Junior Cert Essentials?

Fifii

Hey guys! I am so worried about tomorrow, like the questions and that but more importantly what I should bring myself;) Are we meant to bring a plastic bag ? What stationary will you be bringing and most importantly what hard sweet will you be sucking on?! My brains are totally scattered at the moment so I think I just need to see what everyone else is doing:)

S_Hick12

Plastic bag? For what?

Fifii

S_Hick12 wrote: »

Plastic bag? For what?

I heard that you aren't allowed to bring in your pencil case so you need a see through plastic one? Maybe not:)

S_Hick12

We were told nothing about tomorrow. We don't even know where our exams are on and what stuff we can/can't bring in.

Xgracie

S_Hick12 wrote: »

We were told nothing about tomorrow. We don't even know where our exams are on and what stuff we can/can't bring in.

Same gah

Fifii

Xgracie wrote: »

Same gah

I know that I should bring colors for CSPE:)..Also that Higher Level papers are white...Well I am certainly going to enjoy tomorrow morning;)

spurious

You can't bring any stationery into the exam hall.

Get a clear ziplock bag for your pens/pencils/calculator.

Bring a bottle of water, not fizzy drinks.

Leave your phone at home. It's only a few hours.

spurious

S_Hick12 wrote: »

We were told nothing about tomorrow. We don't even know where our exams are on and what stuff we can/can't bring in.

You should be in at least a half an hour in advance tomorrow, to find your centre, find your desk and get every thing sorted.

emersyn

Are we assigned seats (do we have to sit in alphabetical order) or does anyone know if we can pick our own seats?

ElmW13

emersyn wrote: »

Are we assigned seats (do we have to sit in alphabetical order) or does anyone know if we can pick our own seats?

We're all assigned seats in my school. Really hope I'm not in the room where the seats seem really high off tge ground

Fifii

ElmW13 wrote: »

We're all assigned seats in my school. Really hope I'm not in the room where the seats seem really high off tge ground

Fingers crossed I get a window seat!:)

Chris Martin

Can barely remember my JC now except I got one of the easiest questions ever wrong in it and have been taunted about it ever since... :P
"What is the famous Irish symbol used in most legislation? H____"
Something along those lines, I guessed heart anyway and realized afterwards there were harps in the top corner and front of every exam paper. :P
Still an A though thanks to my top notch poster about Martin Luther King :P

In relation to the to's and fro's, you're assigned a seat as to your Exam Number I believe, back in my day you were allowed to (it's what I did) bring in a couple of pens, pencils, a ruler and a calculator without the cover. You were provided with log tables in there as well and extra paper to work things out if necessary.
I used to bring my pencil case in and leave it on the floor but I think they're cracking down on that now so if you want to bring one stick with clear one, I think you can pick them up from Tesco for around a euro.

Lastly, don't worry about the exams now. At this stage you either know your stuff or you don't. Try and get a decent nights sleep beforehand as well. Hypocritical of me to suggest as I never did but you'll feel the benefit on the day of exam, especially if you want to go on after the exam and study for the one after.

Good Luck btw :P

thetalker

emergency question?!
are we allowed to bring a desk clock to check how much time is left?
i have one and id like to use it but I'm not sure if its allowed.

emersyn

thetalker wrote: »

emergency question?!
are we allowed to bring a desk clock to check how much time is left?
i have one and id like to use it but I'm not sure if its allowed.

I'm not sure but I'd say you'd be allowed as long as it doesn't tick too loudly, although a wristwatch would be more convenient. They usually put up clocks in the exam centres anyway.

Eims14

Also if u have.a normal.pencil case what happens do u just.bring.the stuff you need in and leave the pencil case outside?I know i shud be focusing on english right now but knowing whats what will put my mind somewhat at ease tomorrow.

emersyn

Eims14 wrote: »

Also if u have.a normal.pencil case what happens do u just.bring.the stuff you need in and leave the pencil case outside?I know i shud be focusing on english right now but knowing whats what will put my mind somewhat at ease tomorrow.

