This guide aims to bring you through what to expect in your Junior Cycle Engineering course with useful information and top tips along the way.
How to get a Distinction in Junior Cycle Engineering
By Sarah-Jane Mulcahy - 12 minute readIn this guide, experienced engineering teacher Sarah-Jane shares her advice on how to succeed in this subject.
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Introduction
Assessment information
Engineering is assessed in two ways:
By your teacher during 2nd and 3rd year through Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs).
By the State Examinations Commission in 3rd year through a prescribed project and a written exam.
The project in 3rd year is worth 70% and the written exam is worth 30%. The CBAs are marked by the teachers in your school and you are awarded a descriptor. This result is usually given to you in class or returned on a term report and while the CBAs are not worth a percentage, the descriptors do appear on your Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement along with the results of all of your exams.
Note
Due to Covid-19, there is a design and portfolio section that is not being examined this year (2024).
Descriptors
Your teacher will grade you and you will be awarded one of the following descriptors:
Exceptional
Above expectations
In line with expectations
Yet to meet expectations
CBA 1
Engineering in Action
This is a project set in the second half of 2nd year which is based on engineering in our everyday lives. Throughout this project, you will explore the applications of engineering in the world around us and you choose the topic you want to explore, for example:
How the engine of your car works.
Computer games.
Mechanisms used on the farm.
Smart technology in medicine.
You can display your understanding of your topic through your preferred media, e.g. PowerPoint/poster/video, etc.
Features of Quality
Throughout the CBA, your teacher will give you feedback so use it to make your CBA better before you submit it. You will most likely have completed a CBA in other subjects before this one so you should be aware of the Features of Quality that your teacher will use to mark your project. Familiarise yourself with these as they will guide you to the standard of work that is required to achieve the best descriptor possible.
Top tip
Choose an application/topic that you are interested in. It will be easier to complete the project if you are working on something you enjoy.
CBA 2
Research and Development
This CBA is completed at the start of 3rd year and is based on the project that is issued by the SEC around October of that year. The theme of CBA 2 will be linked to the upcoming project and you must research and develop that theme.
You will research and gather information and present it again through your preferred media, e.g. PowerPoint, poster, video, etc. As the theme of this CBA is linked to your project (which is worth 70%) put as much time and effort into this as you can and bear the following in mind:
Evaluate your learning
You will evaluate your learning at the end of CBA 2. This section is important because it shows your teacher what you have learned and how you think you will use this knowledge in the upcoming project. Use this section to show off; go into detail on the knowledge you have gained from this project and how you will/might apply this knowledge in the future. It is important to have learned something new and interesting from CBA 2.
Primary and secondary research
Use both primary and secondary research for this CBA. Throughout your work, make sure to keep note of all of the books/websites/shops, etc. that you use and list them at the end of the project as evidence of your research.
Feedback
As with CBA 1, you will get feedback throughout your project. Use it to improve your work before submitting it.
The project
This project, issued in October of 3rd year, is worth 70% of your overall grade and this is where you get to show off your practical skills. All the skills you have learned since 1st year will be tested in this project, skills like:
Marking out
Filing
Cutting
Drilling
Wiring an electronic circuit
The brief
The working drawing will be given out to each student and all the information needed to make your project is on that drawing. There is a set time on this project and the deadline date will be on the front of the project brief. It usually runs for approximately 5-6 months, from mid-October to April.
The teacher will cut the blanks for each piece for you and guide you through the parts as you go. Remember that this is your project so take your time on each and every part and do it to the best of your ability.
Top tip
When you get the working drawing from your teacher, it might seem a little daunting but once you get started on your first piece, you will gain more confidence. Take it one part at a time and you’ll be surprised how quickly the parts build up.
