How to get an H1 in Maths in the Leaving Certificate?

Undoubtedly, Maths is the toughest subject in the Leaving Certificate. There are some close contenders, but maths is ahead of the competition. It’s just difficult, period.

Even getting near the H1 seems like an insurmountable task, but it’s not impossible. In this article I will share with you the tricks of the trade of getting the top grade in this subject. It’s difficult, but hopefully this article will convince you that it’s possible, and help you get there yourself.

When I was doing my Leaving Cert not too long ago, I would dedicate the most amount of time to this subject. Towards the final months, studying maths would be part of my daily schedule.

I would spend at least an hour and a half almost every day trying to master this subject. This is a subject that requires hard-work, but that effort DOES pay dividends. Here are the top things I did to get an H1. This is a proven strategy, and I recommend using it.

Concepts vs Memorising

You can’t learn maths. That’s just not how the subject works. Every year the questions will be different. The days when the questions would be repeated are gone. The 2024 exam (the one I sat) had perhaps 1.5 questions that were partially repeated.  

However, almost all questions in the exam had concepts which were repeated.

The direction maths has taken is that they want you to apply your knowledge of different chapters to the questions posed. Each question ties in multiple chapters. A question on trigonometry is obviously testing your trig skills, but there is an element of geometry at play as well.  On a bad day, that may be tied in with co-ordinate geometry too.

As you can see, you need to understand the concepts of calculus to even come near solving this.

The point I’m trying to make is that you must know your concepts extremely thoroughly. Memorising the answer to a past question has no value. That question will not appear again. Instead, you must understand the concept behind the answers, and the steps taken to get there.

Concepts being key perfectly ties in with the next tip…

Do as many exam questions as possible

This is honestly true for all subjects, but especially for maths. Even though the same question will not appear again, the structure, method, and skills required will appear time and time again.

Doing as many exam questions as possible will allow you to fully grasp the format of the exam. You will get an idea of the marking scheme and what is required of you.

Pro tip: Buy the booklet with all past paper exam questions. This will allow you to learn the format of the exam. Also, all your answers will be safe and sound in that booklet (no loose papers flying around)! Closer to your exams, all you’d want to do is flick through the answers.

Pro tip 2: For online marking schemes, or to just access exam papers, use examfinder.com. You will thank me big time. This website has all exam papers and marking schemes for every subject, in just a few clicks. This website is much better than the official SEC website, which makes you lose the will to continue living!

The next tip is more of an exam strategy. Undeniably, that’s the most important tip.

The difficulty of the exam is irrelevant

On Friday afternoon, the class of 2023 was faced with the biggest shock of their lives. Scanning through maths paper 1 brought tears to some, while others left, literally and figuratively. And there is no element of exaggeration here.

That paper was tough. But it was just as tough as the easiest exam.

The Leaving Certificate is a comparative exam. There’s no fixed marking scheme. Your answers are essentially irrelevant because they are compared to the answers of every other student sitting the exam.

That’s great news. If most candidates do miserably on a question, more marks are awarded for basically nothing.

Knowing this is extremely important, and here’s why: No matter how difficult the exam is, as long as you make decent attempts at the difficult questions, you will do better than the rest.

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right” – Henry Ford

Walk into the exam with this mentality, and you will be just fine!

Practise regulary

In 6th year, I would study maths almost every day, for almost an hour or more. That’s a lot, and that’s what was needed.

Like I have said, maths is dificult. And the only way to get good at it is by practise, practise and when you think you understand it all, practise everything again.

Maybe you don’t need to study as much as I did, but if you want to achieve the top grade, maths WILL consume most of your study time.

How would I practise/revise?

I would first of all do a few good questions from the chapter I am revising. I would then try to understand WHAT I am doing and HOW I am doing it. Remember, concepts are key. I would then do as many exam questions as I can for that chapter.

When doing exam questions, don’t just solve the question and move on. Ask yourself, how have I arrived at the answer, and why does this work. If you don’t get an answer, look at the marking scheme or ask you teacher. Do not just leave the things you don’t understand, as they might as well be asked in your exam!

Timing:

The most important tip: time yourself well. The general rule of thumb is to spend a minute for 2 marks (this only applies to maths). So, for a 30 mark question, spend 15 minutes.

If you don’t get an answer, move on. There’s no point spending too much time on a question if it doesn’t get you extra marks. It’s all about maximising your marks. Skip it, and come back later.

DO NOT leave anything out

No matter what, do not leave chapters out. Maths isn’t a theory based exam. It’s concepts, like I’ve mentioned. Each chapter develops a new concept, which builds upon previous concepts. Questions rarely examine a single concept. They examine your knowledge of the subject.

Leaving out chapters creates gaps in your knowledge, therefore preventing you from answering parts of questions.

Closer to the final exam, you will be under pressure. Take it from someone who has worn those shoes. You may think of leaving stuff out for ‘ease’. Avoid this to the best of your ability will be my recommendation.

NOTE: In recent years, the lines between paper 1 and paper 2 have been blurred. No chapter is specific to one paper anymore. You need to be armed with a comprehensive knowledge of the subject before walking into the exam, if you want to secure the H1.

Summary:

Maths is difficult, but not impossible. The key isn’t to get every question right, but it’s to make a substantial attempt. Understand the concepts, rather than memorising the questions.

Do as many exam questions as possible. I bought the past paper exam booklet, and did every question in it. Time yourself when you do the questions.

Know the marking scheme inwards out, and take advantage of the slight nuances. The examiners want to give you marks, not take away marks from you. Give them a reason to award you.

I hope you have found this article useful. Consider reading my article: The ultimate guide to getting 625 points too.

I wish you the very best in your maths and Leaving Cert journey!