Featured on RTÉ News: My Last-Minute Leaving Cert Maths Advice for Paper 1 & Paper 2
I was recently featured by RTÉ News sharing my last-minute Leaving Cert maths advice across RTÉ’s Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube platforms. Honestly, it was a big honour for Breakthrough Maths to be featured on RTÉ like this.
A lot of students have been asking for the full breakdown of the advice from the video, especially around:
• how to divide study time between Paper 1 and Paper 2
• which topics to focus on
• how to study effectively in the final days
• what to do the morning of the exam
• how to avoid panicking under pressure
So I wanted to put everything together here in one place.
Click here to watch the full video on my Leaving Cert maths tips.
Focus on the Core Topics for Paper 1
When students panic before maths exams, the first thing they usually do is try to study absolutely everything.
That’s the wrong approach.
For Paper 1, there are a few core topics that come up again and again, and these are the areas I’d really want students focusing on first.
The big ones are:
• differentiation
• algebra
• functions
• complex numbers
Differentiation and algebra especially are absolutely central to Paper 1. You’ll see them mixing together constantly across Section A and Section B.
If your algebra is weak, it affects nearly everything else.A lot of students think they’re struggling with calculus when actually the issue is algebra mistakes inside the calculus. So before anything else:
• tighten up algebra
• practise differentiation properly
• make sure your functions are solid
• know your complex numbers
Those are your foundations.
I have loads of free maths notes for differentiation and calculus.
Don’t Study Five Topics at Once
This is probably one of the biggest mistakes I see every year.
Students sit down to study and try to do:
20 minutes of calculus,
then probability,
then trigonometry,
then statistics,
then a random exam paper.
Your brain doesn’t really learn deeply that way.
What I always tell students is:
pick one topic and study it properly. If today is differentiation day, then make it differentiation day.
Spend your time:
• understanding the concepts
• actively doing exam questions
• correcting mistakes
• spotting patterns
That’s how improvement actually happens. Active study is everything in maths. Watching solutions is not enough.
Reading notes is not enough. You need to physically do the questions yourself.
If you need more help with this, read my article on how to study maths.
Use Exam Questions Properly
One of the best things you can do in the final weeks before the Leaving Cert is focus heavily on practicing exam questions.
The maths papers are actually very repetitive in structure. Certain styles of questions appear over and over again. Students who recognise those patterns usually improve much faster than students who are just randomly revising notes.
Here’s how I’d approach it:
1. Pick one topic.
2. Do three or four exam questions from that topic.
3. Correct them honestly.
4. If you get stuck, then check the solution.
5. Redo the question later by yourself.
That final step is by far the most important.
The Flashcard Trick Before the Exam
There are formulas in Leaving Cert maths that are not given on the log tables.
Students forget this every year. So while you still have time, get a flashcard and write down:
• formulas
• identities
• trig relationships
• integration rules
• differentiation rules
• anything you personally tend to forget
Then on the morning of the exam, the last thing you look at before walking in is that flashcard.
You’d be surprised how much that helps.
It keeps everything fresh in your head right before the paper starts.I have made a full list of every formula not in the log tables.
How to Divide Study Time Between Paper 1 and Paper 2
This is probably the question I get asked most.
Students always want to know: “Should I already be studying Paper 2?”
Honestly, right now, I would focus mainly on Paper 1 topics. Paper 1 comes first. That’s the priority.
A lot of students spread themselves too thin trying to prepare for both papers equally at the same time.
I think that creates unnecessary stress.
What I normally tell students is: lock in fully for Paper 1 first. Then over the weekend between Paper 1 and Paper 2, you switch gears completely.
There is enough time during that gap to prepare properly for Paper 2 if your approach is structured.
The Core Topics for Paper 2
For Paper 2, there are a handful of chapters that are absolutely essential. The main ones are:
• trigonometry
• statistics
• probability
• the line
• the circle
Those topics are massive.
If I was studying for Paper 2, I would break the revision into individual focused blocks. For example:
• 40 minutes on trigonometry
• then exam questions
• short break
• 40 minutes on statistics
• then exam questions
Keep the sessions focused and active. Again, don’t just read solutions.
Do the work yourself.
And if you get something wrong, that’s okay. Actually, that’s how you learn best.
Mistakes are useful because they show you exactly where the gaps are. To help you along the way, watch out Leaving Cert probability masterclass.
Don’t Get Stuck on One Question in the Exam
This is a huge one. If you get bogged down on a difficult maths question during the Leaving Cert, circle it and move on. Do not sit there burning 20 minutes trying to force one part of a question.
Every year students lose massive amounts of marks because they panic on one difficult section.
Remember: the paper is designed to challenge you. You are not supposed to find every single part easy.
Get the marks that are there.
Keep moving.
Come back later if needed.
Momentum matters during maths exams. You should read my full article on exam tips.
The Method Gives You the Marks
This is probably the most important thing I tell students. The method gives you the marks.
Leaving Cert maths is heavily method-based.
That means even if your final answer is wrong, you can still pick up loads of marks for correct steps and good working. So always:
• show formulas
• show substitutions
• write clearly
• show reasoning
Do not leave blank pages. Even partial work can earn valuable marks. A student who writes down a proper method but gets a small arithmetic mistake can still do very well. A blank answer gets nothing.
Please Check Your Calculator
This sounds obvious, but every year students go into exams with:
• dead calculator batteries
• wrong calculator settings
• calculators they barely know how to use
Before the exam:
• check the battery
• practise using statistics mode
• know radians versus degrees
• make sure everything is working properly
Your calculator is one of the most important tools you bring into that exam hall. Don’t neglect it.
Final Advice Before the Leaving Cert Maths Exam
At this stage, your goal is not perfection. Your goal is to maximise marks.
Focus on:
• core topics
• active exam-question practice
• timing
• method marks
• staying calm under pressure
• don’t let one difficult question shake your confidence.
Every single year students walk out convinced they’ve failed and still end up doing brilliantly.
Stay composed.
Trust your preparation.
Keep collecting marks.
That’s how you succeed in Leaving Cert maths. For more Leaving Cert maths revision resources, exam papers, study tips and tutorials, explore the full range of supports available at Breakthrough Maths.
Why RTÉ Featured Breakthrough Maths
RTÉ recently featured Breakthrough Maths across their news and social platforms to discuss last-minute Leaving Cert maths preparation and exam strategy.
Over the past few years, I’ve been sharing maths tips, exam breakdowns and revision advice online to help students approach Leaving Cert maths with more confidence and less stress.
A lot of the content focuses on practical exam strategy:
how to study effectively
how to maximise marks
common mistakes students make
and how to approach the papers under pressure
The response to the RTÉ feature showed just how many students are looking for straightforward, realistic maths advice in the final weeks before exams.
