• Some concepts swapped places from their predicted sections to the surprise of some but relief of others.Ìý
• Some questions were reminiscent of older papers from 2009-2015Ìý

Students opening the paper and seeing perspective in Section A-1 will be surprised. Many will have expected axonometric axes in Section A with the more complex and time-consuming perspective in the longer Section B. However, a short, precise question on perspective meant that much of that laborious work was circumvented, so many will have preferred this version of events. If a student was too rigid in their plan of how to navigate the paper they may have been rattled, but ultimately that shock should give way to relief. Questions A-2 and A-3 were nice standard questions, with the skew lines of the latter showing a resurgence of a topic absent from the most recent papers. A-4 on solids in contact was unusual as there has not been a question solely dedicated to this area since 2013. While another surprise for this section, the skills involved are thoroughly covered throughout the course as transferrable, so there was nothing novel about the rudiments of this question.Ìý

Section B, Question 1 was mostly par for the course as students would be well-prepared with how to approach a dihedral angle. There was a tricky twist at the end as (d) on the inverted cone required students to think outside the box and might lead to some puzzled discussion among classmates outside the hall. B-2 was atypical in that it emphasized developments which would either be simpler inÌýSection A or in comparable detail in Section C. Yet this unorthodoxy will be to some’s advantage as the methods involved were straightforward. The same is true for B-3’s axonometric axes method. Often perceived as not as intensive as perspective, students will be relieved to see it worth so many marks.Ìý

Due to the Covid adjustments, students had lots of choice and time to tackle Section C. C-1 and C-4 were all very familiar from previous years and remained consistent in both content and structure. For C-2 many students were likely expecting Hyperboloid of Revolution but received a Hyperbolic Paraboloid. Again, this was a very manageable question but those overly invested in predictions would have needed to take a moment and recalibrate. C-3 shows a trend emerging as the exam setter moves away from planer surfaces (cubes, pyramids etc.) towards curved ones (cones, cylinders etc). This is something present in the most recent papers and should be considered when planning for next year. The final question on assemblies suits the students who like meticulous processes and very specific conventions. The question looks busy on the page but those who have rehearsed this type of question will know exactly what to do. There is no taxing enigma to crack, or insight required, just a rigorously entrained skillset. With the abundance of time allowed since Covid a student who favours this question will have all the time they needed to really get stuck in and perfect the reproductions in a satisfying way.Ìý

This paper had a few surprises but that isn’t a negative. In fact, most will suit students once they adapt and engage with what’s in front of them rather than their exact expectations. As a subject DCG favours those who rehearse the tasks with rigour and consistency, and those students will be very pleased with this paper.Ìý

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• A paper that examined a wide range of skills.
• Students needed to think critically and apply foundational principles.

This was a fair and accessible paper. The Covid adjustment of answering one fewer question for Section C would have alleviated some of the stress of the exam hall and given students the chance to really apply their problem-solving capacity. The trends of recent years continued as we see a growing emphasis on the principles of conic sections and the interpenetration of solids, the latter making its first appearance as a long question since 2012.

Part A, while containing little choice, would have been a welcome beginning to the paper. The section tested a wide range of skills. The importance of Orthographic Projection: Planes and Traces was apparent here and, as a foundational skill taught early in the course, would have been well within the abilities of prepared students.

Part B’s B1 showed that interpenetration of solids is coming back into fashion. Over the last few years, it has been appearing more frequently in the short questions and so the next step was to graduate to a long question. B2 on the intersection of planes with the dihedral angle was very fair and manageable. The application of true shapes and true angles is the bread and butter of this section, and most will have covered this essential skill early in their Senior Cycle study. Students who felt they had good reason to predict axonometric projection will be relieved to see it in B3. All of these questions required students to be thoughtful and adaptive but there was nothing that would shock and upset a prepared student.

Part C, on Applied Graphics, is where students come into their own. This year they only had to do one question rather than two and so students could choose what best suits their preferred approach. C1 on Geologic Geometry was true to form – anyone who prepared this topic would have found a question that met their expectations neatly. C2 and C3 emphasised transferable skills and problem solving. C3 did have a curveball by asking about focal spheres in part four. Focal spheres are a key concept that everyone will have covered, but it is rare to see them singled out for examination like this. The question itself wasn’t hard, just atypical and so might deter those making quick judgment calls on question selection. C4 requires a lot of declarative knowledge and keeping track of variants, attracting students that like real world applications of moving parts and mechanisms. C5 is always time-consuming but will favour those who enjoy rigorous procedure and the perfectly pared pencil. The question’s demands are exact, stressing adherence to standards and conventions, but don’t require the students to grapple with any novel concepts.

Overall, this was a paper that students will be happy with. The variety of topics and skills tested allowed students to select answers that play to their particular skillset.

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