Ceist Eile

Ceist Eile is in development. Features, questions and prices may change while we refine it.

Subjects · Leaving Cert Agricultural Science

Leaving Cert Agricultural Science: Investigations & data

How often Investigations & data comes up on the Agricultural Science papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 5 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

OL Asked on 5 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Investigations & data, Higher Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Investigations & data.

(a)In an experiment testing the effect of lime on grass yield, what is the independent variable?
  1. The grass yield
  2. The amount of lime applied
  3. The number of weeds
(b)What is the purpose of a control in an agricultural investigation?
  1. To remove the need for repeats
  2. To increase the sample size
  3. To give a baseline for comparison
(c)A weighing scale always reads 0.5 kg too high. What type of error is this?
  1. Systematic error
  2. Sampling error
  3. Random error
Show the answers

(a) The amount of lime applied

(b) To give a baseline for comparison

(c) Systematic error

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Investigations & data.

Higher Level

Asked on 5 of the last 5 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q14, Q17
2024Q16
2023Q8, Q13c
2022Q3, Q16
2021Q2b, Q15

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

More Investigations & data questions

Investigations & data, 3 marks

Why are treatment plots in a field trial placed at random rather than in a neat row?

  1. So the plots are easier to cut with the harvester
  2. So fewer plots are needed to get a clear result
  3. So differences across the field do not bias one treatment
Show the answer

So differences across the field do not bias one treatment

Fields vary in drainage, shelter and fertility. Randomising plot positions spreads those differences across treatments so they do not favour one.

Investigations & data, 2 marks

Four lambs weigh 30, 32, 31 and 35 kg. What is their mean weight?

  1. 33 kg
  2. 32 kg
  3. 31.5 kg
Show the answer

32 kg

Mean = total / number = (30 + 32 + 31 + 35) / 4 = 128 / 4 = 32 kg.

Investigations & data, 2 marks

Daily milk yields are 18, 24, 21 and 27 litres. What is the range?

  1. 9 litres
  2. 22.5 litres
  3. 27 litres
Show the answer

9 litres

Range = highest - lowest = 27 - 18 = 9 litres. It shows how spread out the results are; 22.5 is the mean.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 5 of the last 5 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q14, Q15c
2024Q12, Q13
2023Q15, Q16
2022Q8, Q13
2021Q5, Q7, Q14, Q17, Q18d

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

More Investigations & data questions

Investigations & data, 2 marks

In an experiment, the factor you deliberately change is called the?

  1. Dependent variable
  2. Controlled variable
  3. Independent variable
Show the answer

Independent variable

You change the independent variable and measure the dependent variable. Everything else is kept the same so the test is fair.

Investigations & data, 3 marks

A student tests how fertiliser rate affects grass yield. What is the dependent variable?

  1. Type of grass sown
  2. Grass yield
  3. Fertiliser rate
Show the answer

Grass yield

The dependent variable is what you measure. It depends on the fertiliser rate you chose, which is the independent variable.

Investigations & data, 2 marks

What makes an investigation a fair test?

  1. Only one variable is changed at a time
  2. Every variable is changed together
  3. The test is done only once
Show the answer

Only one variable is changed at a time

If two things change at once, you cannot tell which one caused the result. Keep all other conditions the same.

Other Agricultural Science topics

All of Leaving Cert Agricultural Science