Guide to the Leaving Cert Irish Oral Exam (2008)

150 marks are awarded for the scrúdú cainte, 25% of the total Irish examination at Leaving Certificate. As such a large percentage of marks are awarded for the oral examination, it is extremely important that you prepare carefully and comprehensively. There is no differentiation between higher and ordinary levels.

This year the examination will take place during one of two weeks:
7-11 April or 14-18 April 2008.

The marks for the scrudú cainte are awarded as follows:

• You are required to prepare five set passages, one of which the examiner will ask you to read in the scrúdú cainte.
• Try to relax! Remember, if you are prepared this task should not prove too difficult.
• Remember that you may read from your own text in the scrúdú cainte.

scrúdú cainte

• Once you have completed the reading tasks the final and most important part of the examination is a general conversation. The total length of the examination should be 13 - 15 minutes.
  

Preparation for the Scrúdú Cainte

Remember that the scrúdú cainte represents a very large proportion of your overall Irish examination and should be prepared for on a daily basis in the weeks beforehand. If you prepare slowly and comprehensively in advance you will gain confidence and no doubt be successful in the examination. Preparation should also take place outside class in addition to formal class preparation.

Note the following points as you prepare for your scrúdú cainte:

• Watch TG4 as often as possible
• Watch An Nuacht
• Listen to Raidió na Gaeltachta
• Try to speak to your friends in Irish
• During class always try to ask questions in Irish
• Write out sample answers to some of the common questions asked in the scrúdú cainte
• Take part in Irish debates

Practice is the most important preparation for the scrúdú cainte. As you build confidence your fluency will improve. Often minor grammar mistakes will correct themselves once you gain confidence and become less self-conscious.

You should prepare vocabularly for the following topics:

School
All areas associated with school are important to prepare for the examination. Pay close attention to the following in particular:

• Áiseanna na scoile - facilities in your school
• Seomraí na scoile - rooms in your school
• Rialacha na scoile - rules of the school
• Ábhair scoile - school subjects
• An Córas Oideachais - the education system

College / Career
You should have prepared in some detail the college course or career you have chosen. Know the name of the course and college in Irish. You should be able to briefly describe the course and the main reasons you have chosen this area to study.

Possible questions:

• Cén obair ba mhaith leat a dhéanamh?
• Cén fáth?
• Cén saghas traenála a bheidh i gceist?
• An bhfuil an pá tábhachtach duit?
• An mbaineann aon mhíbhuntáistí leis an bpost sin?

An Ghaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht
It is important to prepare topics that may have particular interest to the examiner in the scrúdú cainte. Your examiner may ask for your opinion on TG4 or Raidió na Gaeltachta. You should prepare some short answers on a few of your favourite programmes. If there are programmes that you dislike say why.

Possible questions:

• An maith leat aon chlár ar TG4?
• An raibh tú riamh sa Ghaeltacht?

Social issues
Some students are concerned that the examiner may focus on social issues such as na teifigh(refugees), sceimhlitheoireacht (terrorism), fadhb na ndrugaí (drugs problem), an euro (the euro), cúrsaí cogaidh (war matters), turasóireacht (tourism) and dífhostaíocht (unemployment). If you show an interest in any of these issues it is possible you may be asked some related questions. Always remember that the scrúdú cainte is not a knowledge-based test and if you have no interest in a topic tell the examiner. You could say: 'Tá brón orm ach níl suim ar bith agam sna fadbhanna sóisialta ach tá an-suim agam i spórt.'