Most people have been saying to bring stationary in a transparent plastic bag so that the examiner knows you haven't written notes on your pencil case or anything, but my sister did her Junior Cert a couple of years ago and she said she was allowed to bring in her normal pencil case. It probably depends on the examiner and how strict they are

spurious

You are not allowed bring stationery into an exam centre.

Pens yes, paper no.

dee_mc

A zip lock bag is handy instead of a pencil case, as you and the examiner can see exactly what's in it, and it saves the annoyance (for you and others!) of rummaging in a pencil case to find what you want.

Another question that came up last year was about coloured inks: stick to black and blue biros, as the people who correct your script will use red and a second correcter may use green, so it's best not to use these colours yourself.

Tipp-ex is a no-no: if you make a mistake, cross it out with a single strikethrough and draw brackets around it. Absolutely no need to obliterate a mistake - if what you've crossed out is in fact correct, if the correcter can read it they may be able to award you marks for it.

Bring a spare pen or two, a ruler to underline headings if you wish, a highlighter to mark important points on the exam paper, a bottle of water, and maybe a few glucose sweets for a wee sugar boost.

The room will have a clock - this is a requirement - but most examiners will be ok with a small personal clock that doesn't 'tick', if you feel it's necessary.

Bring a little pack of tissues too, in case of a dose of the sniffles

emersyn

For maths/science/business etc it's a good idea to bring a spare calculator if you have one at home, just in the off-chance that your calculator stops working in the exam.

VG31

I presume you are allowed to use Tipped-Ex?

emersyn

VG31 wrote: »

I presume you are allowed to use Tipped-Ex?

It's a waste of time to use Tip-Ex or any kind of correction fluid, if you make a mistake just cross it out with one line and put brackets around it.

spurious

Dee_mc's post reminds me - yes, under no circumstances use red or green for your answers. They are the colours used by examiners and advising examiners when correcting the papers. Do not write anything, particularly numbers, in the right hand margin.

Use blue or black biro - pencil is prone to smudge and can get very faded, so apart from diagrams, avoid it.

Watch those gel pens. Some of them can leak through to the back of the page and make your answers illegible.

Tippex - does you out of marks if what you wrote was in fact right, sticks pages together and annoys examiners. Absolutely no need for Tippex - put a line through something if you think it's wrong. Do not obliterate it, as if it was in fact correct and the examiner can read it, you can still get some marks for it.

pizzamad

Can you write plans on the exam paper? Like when you go straight into an exam like geography could you write a few facts down so you remember? And for business will you get ruled paper for ledger accounts?

Liordi

pizzamad wrote: »

Can you write plans on the exam paper? Like when you go straight into an exam like geography could you write a few facts down so you remember? And for business will you get ruled paper for ledger accounts?

Yes, you can write on the exam paper - you don't need to hand up the booklets where you've not answered any questions (i.e English paper) but you could always ask for a piece of paper which is what I intend on doing.

For business, you may to have ask for book 1/2/3 paper but they will most likely hand them out.

VG31

spurious wrote: »

Tippex - does you out of marks if what you wrote was in fact right, sticks pages together and annoys examiners. Absolutely no need for Tippex - put a line through something if you think it's wrong. Do not obliterate it, as if it was in fact correct and the examiner can read it, you can still get some marks for it.

I only use it if I write something which I am sure is wrong or if I spell something wrong.
I use a Tipp-Ex mouse not the liquid so that won't be a problem.

spurious

pizzamad wrote: »

Can you write plans on the exam paper? Like when you go straight into an exam like geography could you write a few facts down so you remember? And for business will you get ruled paper for ledger accounts?

Yes by all means write a plan. The supervisor will not let you do it before the exam officially starts, but once you have been told you can start, write away. Best place for outline plans etc. is on the back page of the answer book. Just write 'rough work' on the top of it. If you have an outline of an answer done in rough work and run out of time for a question, you may still get some marks because of your plan.

Yes you will get ruled paper for accounts.

Liordi

VG31 wrote: »

I only use it if I write something which I am sure is wrong or if I spell something wrong.
I use a Tipp-Ex mouse not the liquid so that won't be a problem.

