Leaving Cert: Engineering higher level paper served up a question about robotic waiters

Robotic waiters, extended reality immersive technology and wave energy were among the up-to-the-minute topics on the Leaving Cert engineering higher level paper.

As well as wave energy, there was a question on ultrasonic sound wave technology and how it is used in the non-destructive testing of finished components in engineering.

The broad remit of this subject was also highlighted in a question where the options were classic car restoration and oxy-acetlyane welding or BellaBot,a delivery robot using simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) technology.

Elsewhere in the paper, where candidates had a free choice of six of 10 questions, topics included electric scooters and material used in running shoe soles and jet skis.

It was a student-friendly paper, helped by the extra choice awarded due of Covid-related disruption to education, according to Eamon Dennehy, a subject representative with the Association of Secondary Teachers’ Ireland.

Mr Dennehy of Heywood Community School, Co Laois, said the additional choice in papers, at both levels, was a “de-stresser” for candidates in the run up to the exams.

“The biggest thing of all was the choice and that would have been very welcome by students,” he said.

A lot of pressure is already off engineering students as they enter the written exams, because of projects and practicals already done. At higher level, the written paper is worth up to 50pc of marks, while for ordinary level candidates, it is worth up to 40pc.

Mr Heywood praised the higher level paper for the way it touched on engineering and society, bringing in organisations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and how both the good and bad sides of technological advances were well covered.

He also liked aspects of some questions about material qualities where students were asked where or why they might be used, rather than “listing of the answers.”

Mr Heywood was equally complimentary of the ordinary level paper, where students had a choice of four of seven questions.

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