An inquiry into the controversial higher-level Leaving Cert maths paper has been demanded by Sinn Fein.

The exam has been criticised by several members of the education sector, who claim it was too difficult and badly worded.

In an interview with the Irish Times, Aidan Rowntree of the Institute of Education in Dublin said: "Students' nervousness in advance of this exam paper was well-founded."

He claimed one of the questions was particularly hard and "stopped them [pupils] in their tracks".

"Overall this was quite a difficult paper, especially given that this is the first full group of students to sit Project Maths," Eamon Toland of themathstutor.ie website added.

Sinn Fein education spokesman Sean Crowe said the commission and Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn need to review the complaints made and ensure the paper is improved.

More than 10,000 students sat the maths paper, which contained elements of the new Projects Maths curriculum that will be fully implemented in 2014.

Written by Donal Walsh

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