LCA
The Leaving Certificate Applied programme is a two-year Leaving Certificate programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life.
The programme sets out to recognise the talents of all students and to provide opportunities for developing personal responsibility, self-esteem and self-knowledge, and helps students apply what they learn to the real world.
The two-year programme consists of four half-year blocks called sessions. Achievement is credited in each session. Courses are offered in three main areas: Vocational Preparation; General Education; and Vocational Education.
Assessment
Assessment takes place on the completion of modules, and there is also a final examination in each of the following areas:
- English and Communication
- Two vocational specialisms
- Mathematical Applications
- Language
- Social Education
Students who successfully complete the programme are awarded a Leaving Certificate from the Department of Education and Science. The certificate is awarded at three levels: Pass; Merit; and Distinction.
Changes to the programme
On 29 March 2022, the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD, announced plans for a reimagined Senior Cycle education for post-primary students – Equity and Excellence for All, where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.
In the context of the LCA programme, it was announced that students’ options would be enhanced by providing access to Leaving Certificate Established (LCE) Mathematics and Modern Foreign Languages from September 2022. As a result, an addendum has been added to the existing programme statement that modifies and supplements it to enable students following the LCA programme to access LCE Mathematics and/or a Modern Foreign Language.