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How to get a H1 in Leaving Cert Religion

By Paul McAndrew - 5 minute read

People tend to see Leaving Cert Religious Studies as an easy subject that you simply have to say a couple of rosaries to achieve a good grade, but this is not the case. In this blog, expert teacher Paul McAndrew goes through his tips and tricks on getting a H1 in this subject.

Know the paper

I really recommend knowing the layout and history of the paper from year to year. Both Studyclix and examinations.ie have an extensive examination material archive on their sites where you can access all exam papers from 2005 onwards. Also, look at the marking schemes for each exam, this will give you a feel of what the examiner is looking for in answering the questions on the paper. 

Stick to and practise the timing for each type of question on the paper in the run-up to the exams. If you go over the time allowance, move on to the next question and go back to the incomplete question at the end of the exam if you have time.

Understand and answer the question asked

This is the cardinal sin of every student, not answering the question being asked. Read the question fully, understand what the examiner is looking for and answer the exact question that is being asked.

Make a plan

Make sure your argument is well presented and thought through. You can do this by planning your answer before you write it out fully. Take about 1 min to do this for each question on the paper.

Listen and participate in class

Topics become memorable when you take a genuine interest in them and listen in class. Being open to different views from classmates and forming your own view on topics makes it easier to give a well-rounded answer in an exam and it's easier to remember if you've actually thought about it! 

Relax

Lastly, I'd just suggest being calm going into all the exams! Take deep breaths and read the questions carefully. When answering a question, make sure you address all parts of the question and state clearly in the introduction/conclusion to each paragraph which part of the question you are answering. There's a temptation to write down everything you know if you are well prepared, so make sure that when you're answering you only write what is relevant! 

You can read all of Paul's advice by reading the the Leaving Cert Religion Subject Guide:

Read guide here

Paul teaches Religious Studies to 6th year each year, has corrected for the SEC in Religion 3 times, and has 4 published books in this subject. These books are the most up-to-date, exam-focused books/resources available for Leaving Cert Religious Studies. See mcandrewbooks.com to purchase them. Catherine Leahy and Eve O'Leary, two of his students who got H1s in their Religious Studies exam, helped contribute to this blog and took the above advice to gain their brilliant marks.

Best of luck with the study and in the exam!

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