School Leaving Certificate
Most Senior Cycle students in Ireland choose the established Leaving Certificate. The established Leaving Certificate is a two-year programme, containing a range of distinct subjects.
Subjects are normally studied at either Ordinary or Higher Level. Two subjects, Irish and Mathematics, can be studied at Foundation Level. Foundation Level is geared to the needs of students who might have difficulty with those subjects at Ordinary or Higher Level.
Students normally study six or seven subjects during the Senior Cycle. If they are following the established Leaving Certificate programme they must take at least five subjects, including Irish.
In choosing Leaving Certificate subjects, students should take note of subjects that they may need for the third-level courses of their choice. For example, a student who hopes to get a place on a course at one of the universities that make up the National University of Ireland must meet a minimum entry requirement of 6 subjects, including English, Irish and a third language, two of which must be at Grade C on a Higher Level paper.
The school guidance counsellor will have the information about the subject requirements for each third-level course. About 12,500 students leave school in Ireland each year without the Leaving Certificate. The legal age school-leaving age in Ireland is 16 years.