In exams like English, it's a severe waste of time since a lot of people don't even finish the paper.

spurious

VG31 wrote: »

I only use it if I write something which I am sure is wrong or if I spell something wrong.
I use a Tipp-Ex mouse not the liquid so that won't be a problem.

I cannot say it enough - DO NOT USE TIPPEX!!!

There is no scenario in which a simple line through an answer would not do to cancel it. The benefit being it is still visible so can be used to give you marks, which is what JC examiners are trying to do.

dee_mc

Re rough work, mark the question number beside each piece so that it can be considered for marking.
Same goes for answers in general - make sure the question number and section number are clearly marked, and if you use a second answerbook or continue a question on a separate page (i.e. not on the next page!) make sure it's marked clearly, for example 'continued on page 2 of answerbook 2' and 'question 3 (b), continued from page 4 of answerbook 1',
Makes things easier for you when rereading your script, and of course for the correcter.

spurious

I'm recalling bits and pieces now.
If you are more comfortable writing only on the right hand page of an opened answer book, do so. There is no shortage of paper in the SEC. Do not feel you have to jam your answers in to fit the answer book.

Check and double check that you have written your exam number on each answerbook, or loose page you use. It's not so much a problem if you are the only person in your centre leaves out the number, it becomes much more fun when there are two or three unnumbered papers in your centre.

For History - make sure you put Qs 1, 2 and 3 inside your answerbook. The supervisor is supposed to check, but every year there is at least one candidate takes theirs home. Likewise, the other subjects that have a separate section - I'm thinking Geography and Science - there may be others.

VG31

Liordi wrote: »

In exams like English, it's a severe waste of time since a lot of people don't even finish the paper.

spurious wrote: »

I cannot say it enough - DO NOT USE TIPPEX!!!

There is no scenario in which a simple line through an answer would not do to cancel it. The benefit being it is still visible so can be used to give you marks, which is what JC examiners are trying to do.

I would only use Tipp-Ex in exams like Business, if I make a mistake in the Budget for example and I have to change lots of figures. It looks very messy if you write in new figures above. I would never use Tipp-Ex in an English exam.

Fifii

VG31 wrote: »

I would only use Tipp-Ex in exams like Business, if I make a mistake in the Budget for example and I have to change lots of figures. It looks very messy if you write in new figures above. I would never use Tipp-Ex in an English exam.

Would I get marks taken away if I did business accounts in pencil?

spurious

Fifii wrote: »

Would I get marks taken away if I did business accounts in pencil?

No, but make sure it is a pencil that does not smudge.

Liordi

Fifii wrote: »

Would I get marks taken away if I did business accounts in pencil?

No, it's just that pencil begins to fade overtime so answers mighn't be clear and for some reason, it irritates examiners.
I blame poor eyesight.

VG31

Fifii wrote: »

Would I get marks taken away if I did business accounts in pencil?

The problem with doing accounts in pencil is that the writing can fade after a while, so no I would not to the accounts in pencil. I don't think you would lose marks.

dee_mc

Liordi wrote: »

No, it's just that pencil begins to fade overtime so answers mighn't be clear and for some reason, it irritates examiners.
I blame poor eyesight.

Ah yes, the failing eyesight of aged correcters ...
In all seriousness, it's the smudge risk that's the issue here. Just use a hard (h) pencil, not a soft (b) pencil and it will be fine.

nanook5

I bought erasable pens for business and they may be used for other subjects too.

I bought some on eBay and my sister got some in Tesco if any of you were open to buying them

Noccy_Mondy

* For the love of god don't bring any phones into the centre. You will be given the option to put them into a box outside, but if you don't and it goes off then it's goodbye exam.

* Bring your own watch, there will be plenty of clocks, but still have your own - and use it to watch your timing on each question.

* Exam numbers must be on everything being handed up.

* I think there is something like you can't leave after 20 minutes before the end of the exam. (not sure on the exact timing)

* It entirely depends on the centre, but some won't let you bring the back of your calculator in with you - on the other hand I've seen students being allowed to bring in their pencil cases.

There is probably lots of other things I can say, but I'll only be repeating others. Anyway, best of luck to ye all over the coming weeks, don't stress over it - remember the marks are there for the taking!

Liordi

@Noccy,
You can't leave in the first and last 30 minutes in most situations.