Work plan
It is a good idea to make a work plan for each week/month for yourself so that you can gauge how your work is going and make sure that you are staying on track. Here's a rough draft of a work plan:
| Timeline | Part | Process | Special notes | Tick once complete |
| Week 1 | Part 1 |
|
All dimensioned holes are 3.5 mm.
|
|
| Week 2 | Part 2 |
|
M4 = drill 3.2 mm. | |
| Week 3 | ..... | ..... | ..... | |
| Week 19 | Wiring | ..... | ..... | |
| Week 20 | Assembly | ..... | ..... | |
| Week 21 | Finishing touches | ..... | ..... |
Top tip
Each piece must be marked out properly, cut and filed, drilled, bent, smooth filed, emery papered and polished. Take this into account when planning.
Good to know
Here's some advice for your project:
Bending
Leave any bending until the last step. That way, all drilling, smooth filing, etc. can be completed while the piece can still be held in a vice.
Smooth finish
Spend time on smooth filing, emery papering and polishing. It's important to get a perfectly smooth finish on each part.
Painting
If you are going to paint some of your parts, ensure that you have it prepped properly and use an undercoat where possible. If you choose to paint a part, leave the painting until the end as paint can get scratched easily.
Timing
Give yourself enough time towards the end of the project to wire your electronic circuit, test it and give each part its final polish. Make sure you have enough time to do your first assembly, make any necessary adjustments and complete your final assembly. These all take longer than expected so don’t get caught out on time. As the deadline approaches you might find yourself getting tired but stay focused and give each part the time it deserves.
Complete the piece
This is the first impression the examiner will get of your project and you want them to see a fully assembled and well-finished project. First impressions count.
Remember
Every single part is important so keep all of your marking out and make your drilling and bending as exact as you can. Your accuracy will be reflected in your assembly and the more accurate your work is, the better the assembly will be.
The written exam
This takes place in June and is worth 30% of your overall grade. It's common level and is 1 hour and 30 minutes in length. You must answer every question on the paper with a mixture of writing and sketching required. All answers go in the spaces provided on the paper so make sure to stay within any boxes. Here's some more advice for the exam:
Highlight keywords
When you get the paper, take a deep breath and read through the full paper before you write anything. As you read, underline or highlight the keywords and terms from each question and this will help you to be clear on what is being asked of you.
Understand question words
Familiarise yourself with the verbs used in each question such as 'describe', 'identify', 'state', 'explain', etc. and make sure you know the difference between them. Two commonly confused terms used in exam questions are 'applications' and 'functions'. An application is what something is used for while the function is how something works.
Your sketches
If you are asked to draw a sketch, use a pencil and colouring pencils to create a drawing that is full of detail, rendering, shading, etc. The examiner doesn’t expect you to be an artist but make your sketches as clear and precise as you can. If you need to add some notes to make it clearer, you can do that by using short statements with arrows pointing to the relevant parts.
Answer the question asked
There are lines and boxes allocated for each answer so think about your answer before you write anything. Make sure that you are answering exactly what is being asked of you. Finally, there will be questions that you feel you have not covered in your theory topics but read the question carefully and you will be able to relate it to work you have done in your 3 years of study. Remember, these questions are designed to test you.
Topics
The first Junior Cycle Engineering exam paper was issued in 2022 and from this, we can see that all the topics you cover from 1st year are intermingled throughout the questions. There is no set 'drilling' question or 'health and safety' question as in previous years so with this in mind, you will need to cover the following topics to ensure that you are prepared for the exam paper:
Materials (properties, selection, finishes and applications)
Health and safety
Electronics and robotics
Soldering
Design and graphics
The engine
Marking out and measuring
General benchwork (processes, tools and equipment)
Mechanisms
Drilling
Technology in our world
Smart technologies
Assembly/joining techniques
Decorative finishes
Energy
Heat treatments
Polymers and polymer manufacturing
Timing
As with every exam paper, timing is important. You have 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the paper to the best of your ability and this is your time to show the examiner everything you know.
