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Subjects · Leaving Cert Engineering

Leaving Cert Engineering: Robotics & automation

How often Robotics & automation comes up on the Engineering papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 9 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

OL Asked on 8 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

June 2028 is the first exam on the new Engineering course. These come from the 2016–2025 papers, so read them as a guide.

Robotics & automation, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Robotics & automation.

(a)The gripper or tool on the end of a robot arm is called the?
  1. Working envelope
  2. End effector
  3. Teach pendant
(b)The working envelope of a robot is?
  1. The tool mounted on the wrist
  2. The guard around the robot cell
  3. The volume of space it can reach
(c)How many degrees of freedom has a typical six-axis articulated robot arm?
  1. 6
  2. 12
  3. 3
Show the answers

(a) End effector

(b) The volume of space it can reach

(c) 6

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Robotics & automation.

Higher Level

Asked on 9 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q8(c)OR
2024Q6(c)OR
2023Q6(c)OR
2022Q2, Q6(c)OR
2021Q6(c)OR
2019Q5(c)OR
2018Q5(c)OR
2017Q1B, Q5(c)OR
2016Q5(c)OR

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

More Robotics & automation questions

Robotics & automation, 3 marks

The repeatability of a robot means?

  1. The maximum payload it can carry at full reach
  2. How many axes it has and how far each can turn
  3. How closely it returns to the same taught point each time
Show the answer

How closely it returns to the same taught point each time

A robot with a repeatability of 0.05 mm returns within that distance of a taught point every cycle. It matters for welding and assembly.

Robotics & automation, 2 marks

Best end effector to lift a large flat sheet of glass from above?

  1. Spot-welding gun
  2. Vacuum suction cups
  3. Electromagnet
Show the answer

Vacuum suction cups

Suction cups grip smooth flat surfaces without marking them. Glass is not magnetic, and a welding gun is a tool, not a gripper.

Robotics & automation, 3 marks

Sensor on a robot joint that measures its angle for feedback?

  1. Rotary encoder
  2. LDR
  3. Microphone
Show the answer

Rotary encoder

An encoder gives pulses as the joint turns, so the controller knows the exact angle and can correct it. That is closed-loop position control.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 8 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q3(d)OR
2024Q3(d)OR
2023Q3(d)OR
2022Q3(d)OR
2021Q3(d)OR
2019Q1(d), Q3(d)OR
2018Q3(d)OR
2017Q3(d)OR
2016Not asked

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

More Robotics & automation questions

Robotics & automation, 2 marks

What is a cobot?

  1. A robot that works only inside a cage
  2. A remote-controlled toy
  3. A robot built to work safely beside people
Show the answer

A robot built to work safely beside people

Collaborative robots have force sensors and speed limits so they stop if they touch a person. They share the workspace instead of being fenced off.

Robotics & automation, 3 marks

Why are robots used for welding car bodies?

  1. They are cheaper to buy than hand welders
  2. They work non-stop with the same accuracy
  3. They need no programming or setting up
Show the answer

They work non-stop with the same accuracy

Robots repeat the same path exactly, shift after shift, and keep workers away from fumes, heat and arc light. The downside is the high cost of buying and programming them.

Robotics & automation, 2 marks

What is the end effector on a robot arm?

  1. The tool on the end, like a gripper or weld gun
  2. The robot's base, bolted to the floor
  3. The program that controls its movements
Show the answer

The tool on the end, like a gripper or weld gun

The end effector does the actual job: grippers, suction cups, welding torches or spray guns. It can be changed so one robot does different tasks.

Other Engineering topics

All of Leaving Cert Engineering