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Subjects · Leaving Cert Biology

Leaving Cert Biology: Circulation

How often Circulation comes up on the Biology papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 7 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

OL Asked on 9 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Biology course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Circulation, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Circulation.

(a)Heart chamber that pumps blood to the body?
  1. Right ventricle
  2. Left ventricle
  3. Left atrium
(b)Largest artery in the body?
  1. Pulmonary artery
  2. Vena cava
  3. Aorta
(c)Valve between right atrium and right ventricle?
  1. Tricuspid
  2. Semilunar
  3. Bicuspid
Show the answers

(a) Left ventricle

(b) Aorta

(c) Tricuspid

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Circulation.

Higher Level

Asked on 7 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q7, Q17
2025Q17
2024Q6
2023Q6, Q10, Q17
2022Q17
2021Not asked
2019Not asked
2018Q11
2017Not asked
2016Q8, Q15

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

More Circulation questions

Circulation, 2 marks

Tissue fluid that has drained into lymph vessels?

  1. Plasma
  2. Bile
  3. Lymph
Show the answer

Lymph

Lymph carries fluid back to the blood and fats from the lacteals. Lymph nodes along the way filter it and contain lymphocytes.

Circulation, 2 marks

What should you do before measuring resting pulse rate?

  1. Hold your breath for ten seconds
  2. Sit quietly for a few minutes
  3. Jog on the spot for a minute
Show the answer

Sit quietly for a few minutes

Activity raises heart rate, so resting first gives a true baseline. Count beats for 30 seconds and double it, or count a full minute.

Circulation, 2 marks

Blood pressure is normally measured in?

  1. An artery in the upper arm
  2. A vein in the back of the hand
  3. A capillary in the fingertip
Show the answer

An artery in the upper arm

Blood pressure is the force of blood on artery walls, highest when the ventricles contract. It is recorded as two numbers.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 9 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q10, Q16
2025Q17
2024Q10
2023Q15
2022Q17
2021Q13
2019Q9
2018Q7, Q12
2017Q15
2016Not asked

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

More Circulation questions

Circulation, 3 marks

Which chamber of the heart pumps blood out to the body?

  1. The right ventricle
  2. The left atrium
  3. The left ventricle
Show the answer

The left ventricle

The left ventricle pushes blood all the way around the body, so it has the thickest muscular wall. The right ventricle only reaches the lungs.

Circulation, 2 marks

Which blood vessel carries blood away from the heart?

  1. A capillary
  2. An artery
  3. A vein
Show the answer

An artery

A for Artery, A for Away. Arteries have thick muscular walls to take the high pressure of each heartbeat.

Circulation, 2 marks

In which blood vessel does exchange with the tissues take place?

  1. A capillary
  2. An artery
  3. A vein
Show the answer

A capillary

Capillary walls are one cell thick, so food and oxygen pass out and wastes pass in easily.

Other Biology topics

All of Leaving Cert Biology