The Project Maths curricular development initiative involves the phased development and introduction of new syllabuses in Mathematics for both Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate students. Certain elements of the syllabus have been introduced to an initial group of twenty four schools since September 2008 where the Leaving Certificate candidates will have different examination arrangements when they take their Mathematics examination in June 2010. This means that the Leaving Certificate candidates in the twenty-four initial schools will sit the same Paper 1 as all other candidates, and a different Paper 2 from all other candidates. At Junior Certificate, the candidates in the initial group of 24 schools will have different examination arrangements in 2011.

The second phase of the curriculum development will see Leaving Certificate candidates in the initial 24 Project Maths schools having different examination arrangements in 2011, and in 2012 for Junior Certificate candidates. Likewise, the third phase will be examined at Leaving Certificate level in June 2012 and Junior Certificate 2013.

The revised syllabus will be rolled out to all schools on a similarly phased basis, commencing in September 2010 and all Leaving Certificate candidates taking examinations in June 2012 will be examined on the first phase of the revised syllabus and Junior Certificate candidates in June 2013. The phasing will continue in subsequent years until the full syllabus has been implemented across the post-primary sector for first examination at Leaving Certificate in June 2014 and at Junior Certificate in June 2015.

The syllabuses at all levels are divided into five strands. There are three phases in the implementation of the project. The first phase involves two of the five strands, the second phase involves another two and the third phase involves the final strand. With each new phase, revised examination arrangements are required at all levels. The experiences of the schools who are participating in the phased introduction of Project Maths are taken into account in finalising the various syllabus strands.

You can find Leaving Certificate sample examination papers for Strands One and Two here.

Project Maths Paper 2 Sample Papers Higher Level
Project Maths Paper 2 Sample Papers Ordinary Level
Project Maths Paper 2 Sample Papers Foundation Level

These sample papers are relevant only to candidates sitting their examination in 2010 and only to those candidates in the intial 24 schools who are undertaking Project Maths. New sample papers will be provided each year as the remaining strands are introduced.

You can find a report here, Report on Final Trial from the State Examinations Commission on the trialling of the draft Leaving Certificate sample papers for phase 1 of Project Maths in twenty-four schools. The purpose of the trialling process was to measure the effectiveness of the draft sample papers and the marking schemes, rather than to test current levels of candidate achievement. As a result of the trialling process and feedback received from relevant parties, the present report was prepared and amendments were made to the drafts. The finalised versions of the sample papers were issued to coincide with this report. Feedback from the trialling exercise has also informed the work of the NCCA in providing further assessment examples for school use.

http://www.ncca.ie/en