Look it, we've all made a mess of an exam or two. I threw a part of my Junior Cert History Paper in the bin (by accident) It's not the worst thing to happen to anyone, but it is something which can cause undue upset and stress. If you or one of your brood happen to be sitting a paper as Gaeilge, there are few tips that could help.
Listening Section/ Cluastuiscint
Read the questions thoroughly at least twice before attempting to answer them.
Underline the key words (what/ where/ how many etc) in each question. Keep those in mind while listening to the piece.
Read back on what you've answered and ask yourself 'does this make sense?'
Composition/ Ceapadóireacht
This is the section over which you have control, maximize this.
Keep it simple- beginning your sentences with verbs can help.
Remember the function of a fada- A síneadh fada makes a vowel sound longer. Keep simple examples in mind like cailín and tóin and sound the word out if you're unsure if there's a fada or not. Don't throw them all over the shop, they exist for a reason.
Look at the root of a word- If you're not sure of a word in an essay title, don't panic, look at the root of the word, it'll usually look like something you've come across before. Read the full sentence back and see if the word you think it looks like makes sense in the context.
Leave time- Always leave time to look back on what you have written. Make sure the basics are right, you've got a séimhiú on briathra in the Aimsir Chaite and you don't in any other tense, except the Modh Coinníollach.
