite it as "He went to the shop" (Chuaigh sé go dtí an siopa).

• Unprescribed Sections:

  • Do not ignore Question 2B and 3B (Unseen Prose/Poetry). These are worth 30 marks combined. Practice guessing words based on context.

Goal: Exam Papers and Timing.

• Paper 1 Drill:

  • Write one timed Blog and one timed Story every week. 35 minutes strict.

• Paper 2 Drill:

  • Review your "Cheat Sheet" summaries for Tír na nÓg, Dís, Colscaradh, and Géibheann.

  • Ensure you have 3 "Stock Phrases" for every poem (e.g., "Use this phrase to describe sadness").

• Grammar Check:

Review the Copula (An Chopa)—knowing the difference between Is and Tá (e.g., Is fear mé vs Tá mé ag rith).

These are frequent errors identified by our teachers that result in lost marks.

"Lifting" in Comprehension (Léamhthuiscint): Many students copy long sentences directly from the text as their answer. This is a high-risk strategy. If the question asks "Why did he run?" and the text says "I ran because I was late," copying the text directly ("I ran...") is incorrect. You must manipulate the verb from first person (Rith mé) to third person (Rith sé).

The "W-Word" Confusion: In the Aural and Comprehension sections, marks are lost purely because students confuse the Question Words. Confusing Cé (Who) with Céard (What) or Cathain (When) leads to providing a completely irrelevant answer, no matter how good your Irish is.

Tense Misalignment: Pay close attention to the verb in the question. If a question is asked in the Past Tense (Ar thaitin...?), you must answer in the Past Tense (Thaitin/Níor thaitin). Answering a past-tense question with a future or present-tense response is a major grammatical error that caps your potential marks.

Formatting Blindness (Paper 1): In the Composition section, 20% of the marks can be for accuracy and layout. Students frequently lose easy marks by forgetting the conventions of the format.

• The Blog: Must include a date and a title.

• The Letter: Must include your address (top right), the date, and the correct sign-off (Do chara,)

Review the exact history of every question from the last six years of standard sittings. Use this matrix to identify "Anchors" — questions that remain consistent year after year.