Written by our honours Mathematics teacher, Aisling Kenny
This year’s Leaving Certificate Higher Level Maths Paper 1 was fair and accessible, particularly in Section A, which provided a gentle and reassuring start for students.
The paper opened with an algebra question that helped ease students into the exam. Section A maintained a strong focus on algebra and calculus throughout, offering a balanced and familiar range of topics.
Question 4 featured complex numbers and included the long-anticipated proof of a trigonometric identity using De Moivre’s Theorem—an inclusion that many students were pleased to see.
Question 6, which included the binomial theorem, was also well received and considered manageable by most.
Section B included a few surprises, notably the appearance of two questions on sequences.
Question 7, while somewhat wordy, was straightforward once students got into it.
Question 10 presented a more unusual patterns problem, which those who attempted it found both novel and fair.
Question 8 incorporated arithmetic concepts along with a speed, distance, and time problem—an area that has been appearing with increasing frequency in recent exams.
Question 9 combined calculus with a piecewise function, offering a more challenging but fair test of understanding.
One notable issue was timing—several students reported that Section B was more time-consuming than in previous years due to the length and depth of the questions. Despite this, the overall response to the paper was positive, with most students expressing satisfaction with both the content and level of difficulty.
