What is the Leaving Certificate Applied?

The Leaving Certificate Applied is a distinct, self-contained two-year programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life. The programme puts an emphasis on forms of achievement and excellence, which the established Leaving Certificate has not recognised in the past.

Why was the Leaving Certificate Applied introduced?

The Leaving Certificate Applied was introduced to recognise the talents of all students and provide opportunities for development in terms of responsibility, self-esteem and self-knowledge. It is an innovative programme in the way students learn, in what they learn and in the way their achievements are assessed

Who would benefit most from the Leaving Certificate Applied?

The Leaving Certificate Applied is intended to meet the needs of those students who are not adequately catered for by other Leaving Certificate programmes or who choose not to opt for such programmes.

What is the advantage of the Leaving Certificate Applied?

The advantage of Leaving Certificate Applied is that it focuses on the talents of each individual student and helps students apply what they learn in the real world. The two-year programme consists of four half-year blocks called Sessions and achievements are credited in each of these Sessions

Do Leaving Certificate Applied students receive a Leaving Certificate?

Yes. Students who successfully complete the programme will receive a Leaving Certificate from the State Examinations Commission. All credits awarded will be recorded on the Leaving Certificate Applied parchment.

Assessment

What’s different about The Leaving Certificate Applied is that students are examined on their work as they go along.
The programme is divided into half year blocks called ‘sessions’ of which there are four over the two year programme. Students are assessed on their work in January and May of each year when a session ends
 

Students who successfully complete the programme will receive a Leaving Certificate from the State Examinations Commission. All credits awarded will be recorded on the Leaving Certificate Applied parchment.
This certificate will be awarded at three levels: 

Award

Candidates who acquire less than 120 credits will receive a Record of Experience. This will also apply to those who leave before the end of the programme.

The Leaving Certificate Applied assessment takes place over the two years under three headings:

Satisfactory Completion of Modules

Performance of Student Tasks

Performance in the Terminal Examinations.

• Modules
  At the end of each Session a student is credited on satisfactory completion of the appropriate modules (coursework).

• Student Tasks
  Student Tasks (projects) are assessed by external examiners appointed by the Department of Education and Science. These Tasks may be in a variety of formats – written, audio, video, artefact etc. Each student is also required to produce a report on the process of completing the Task. This report may be incorporated in the evidence of task performance.Chief Examiner Reports on all student tasks are available to download from the State Examinations Commission Website at www.examinations.ie

• Terminal Examinations
  Terminal Examinations are provided in the following areas:

English and Communication
Two Vocational Specialisms
Mathematical Applications
Language (Gaeilge Chumarsáideach & Modern European Languages)
Social Education

The written examinations will generally be held in the same period as other Leaving Certificate examinations.

Oral examinations, as well as written/aural examinations, will be held in the case of all the languages including English and Communications.

Past examination papers, practical examination assignment briefs, marking schemes and Chief Examiner Reports are available to download from the website of the State Examinations Commission at www.examinations.ie