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Subjects · Leaving Certificate

Leaving Cert Construction Studies

What has come up on the Construction Studies papers (2016–2025), topic by topic, with step-by-step practice at Higher Level and Ordinary Level.

Higher Level Ordinary Level

Construction Studies, Higher Level(7 marks)

Three quick ones from the Construction Studies topics that come up most.

(a)Best orientation for the main living spaces of an Irish house?
  1. North to north-east
  2. South to south-west
  3. East to north-east
(b)What is embodied energy in a material?
  1. Energy stored inside the insulation layer
  2. Energy used to heat the house for a year
  3. Energy to extract, make, transport and install it
(c)A floor loses 150 W for 2400 hours a year. How much energy is that?
  1. 360 kWh
  2. 36 kWh
  3. 3600 kWh
Show the answers

(a) South to south-west

(b) Energy to extract, make, transport and install it

(c) 360 kWh

Your turn: pick the answer for each one.

Higher Level

470 flash cards and 270 step-by-step drill questions at Higher Level.

What comes up

How many of the last 9 Construction Studies Higher Level papers asked each topic.

TopicAskedLast seenHow often
Low-energy & eco-friendly design banker9 of 92025
House design & room layout banker9 of 92025
U-values & heat-loss costs banker9 of 92025
Vernacular & heritage buildings most years8 of 92025
Passive House & EnerPHit most years8 of 92025
Renewable energy systems most years7 of 92024
Airtightness & ventilation most years6 of 92025
Windows & glazing most years6 of 92025
Pitched roofs 5 of 92024
Health & safety 5 of 92025
Orientation, solar gain & shading 5 of 92025
Thermal bridges & condensation 4 of 92023
Central heating systems 4 of 92024
Ground floors & radon 4 of 92025

More topics: Site selection & layout, Universal design & lifetime use, Chimneys & flues, Daylight & artificial lighting, Doors & thresholds, Electrical installation, External walls, Flat roofs, Drainage & wastewater treatment, Foundations & concrete, Insulation & energy upgrades, Planning permission & regulations, Stairs & landings, Timber upper floors, House purchase & the industry, Sound insulation & acoustics, Water supply & plumbing.

These counts come from the 2016–2025 papers. June 2028 is the first exam on the new Construction Studies specification, so read them as a guide to the core topics; the app follows the course for the June you sit.

Try three

U-values & heat-loss costs, 3 marks

1,120,500 kJ of heat is lost. Oil gives 37,350 kJ/L at €1.10 per litre. Cost?

  1. €27.27
  2. €3.30
  3. €33.00
Show the answer

€33.00

Oil = 1,120,500 ÷ 37,350 = 30 L. Cost = 30 × €1.10 = €33.00. Dividing the litres by the price instead gives €27.27.

Low-energy & eco-friendly design, 3 marks

How does designing to standard board and block sizes reduce waste?

  1. It avoids planning permission
  2. Fewer offcuts end up in skips
  3. It lowers the U-value
Show the answer

Fewer offcuts end up in skips

Setting heights and spans to suit 2400 × 1200 mm sheets or whole blocks means fewer cuts, less waste and faster building, which supports the circular economy.

House design & room layout, 3 marks

One advantage of an open-plan kitchen-dining-living area?

  1. Shared daylight and a flexible, sociable space
  2. Better sound separation between activities
  3. Easier to heat each activity separately
Show the answer

Shared daylight and a flexible, sociable space

Removing walls lets light from several orientations reach the whole space and suits family life, but noise and cooking smells travel more easily.

Practise Construction Studies HL free

Ordinary Level

370 flash cards and 180 step-by-step drill questions at Ordinary Level.

What comes up

How many of the last 9 Construction Studies Ordinary Level papers asked each topic.

TopicAskedLast seenHow often
Timber, joints, tools & finishes banker9 of 92025
Water supply & plumbing banker9 of 92025
Insulation & energy upgrades banker9 of 92025
Health & safety banker9 of 92025
Foundations & concrete most years8 of 92025
Windows & glazing most years8 of 92025
Renewable energy systems most years7 of 92024
House design & room layout most years6 of 92025
External walls most years6 of 92025
Pitched roofs most years6 of 92025
Drainage & wastewater treatment most years6 of 92025
Stairs & landings most years6 of 92025
Plaster, paint & floor finishes most years6 of 92024
Stud partitions & internal walls 5 of 92025

More topics: Doors & thresholds, Universal design & lifetime use, Central heating systems, Timber upper floors, Ground floors & radon, Electrical installation, Planning permission & regulations, Thermal bridges & condensation, Airtightness & ventilation, Daylight & artificial lighting, Flat roofs, Low-energy & eco-friendly design, Chimneys & flues, Orientation, solar gain & shading, Site selection & layout, Sound insulation & acoustics, Vernacular & heritage buildings.

These counts come from the 2016–2025 papers. June 2028 is the first exam on the new Construction Studies specification, so read them as a guide to the core topics; the app follows the course for the June you sit.

Try three

Insulation & energy upgrades, 3 marks

Advantage of external wall insulation over internal insulation?

  1. It needs no finish on the outside
  2. It is always the cheapest option
  3. No loss of floor space inside the rooms
Show the answer

No loss of floor space inside the rooms

Boards go on the outside and are rendered, so rooms keep their size. The whole wall stays warm, which also cuts thermal bridges and condensation.

Water supply & plumbing, 3 marks

Cylinder heated by a coil of boiler water that never mixes with the tap water?

  1. Header tank
  2. Indirect cylinder
  3. Direct cylinder
Show the answer

Indirect cylinder

In an indirect cylinder the heating water passes through a coil and warms the tap water around it. The two waters stay separate.

Timber, joints, tools & finishes, 3 marks

Defect where a board curves across its width?

  1. Cupping
  2. Bowing
  3. Springing
Show the answer

Cupping

Cupping happens as a board dries unevenly, often a flat-sawn board shrinking more on one face. Bowing and springing are bends along the length.

Practise Construction Studies OL free

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