Nathanna Cainte
It is useful to learn and use some nathanna cainte in the scrúdú cainte. These often show the examiner that you are confident and fluent. In some cases they will give you a moment or two to think on a topic before you have to answer. Make a note of the following phrases:

• le fírinne a rá - to tell the truth
• ní aontaím leis an tuairim sin - I do not agree with that view
• gan amhras - without doubt
• déarfainn - I would say
• ní dóigh liom go bhfuil - I do not think
• is deacair a rá dáirire - it is difficult to say really
• dá bhrí sin - therefore
• braitheann sé - it depends

Gramadach

• There are 35 marks awarded to grammar in the scrúdú cainte. Ensure you have a good knowledge of regular and irregular verbs in the aimsir láithreach, aimsir fháistineach, aimsir chaite and modh coinníollach.
• Try to use the same verb in answering the question that the examiner used in asking the question:
  
  Ceist: An dtéann tú chuig an phictiúrlann go minic?
  Freagra: Téim nó ní théim
  
  Ceist: Céard a dhéanfaidh tú an bhliain seo chugainn?
  Freagra: Déanfaidh mé céim eolaíochta
  
• Avoid very short tá / níl /sea / ní hea answers.
  
• Try to say as much as possible on every topic that the examiner introduces. It would be wise to learn a wide range of adjectives. Samplaí:
  corraitheach - moving
  leadránach - boring
  suimiúil - interesting
  taitneamhach - enjoyable
  spreagúil - inspiring
  
• Learn the following adjectives as they occur regularly in the scrúdú cainte (past tense).
  óg - níos óige - is óige
  sean - níos sine - is sine
  beag - níos lú - is lú
  mór - níos mó - is mó
  
• You may be asked your age or the age of family members in the examination so have these prepared in advance. It is also wise to prepare the following questions that relate to numbers:
  
  Ceist: Cé mhéad atá sa teaghlach?
  Freagra: Tá cúigear / seisear / seachtar / ochtar sa teaghlach
  
  Ceist: Cé mhéad ábhair atá á ndéanamh agat i mbliana?
  Freagra: Tá seacht n-ábhar á ndéanamh agam i mbliana
  
  Ceist: Cé mhéad atá i do scoilse?
  Freagra: Tá ocht gcéad i mo scoilse / Tá seacht gcéad i mo scoilse
  
• It is very important to prepare the following questions in the aimsir fháistineach (future tense):
  Ceárd a dhéanfaidh tú an samhradh seo chugainn?
  Ceárd a dhéanfaidh tú an deireadh seachtaine seo chugainn?
  
  Freagra: An samhradh seo chugainn rachaidh mé thar lear le mo chairde ar saoire. Tiocfaidh mé ar ais agus gheobhaidh mé post san ostán i mo cheantar. Beidh mé ag obair mar rúnaí. Ag deireadh an tsamhraidh tógfaidh mé sos agus ceannóidh mé na leabhair a bheidh ag teastáil don ollscoil.
   
• Often examiners will ask one or two questions in the modh coinníollach or conditional tense. In your answer it is important to show a good range of regular and irregular verbs. The following are the most common questions asked:
  Céard a dhéanfá dá mbuafá a lán airgid?
  Céard a dhéanfá dá mbeifeá i do Thaoiseach?
  Céard a dhéanfá dá mbeifeá i do Phríomhoide?

  Freagra: Dá mbeinn i mo príomhoide thabharfainn leath lá do na daltaí gach seachtain. Rachainn thar lear leis na daltaí ar thuras scoile gach bliain. D'athróinn rialacha na scoile agus bheadh cead ag na daltaí teach isteach ar a deich. Ní thabharfadh na múinteoirí mórán obair bhaile agus ní bheadh na daltaí faoi bhrú. Bheadh deireadh leis an éadaí scoile agus cead ag na daltaí gnáth éadaí a chaitheamh ar scoil.

