LCA
Leaving Cert Applied is a two-year programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life.
The Leaving Cert Applied is often taken by senior-level school students who feel the traditional Leaving Certificate isn’t for them, but who still want to continue with school and prepare for life after they leave.
What is the difference between the Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied?
Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) is split into four half-year sessions, with more emphasis on continuous assessment instead of the end of year exams.
This is different to the Leaving Cert which focuses on the final exams taken at the end of two years (5th and 6th year).
What is involved in LCA?
The different elements of the LCA include vocational preparation and general education, taken as modules at different times over the two years.
Vocational preparation
Vocational preparation involves:
- Applying maths in everyday life
General education
General education involves gaining skills and knowledge in areas such as:
- The arts (dance, drama, craft and design, etc.)
Earning credits
You will earn credits for the work you do in each half-year session. There are final exams that take place in June – the same time as the regular Leaving Cert exams – but your grades will not depend entirely on those exams because you will have built up credits during the year.
What exams are involved in LCA?
The exams that are taken as part of the LCA include:
- English and communication
- Two vocational specialisations (practical exams)
- Mathematical applications
- Language (written and oral in all languages)
Grading for the LCA
The grading of the Leaving Cert Applied is broken down into:
What can I do after LCA?
LCA prepares you to move on to further education or to find work after you’ve completed the course.
Students who do LCA can continue on to Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses to gain more knowledge and skills in a certain area.
If going college and getting a degree is something you’d like to work towards, you will not be able to go straight into a degree course after LCA. However, doing a PLC course can offer opportunities to progress onto university or college.