Are the mocks harder than the real thing?

Mr Rhode Island Red

I was just wondering about everybody's opinion on this. Before the mocks we were all told by those who have done the JC already "The Mocks? Absolutely impossible...but the real thing isn't too bad"

Is it a case of most people not studying as much for the mocks as they do for the real thing, or is it a case of the mock papers being more difficult than the JC papers, or is it possibly a case of examiners marking them as hard as possible so people don't start to think they no longer have to study?

Your opinions?

I found that the mock papers we got were actually ok, but they were marked particularly easy in my case anyway. Our music papers were marked so easily that our teacher revised them herself. Brought my 89% down to 84%, and brought one of my friend's from about 75% down to 55%, about half the teachers revised the marking themselves

Xgracie

I think it's just people study more for the jc than the mocks

Noccy_Mondy

The Mocks are drawn up by private companies who decide themselves what to put into the papers. This cannot be compared to the Junior Cert, where the SEC make the papers. They are two different groups. The Junior Cert exams are corrected thoroughly and there are very few errors, whereas the mocks are very often corrected poorly. Generally, students study more for the real exam and are more prepared for it, but on the other hand, a lot of teachers give "hints" as to what will come up in the Mocks. I find that students JC results are an improvement on their mocks. They can take a fair stab at each question, which every student should do, even if they aren't sure.

Neird

I think it because people aren't bothered with learning for the mocks. Personally I started studying for JC in September. I'm a perfectionist you see. I was sick of hearing "its only the mocks". Everyone but me and a few others started studying the week before the mocks. It would obviously be harder if you didn't study. If you studying to the best of your ability, you'll be grand for the actual thing. This is coming from a fellow Junior Certer. Good Luck!

Bazinga_N

You have to understand that by the time the JC comes around, you've done week/months of more work in school and by yourself since your mock exams. It's highly doubtful you'd do worse in the JC and more likely that you will thus think of it as 'easier'.

spurious

Sample essays in revision books and the like make people thnk they have to write ridiculous amounts to get marks. You don't.

daviecronin

Hey, I think its a mixture really! I mean like I thought the mocks were really hard but I jumped a lot of grades in the junior cert. To be honest like I didn't so much study (for either hahah!) but for example I jumped from a C to an A in HL maths which I was so happy about obviously! I jumped so much in other grades. Also I remember in science at the time 5 people in my year of 150 people got A's it was marked by a teacher in school! As far as I remember I got an E? Then jumped to a B! After the mocks I just remember doing Exam papers non stop! Like everything was exam papers!! For me that's what worked for other people different things work but for me luckily it was exam papers! It just all depends really! Don't worry too much but all the same good luck!