From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

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From Leaving Certificate to Leaving School
I was happy with my Mock results so like I, I’m not that worried
about it. (Fig Lane, coed school, middle-class intake)
For other students, the Mock exams act as a ‘wake-up call’, highlighting
that they need to work harder in order to get the grades they want in
various subjects:
They kind of wake you up.
Yeah, big time.
They let you know where you are at. Like I always thought in certain
subjects I could get a B in them but I got a low C. I realised that you
can’t just get it easy like. You have to do study for it. You have to do
an hour a night study, I can barely do an hour a week. (Argyle Street,
coed school, mixed intake)
Students appear to appreciate the timing of these exams which allows
enough time before the Leaving Certificate to make changes and work
harder:
Interviewer: Do you think it was worthwhile doing the Mock exams?
Yeah.
It frightened the life out of us. (Barrack Street, girls’ school, working-class
intake)
We need to study harder.
Yeah, some subjects that you think you should pass, you have to
study more. (Park Street, boys’ school, mixed intake)
But they make you ready … when the [Mock] results came back you
definitely think ‘wow I can do a lot better’ because you didn’t, you
didn’t do well in a certain subject but you didn’t study for it as hard
as you knew you could so you know you can do a lot better. (Fig
Lane, coed school, middle-class intake)
As reported by key personnel, becoming familiar with the layout and
timing of exam questions was also seen as an important aspect of the
Mocks for students: