page_title: Leaving Certificate (Ireland)
section_title: Exam format
hierarchical_section_title: Leaving Certificate (Ireland) / Exam format
caption_attribution_description: LC Engineering project
context_page_description: The Leaving Certificate Examination, commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert, is the university matriculation examination in the Republic of Ireland and the final exam of the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior Certificate Examination. These years are referred to collectively as "The Senior Cycle." Most students taking the examination are aged 16–20; in excess of eighty percent of this group undertake the exam. The Examination is overseen by the State Examinations Commission. The Leaving Certificate Examinations are taken annually by approximately 55,000 students.
  In 2018, the Department of Education & Skills alongside the NCCA confirmed senior cycle is currently under review with Politics & Society, Physical Education and Computer Science the first of the new subjects part of the reforms. Core subjects such as Irish, English, Maths and European languages will be changed in due course.
context_section_description: Subjects are examined through a number of methods. These will include at least one written paper (English, Mathematics, Irish and some of the optional courses contain two written papers).
  Language courses examine the students writing, conversation and listening skills.  The spoken section of the exams ('oral') takes place some months before the written exams, and the listening ('aurals') takes place in the same weeks as the written.
  A number of subjects in the sciences and arts include the keeping of records or creation of a physical object or project.  This work is designed to provide tangible proof of the students' abilities.  However, not every book or project is examined, with inspectors being sent to a small few, randomly selected schools each year, or simply examining a small selection of projects from each class to check the standard.  Some subjects such as Art and Technology involve a practical exam which is supervised by an external examiner. In the academic year of the written exam, all practical science subjects are partially examined by student assignments which involve stepping away from the books and getting students to put the theory they have learned into practice.
caption: Typical Leaving Cert Engineering project.
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