Ceisteanna sa Scrúdú Cainte

The scrúdú cainte is not a test of knowledge so facts and statistics on any topic are not required. It is a general conversation so you should try to direct the conversation towards topics in which you have an interest. At the beginning of the scrúdú cainte the following topics are often examined:

Do shaol / teaghlach / cairde
An scoil
Caitheamh aimsirí
Áit chónaithe
An teilifís / an phictiúrlann
Spórt
An samhradh seo caite
An samhradh seo chugainn
An ollscoil agus rás na bpointí
An deireadh seachtaine / do shaol / gach lá / gach maidin
Laethanta saoire
Post sealadach
Daoine óga agus a bhfadhbanna
An saol thart timpeall orainn / cúrsaí reatha
An Lotto / cúrsaí airgid / cúrsaí reatha
Feirmeoireacht / An Tíogar Ceilteach
An Tuaisceart
Stailceanna / cearta daonna / cearta siabhialta
Foréigean / fadhbanna sóisialta

• These topics should be thoroughly prepared. Try to say as much as possible on each topic showing the examiner that you are confident and fluent.
• In your answers try to avoid lists as this does not show the examiner the level of your conversational Irish. Incorporate details into full sentences if possible.
• Also try to lead the conversation by informing the examiner of your interests thus hinting that you would like to discuss them in further detail.
• Try to be positive in your attitude throughout the scrúdú béil. Examiners are very aware that you are very busy studying for your exams and that you may not have much spare time for extra curricular activities and other hobbies. If you are asked about your caitheamh aimsire or pastimes you should be willing and prepared to discuss hobbies you used to have or ones you will resume once the summer examinations are over.

What should I do if I do not understand the question?
Do not panic! It is quite acceptable not to hear or understand a question clearly. Simply explain your problem and the examiner will repeat the question using different vocabulary.

You could say: 'Tá brón orm ach níor thuig mé an cheist' or 'Gabh mo leithscéal ach níor chuala mé an cheist.'

If you have no interest in a question:
Don't pretend that you are interested because you may be asked questions that you cannot answer. Explain that you have no interest in that particular topic but also state that you are interested in a number of other topics. If the examiner then wishes they may choose one of those topics.

Sampla:
Ceist: An bhfuil suim agat i gcúrsaí timpeallachta?
Freagra: Caithfidh mé a rá nach bhfuil suim agam i gcursaí timpeallachta. Níl mé ag staidéar tíreolaíochta agus de ghnáth ní bhím sa bhaile nuair a bhíonn an nuacht ar an teilifís chun na scéalta móra timpeallachta a chloisteáil.Ach tá an- suim agam i gcúrsaí spóirt agus imrím leadóg bhoird agus cis pheil gach deireadh seachtaine sa chlub óige.

Examiners’ Comments

The following are areas of the oral examination that examiners feel students should pay attention to in order to increase their marks:

Developing answers
If the examiner asks, 'Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí?', ensure you are prepared to give a fully developed answer. Talk about where your area is located, the main facilities, sports amenities, schools, shops and so on. Show your willingness to develop every topic that you are asked. Students often answer question using one line only, always say as much as you can about each subject.

Tenses
Examiners test your knowledge of the main tenses during the oral examination. If you are asked a question in the future tense try to use a variety of verbs in your answer. Often students repeat one or two verbs. Prepare these answers by writing out sample answers. 

Counting
In preparing for the oral examination, students often forget to learn how to count. Examiners often ask the question, 'Cé mhéad atá sa teaghlach?' nó 'An bhfuil aon deartháir nó deirfiúr agat?' In answering these questions it is important to count correctly. Learn:  tá beirt,  triúr, ceathrar, cúigear, seisear, seachtar, i mo theaghlach.

Misunderstandings
Often students don’t understand a question and they try to answer the question. It is much wiser to explain that you do not understand the question and the examiner will rephrase the question in simpler Irish. No marks are deducted if this occurs in the examination.  You could say, 'Gabh mo leithscéal ach níor thuig mé an cheist sin.'

Questions about hobbies
In preparing these very important questions students often learn off by heart a list of hobbies that often do not relate to them. Be prepared to discuss the hobbies that you mention. A short piece on each hobby would be worth preparing.

The reading passages
Often the reading passages are poorly prepared. Prepare your chosen five passages thoroughly and practise these regularly before the examination.

Go n-eirí an t-ádh leat!

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