Leaving Cert Ag 2025 - Could you answer these questions?
A total 7,169 students sat the Leaving Certificate Agricultural Paper today (June 16) according to the State Examinations Commission (SEC).
The exam was taken by 423 students at ordinary level and 6,746 students at higher level. Of the 7,169 students taking the paper, 3,100 were female students and 4,069 were male.
These provisional figures mark a significant increase of 7.7% when compared with 6,638 students who sat the exam last year.
Topical questions surrounding sustainability were littered throughout the paper, while other questions on bovine tuberculosis and Wagu beef also made an appearance.
Section A of the paper involved answering ten short answer questions including:
Other longer answer questions that appeared in the Leaving Certificate ag science exam paper included:
- You have been asked to address a group of farmers on the topic of the nitrogen cycle and its benefits to animal and / or crop production on Irish farms, describe the points you would provide to the farmers;
- Jack was carrying out research to see if he could sow barley in his fields and found that barley crops grow best between pH 6.0 and 7.0, briefly describe with the aid of a labelled diagram how Jack could test the pH of a soil sample;
- Outline one scientific reason for any four of the following: Progeny testing in dairy cows, having a buffer zone close to a waterway, presence of chloroplasts in the palisade layer of a leaf, and culling of breeding ewes on a sheep farm.
A quick survey of Agriland team members who previously sat Leaving Certificate Agricultural papers felt the 2025 paper today was a fair evaluation of the curriculum and that some of the questions featured were very topical subjects in Ireland at the moment.
According to Róisín Coyle, teacher at Loreto Community School, Co. Donegal and head of agricultural science with The Tuition Centre, students were "presented with a fair but challenging paper that focused firmly on application of knowledge".
"The paper was very much in line with the revised specification. It expected students to interpret, apply and think critically. This was not a rote-learning paper.
"It was amusing to see AI appear twice. In Question 13, students were asked about the traditional agricultural AI, artificial insemination in cattle, with a focus on the ideal timing.
"But AI as in artificial intelligence, also featured in a short question asking students to evaluate the reliability of information provided by an artificial intelligence system, which brought in a timely, real-world dimension," she added.
The agricultural science teacher said that a question on agricultural technology also "required students to link its use to sustainability and health and safety".
"This moved beyond the traditional style of asking for advantages and demanded a deeper understanding of how technology is integrated into responsible and safe farming systems," she added.
Overall Róisín Coyle felt the paper was manageable for students who “stuck at it”.
