Testing season 2008

I must admit, I'm kind of fascinated by these tests.
Nod to Homer welcomed in student-friendly test (June 6, 2008)
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/nod-to-homer-welcomed-in-studentfriendly-test-1399582.html
“Popular figures such as the Simpsons, Kirsten Dunst and Tom Crean dotted the Junior Certificate Irish papers yesterday afternoon and, in general, both papers appeared to be student-friendly.
“The aural exam met with approval also, even if one topic, the film 'Cre na Cille' was found to be a little morbid for some students.”

'Awkward' poetry fails to win over any friends (June 7, 2008)
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/awkward-poetry-fails-to-win-over-any-friends-1401298.html
“The poetry section in the Junior Cert Irish Higher Level Paper II didn't go down too well with the students, and the glossary made available yesterday was of little help. One teacher described it as 'ciotach', or awkward.”

'Topical but challenging' options get the thumbs up for fairness (June 10, 2008)
http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/topical-but-challenging-options-get-the-thumbs-up-for-fairness-1403704.html
“The theme of fair trade raised its head in yet another paper in this year's exams, and this time it was asked ‘as gaeilge’.”

Student-friendly paper passes the test (June 11, 2008)
http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/studentfriendly-paper-passes-the-test-1404942.html
“There was a great sense of relief and few, if any, complaints after the Ordinary Level Leaving Cert Irish Paper II yesterday. Many students declared they would have nothing more to do with the language.”

O Searcaigh conspicuous by absence from poetry (June 11, 2008)
http://www.independent.ie/education/o-searcaigh-conspicuous-by-absence-from-poetry-1404941.html
“As was widely predicted, the controversial poet Cathal O Searcaigh did not appear on either the Higher or Ordinary Level Leaving Cert Irish Paper II yesterday.”

Extra marks as Gaeilge in Arabic and Russian (June 11, 2008)
http://www.independent.ie/education/extra-marks-as-gaeilge-in-arabic-and-russian-1404939.html
“More than 250 students took Russian in the Leaving yesterday.
“Virtually all of them were native Russian speakers who had moved to Ireland in recent years.
“But if they had the cupla focal as well, they could have received bonus marks for answering part of their paper in Irish.”

A few articles from previous years:
Not easy grappling with R2D2 as Gaeilge (June 9, 2006)
Sentences are shorter but the questions tough (June 9, 2006)
Watching lots of television would have been great preparation for this test (June 10, 2006)
Paper 'very fair for the most part' but tears still shed (June 10, 2006)
The question that has no answer (June 8, 2007)
Stymied by those old-time sayings (June 8, 2007)