VG31

Is it OK to leave your phone powered off in your bag as that will most likely be outside the room anyway or do you have to put it in the box?

Liordi wrote: »

@Noccy,
You can't leave in the first and last 30 minutes in most situations.

Is that a universal time or can it vary by school?


Thanks in advance.

Liordi

VG31 wrote: »

Is it OK to leave your phone powered off in your back as that will most likely be outside the room anyway or do you have to put it in the box?

I presume you mean bag.
Um, yeah, I don't see why they would have a problem as long as your phone is outside the centre.

Xgracie

In my school we're '''not allowed''' phones, I'm bringing mine and was planning on leaving it in my locker but would feel better giving it in to the attendant
My question is since I'm technically not allowed have it would I still be able to you know show it and give it in? Like do attendants care about school rules?
I know this really is a matter I need to ask my school tomorrow but was just wondering if anyone has ever been in the situation before

VG31

@Liordi Yeah, I corrected that just before your reply. OK thanks.

Noccy_Mondy

VG31 wrote: »

Is it OK to leave your phone powered off in your bag as that will most likely be outside the room anyway or do you have to put it in the box?



Is that a universal time or can it vary by school?

Thanks in advance.

As long as it's not with you in the centre it's fine. Don't chance it in your pocket, they could easily turn on themselves.

VG31

Xgracie wrote: »

In my school we're '''not allowed''' phones, I'm bringing mine and was planning on leaving it in my locker but would feel better giving it in to the attendant
My question is since I'm technically not allowed have it would I still be able to you know show it and give it in? Like do attendants care about school rules?
I know this really is a matter I need to ask my school tomorrow but was just wondering if anyone has ever been in the situation before

I presume it would be fine as long as it is outside the exam room. If you have it in your bag, it's not like they're going to search it.

Noccy_Mondy

Xgracie wrote: »

In my school we're '''not allowed''' phones, I'm bringing mine and was planning on leaving it in my locker but would feel better giving it in to the attendant
My question is since I'm technically not allowed have it would I still be able to you know show it and give it in? Like do attendants care about school rules?
I know this really is a matter I need to ask my school tomorrow but was just wondering if anyone has ever been in the situation before

Most if not all schools have a no phone policy - but they won't mind you handing your phone in.

Liordi

@VG
I suppose it may vary by school.
Anyone I know has always mentioned not being allowed to leave in the first and last 30 minutes.

@Gracie
I guess you'd be allowed to leave your phone with the exam attendant since you'll presumably need it organising lifts and whatnot.
If you don't need it; don't bring it just to be on the safe side.

Liordi

Just to summarise everything that's been said so far:

• Bring a ziplock for pencils/pens/ect.
• Bring water.
• Leave your phone at home/with the exam attendant.
• Be in 30 minutes early (9:00) for the first exam.
• Bring a watch to leave on your desk.
• Only write in blue/black pen (lest it's a heading)
• Do NOT use tippex, cross it out and put brackets around your error - if it's correct, you may get some marks.
• Read the questions carefully (use a highlighter if necessary)
• Bring tissues (just in case)
• Don't write in the right hand margins (examiners use only)
• Make sure you write your exam number on each paper.
• Ensure you hand up all things you have written on.
• Ask for as much paper as you need.

Let me know if I left anything out. :P

Eims14

Just a (stupid)q.on the margin thing.i.presume its ok to write like 1(a) there.isnt.it.cos otherwise how would the correcter know whats what?

Liordi

Eims14 wrote: »

Just a (stupid)q.on the margin thing.i.presume its ok to write like 1(a) there.isnt.it.cos otherwise how would the correcter know whats what?

The right hand margin is what you can't write in.
The left is where you put question numbers.

dee_mc

Eims14 wrote: »

Just a (stupid)q.on the margin thing.i.presume its ok to write like 1(a) there.isnt.it.cos otherwise how would the correcter know whats what?

Don't write anything in the right hand margin (the one on the right side of the page)
Write your headings/question numbers clearly in the left hand margin as you would in a normal copybook
And there are no stupid questions - better to ask now than to stress over things tomorrow and after