History teacher Stacy Stout, as seen on social media with Miss Stout's History Class, came in to share her expert exam advice on Study Hub 2026.
Press play on the image above to watch her on the show and read on for her Top 5 Tips.
Miss Stout has also created a booklet to help History students revise - along with case study summaries:
Tip 1. Take advantage of the Document-Based Question (DBQ)
This is worth 20% and meant to help you! Over the past few years, I've noticed that students have grown to dislike this question for some reason, but it is there to help you collect marks. 60 of the 100 marks can be achieved using the sources they give you. Keep your answers for Q1 short, remember to compare both documents in Q2 and be critical of the sources in Q3. Don't forget to quote, quote, quote for 2 and 3. Then show off your historical knowledge in Q4.
Tip 2 - Revise all 3 DBQ case studies
The only guarantee that I can give you in relation to the exam is that your DBQ will either be about the 1885 and 1886 Elections, or the GAA up to 1891, or the Strike and Lockout. You have no choice here, so make sure you look over each one.
Tip 3. Read the essay questions carefully
Answer what is being asked and repeat the words of the question in each paragraph. When structuring your essays, remember 4, 3, 2, 1.
4 - In your introduction:
- Answer the question
- Provide relevant background info
- Define/ explain/ introduce key terms/people
- Outline the rest of your essay
3 - In each paragraph:
- Link back to the question
- Provide relevant content
- Link to the next paragraph
2 - In your conclusion:
- Answer the question by summarising your key findings
- Offer some sort of judgment call/look forward to demonstrate your critical thinking skills
1 - Try to include 1 relevant quote somewhere in your essay
Tip 4 - Start with your case studies
If you are overwhelmed with the essay content, start with the case studies for each and then broaden your revision out from there. For example, you could start by looking at LBJ and the Vietnam War and then broaden out to look at the rest of US foreign policy. Or if looking at the Nuremberg Rallies, you could then broaden out and look at the rest of Nazi propaganda.
Tip 5 - Stick to your timings
Around 50 minutes for the DBQ and 40 for each essay. When your time is up, move on. You're more likely to get more marks from the start of a new answer as opposed to trying to squeeze the last few marks out of the previous answer.
Study Hub 2026 content is available:
- Via RTÉ Podcasts here!
- In full on YouTube - press play up top to see this episode
- And in bitesize bits on RTÉ Radio 1's Instagram and TikTok
Visit RTÉ Learn for extra content ahead of the Leaving Cert - we are here to help!
For more from Miss Stout's History class check her out on:
