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Junior Cycle Wood Technology: Hardwoods & softwoods

How often Hardwoods & softwoods comes up on the Wood Technology papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

CL Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Hardwoods & softwoods, Common Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Hardwoods & softwoods.

(a)Hardwood timber comes from which kind of tree?
  1. Coniferous trees
  2. Broadleaved trees
  3. Needle-leaved trees
(b)Balsa is very light and soft, yet it is classed as a hardwood. Why?
  1. Its seeds are found in cones
  2. It is harder than softwoods
  3. It comes from a broadleaved tree
(c)Scots pine, Sitka spruce and larch all give softwood timber. This is because they are…
  1. Conifers, with needles and cones
  2. Trees that have soft, light wood
  3. Trees with broad, flat leaves
Show the answers

(a) Broadleaved trees

(b) It comes from a broadleaved tree

(c) Conifers, with needles and cones

Your turn: Common Level questions on Hardwoods & softwoods.

Common Level

Asked on 5 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q1a
2025Q1a
2024Q4b
2023Q1b
2022Q3c

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Hardwoods & softwoods questions

Hardwoods & softwoods, 2 marks

A tree that loses all its leaves in autumn is described as…

  1. Evergreen
  2. Coniferous
  3. Deciduous
Show the answer

Deciduous

Deciduous trees such as oak, ash and beech drop their leaves in autumn to save water and energy over winter. Most conifers are evergreen, but larch is a deciduous conifer.

Hardwoods & softwoods, 3 marks

Holly keeps its leaves all winter. Is its timber a hardwood or a softwood?

  1. Softwood, because its wood is so pale
  2. Hardwood, because it is broadleaved
  3. Softwood, because it is evergreen
Show the answer

Hardwood, because it is broadleaved

Hardwood or softwood depends on the type of tree, not on leaf fall or colour. Holly is a broadleaved evergreen, so its very hard, white timber is a hardwood.

Other Wood Technology topics

All of Junior Cycle Wood Technology