There are 4 questions on the paper and each question has multiple parts (there is no set timing for a single question). The time that you give yourself to read the full paper at the beginning is invaluable to you as this allows you to see how long each question is and the number of parts in each one. Here's a draft time breakdown for the exam:
| 9 minutes |
|
| 18 minutes |
|
| 18 minutes |
|
| 18 minutes |
|
| 18 minutes |
|
| 9 minutes |
|
Good to know
Here's some useful information and advice for the exam:
Use a blue/black pen
Use a blue or black pen and write as clearly and neatly as possible.
Sketches
All sketches should be done in pencil with the use of colouring pencils to enhance the diagrams.
Leave nothing blank
If you come upon a question that you find difficult, relax and trust your knowledge. Do not leave any section blank if you can help it as the examiner will want you to try your best. Leaving a section blank doesn’t look good. Remember, you want to show off your hard work to the examiner and that you deserve the marks.
Examples
Try to give everyday examples when required and try to relate the examples to topics you have studied.
Remember
When you are sitting in the exam you already have a project worth 70% finished. You are nearly at the end and you've got this.
Final tips
Final Tips
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Attend class
Your attendance in all your classes is very important but your attendance during the 5-6 months while the project is running is worth 70% to you. When you turn up to your classes, listen to your teacher and try your best to soak up the knowledge around you.
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Prepare for class tests
When a test is coming up, make sure you know what topics will be examined, revise them and do some practice questions. At this stage, you will know how best you learn and using Studyclix to do past papers will help you prepare.
2
Ask for feedback
Always ask for feedback/help and be open to changing your work. Remember, your teacher knows what work will get the best marks.
3
Learn from mistakes
When it comes to class tests, fix any errors and find out where you lost marks. If you are unsure, ask your teacher. Doing all of these corrections will help you when it comes to the real thing.
4
Practice makes perfect
Complete any and all written work set for you in class or for homework. This is excellent practice for your final written exam and like anything, practice makes perfect.
5
Past exam questions
Practicing questions from past exam papers will help you prepare as most exam papers are very similar in layout and question type. Remember, Studyclix is jam-packed with exam help from past papers to blogs to quizzes.
6
Know about new technologies
Stay on top of new technologies and their advantages and disadvantages to society, the environment and to old/young people. Remember, all new (and old) technologies have both positives and negatives.
Trust yourself
Be open to questions on the exam paper that you haven’t come across before and don't panic. These are the ones designed to make you think and you know more than you think you do so trust yourself.
Some final tips
for the Junior Cycle Engineering exam.
Attend class
Your attendance in all your classes is very important but your attendance during the 5-6 months while the project is running is worth 70% to you. When you turn up to your classes, listen to your teacher and try your best to soak up the knowledge around you.
Prepare for class tests
When a test is coming up, make sure you know what topics will be examined, revise them and do some practice questions. At this stage, you will know how best you learn and using Studyclix to do past papers will help you prepare.
Ask for feedback
Always ask for feedback/help and be open to changing your work. Remember, your teacher knows what work will get the best marks.
Learn from mistakes
When it comes to class tests, fix any errors and find out where you lost marks. If you are unsure, ask your teacher. Doing all of these corrections will help you when it comes to the real thing.
Practice makes perfect
Complete any and all written work set for you in class or for homework. This is excellent practice for your final written exam and like anything, practice makes perfect.
Past exam questions
Practicing questions from past exam papers will help you prepare as most exam papers are very similar in layout and question type. Remember, Studyclix is jam-packed with exam help from past papers to blogs to quizzes.
Know about new technologies
Stay on top of new technologies and their advantages and disadvantages to society, the environment and to old/young people. Remember, all new (and old) technologies have both positives and negatives.
Trust yourself
Be open to questions on the exam paper that you haven’t come across before and don't panic. These are the ones designed to make you think and you know more than you think you do so trust yourself.
Hope these help - happy studying!
Best of luck! You'll be great.
By Sarah-Jane Mulcahy
Sarah-Jane Mulcahy teaches Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert Engineering.