The Junior Cycle Science course is much broader than the old course. Here is a breakdown of the topics you can expect to see in your exam:
Guide
Everything you need to study Junior Cycle Science
- 3 minute read
If you're willing to put in the work, Junior Cycle Science is one of the more straightforward exams to prepare for as the information you need to remember is very factual. Studyclix has loads of helpful resources to help you study and be prepared for the science exam.
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What's involved?
Biology
- Biodiversity
- Breathing system
- Cells
- Circulatory system
- Digestive system
- Ecology and habitat study
- Evolution
- Genetics
- Human health
- Human reproduction
- Photosynthesis
- Plant growth and reproduction
- Respiration
Chemistry
- Acids and bases
- Chemical reactions
- Common gasses
- Elements, compounds and mixtures
- Metals and non-metals
- Separating mixtures
- Solutions
- States of matter
- The atom
- The periodic table
Earth and space
- Earth in balance
- Earth, sun and moon
- Energy sources
- The origin of the universe
- Space
- The water and carbon cycles
Physics
- Density
- Electricity
- Energy
- Forces
- Measurement
- Speed, velocity and acceleration
- Biodiversity
- Breathing system
- Cells
- Circulatory system
- Digestive system
- Ecology and habitat study
- Evolution
- Genetics
- Human health
- Human reproduction
- Photosynthesis
- Plant growth and reproduction
- Respiration
Exam structure
The Junior Cycle Science exam is marked out of 400 marks:
Written exam: the final exam is a two-hour, common-level paper. It is worth 90% of the overall grade.
CBAs: you will also need to complete two CBAs. Here is a breakdown of each CBA:
CBA 1: Extended Experimental Investigation (EEI)
CBA 1 is a written assessment which is submitted at the end of 2nd Year. It’s a chance to develop your practical skills as a scientist and achieving an 'exceptional' will get your Junior Cycle off to a great start. You can choose any topic to research and carry out an experiment on.
CBA 2: Science in Society Investigation (SSI)
CBA 2 is a written assignment completed around Christmas time in 3rd year. It gives you an opportunity to research an area of controversy in science that you would like to learn more about. It is a project in which you will put your research skills and critical thinking to good use.
Assessment Task: this is worth 10% of the overall grade and students must complete a written reflection task that is related to CBA 2. The content and format of this task may vary from year to year.
More information
Top tips for science
The exam tends to cover most of the topics so it's not a good idea to take shortcuts by leaving out topics. Study one topic at a time and then go through it on Studyclix, comparing your answers with the marking scheme.
Make sure you go over your definitions as many questions will ask you to define a key term. Don't forget to go over your experiments as these always make up a big part of the exam. Practicing past exam papers is especially important in Science.
How Studyclix can help you study science
CBA guides
If you're wondering where to start and how exactly to approach your science CBAs, you've come to the right place. Conor, an experienced Junior Cycle Science teacher, has created two CBA guides to help guide you through every step of the way:
Distinction guide
The new Junior Cycle Science course is much broader than the old Junior Cert Exam. Although the lack of structure to the paper can put some students off, the paper is actually doable. In this guide, you will hopefully get a better understanding of the course and how to ace it.
Quizzes
An effective way to learn off definitions and formulas is by going through our science quizzes. These have been created based on past exam paper questions and include lots of content that will be useful for your science exam.
To find out more about quizzes, check out this blog post. Otherwise, you can start taking quizzes by clicking on the quiz button on your science homepage.
Top tip
Stuck on a question? Not sure about a topic? Looking for some more notes? Try asking our community page for some tips and advice. There are plenty of students and teachers there who are more than willing to help you out.
Brand New: Studyclix Digital flashcards
Our flashcards have gone and got a whole new look! You can now use Studyclix Digital Flashcards to study for Junior Cycle Science.
How do they work?
Click through all of the flashcards you need to know in each topic using the 'previous' and 'next' buttons on the flashcards.
Want to mix it up? Hit the shuffle button. Looking to test yourself again? Do it by hitting restart. You can also share, print or view the full deck. It's all at your fingertips.
Find all of the flashcards we have available below:
Have some ideas for more resources?
We are always looking for new ways to improve our site so we would love to hear your feedback. Get in touch by emailing info@studyclix.ie 😊