Irish History Junior Certificate Examination Explained

The Irish History Junior Certificate Examination is an achievement test on world history that is offered to students in Ireland.

It is one of a suite of Junior Certificate Examinations the country uses to assess students. It has two difficulty levels, Higher and Ordinary. This subject is not required at a national level. However, many schools make it compulsory. Most students choose to complete the Higher Level exam.

Ordinary level

The Ordinary Level exam lasts 90 minutes. It includes four questions. The maximum score is 180.

Questions!Number!Type!Mark!Recommended time to spend
Question 1Sources: Pictures35 marks15 minutes
Question 2Sources: Documents35 marks15 minutes
Question 3Short Questions60 marks20 minutes
Question 4People in History50 marks30 minutes

Higher level

The exam lasts 150 minutes. It includes six questions. The maximum score is 270.

Questions!Number!Type!Mark!Recommended time to spend
Question 1Picture Questions35 marks10 minutes
Question 2Document Questions35 marks10 minutes
Question 3Short Questions60 marks20 minutes
Question 4People in History50 marks25 minutes
Question 5Long Document Question30 marks15 minutes
Question 6One of four options (see below)60 marks20 minutes

Questions 1, 2 and 5 are mandatory. Only 10 of the 20 sub-questions in Question 3 are required. Question 4 includes two sections. One sub-question from each section must be answered. In Question 6, only two of four possible sub-questions need to be completed. The four sub-question topics are:

Topics

Topics include:

External links