External candidate syllabus requirements

John David

I didn't get my course last year so I decided to repeat my leaving cert, except instead of going to school to repeat I decided to study at home and apply as an external candidate. The problem is, I just read the newly updated external candidate information and I realised I do not meet the requirements of the science subjects I am doing. It said the following:

"As the syllabus in each of these subjects has been drawn up on the basis that candidates will devote an appropriate amount of time to laboratory work (in Chemistry and in Physics), and to practical/laboratory work and fieldwork (in Biology), a candidate will not be admitted to the Leaving Certificate examination in any of these subjects in any case where the Commission considers that an adequate course of such work has not been followed by the candidate. For this purpose, records of the work done should be kept and be available for inspection or for submission to the Commission."

Physics I done before so I guess all I need to do is give up my experiments copy from last year, but biology and chemistry are subjects I picked up this year. I do not have any proof that I did laboratory work for either Biology or Chemistry and fieldwork for Biology. I understand the theory behind all the lab work and I have zero problems with it, the problem is proving that I did practical/laboratory work as opposed to just read and learn which is exactly what I did.

If I simply write out the experiments for both like I was supposed to for Physics, will I meet the syllabus requirements? Or will they actually check if I did the experiments? Also, how do I prove I did fieldwork even though I didn't?

Dropping both the subjects will leave me with only 4 subjects and there's no time to start learning a new one.

spurious

From the Maynooth site:
Secondary School Science Practicals: Physics, Chemistry and Biology Leaving Certificate experiments performed in a laboratory setting. Phone Nuala at 01 7083638 for details. These practicals are held over a 2 week period in January.

They may be already done. Ring them today.

Alternatively, contact your old school and see will someone supervise you doing them and writing them up.

rainbowtrout

Maynooth are still doing the practicals this week. Students from my school are going tomorrow. They'll probably be on until the end of this week.

John David

Yeah, I think I'm going to check it out.

However, if hypothetically I never do field work or practicals but write up a good field work portfolio and experiment copy, will it be accepted as proof assuming of course that I don't mention the fact I never done either? Also, anyone know when they check up on all of this?

thelad95

Spurious probably knows more about this stuff than me but we never did any write-ups of practicals and neither did other science subject classes. In addition, one person who was an external repeat did Biology as new last year in my school.

I think they may only get suspicious about an external student if they were registered to sit Chemistry in a school that didn't normally offer it.

Omega28

I will be repeating HL Biology and Chemistry this year. Will the teacher on the day/week in NUIM sign your lab book for the State Examinations?

rainbowtrout

Omega28 wrote: »

I will be repeating HL Biology and Chemistry this year. Will the teacher on the day/week in NUIM sign your lab book for the State Examinations?

I very much doubt it. They are not your teachers. They are not involved in the Leaving Cert. They are not teaching the syllabus, and they are not doing all of the experiments, only a range of them.

I wouldn't sign off on any coursework for a random student I didn't know.

GeneralC

rainbowtrout wrote: »

I very much doubt it. They are not your teachers. They are not involved in the Leaving Cert. They are not teaching the syllabus, and they are not doing all of the experiments, only a range of them.

I wouldn't sign off on any coursework for a random student I didn't know.

What are external candidates meant to do then to get a logbook signed?

rainbowtrout

GeneralC wrote: »

What are external candidates meant to do then to get a logbook signed?

Most that I'm familiar with either make arrangements with a local school or get a grinds teacher to sign off that is working in a school.

GeneralC

My old school are not too keen on this idea when I rang. Any other suggestions?