The examination is the terminal examination of post-primary education. It is held at the end of the Senior Cycle in post-primary schools. The Senior Cycle caters for students in the 15 to 18 year old age group. The majority of candidates who sit for the examinations are recognised students in post-primary schools, are 17 or 18 years of age and have completed 5 or 6 years of post-primary education.

However, candidature for the examination is not limited to post-primary school students. A candidate following an approved course of study outside the State or who is attending an approved course of study organised under the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme , Adult Literacy and Community Education Schemes, the Department of Social and Family Affairs second-level scheme for the unemployed or an analogous scheme, may be admitted to the examinations on payment of the appropriate fee.

Subject Choice. The examination is offered in the following subjects and levels. For curriculum information for each of these subjects please click on this link to the website of the Department of Education and Skills.

Other EU Language Subjects
Examinations in a number of other EU language subjects are also offered on a non-curricular basis and subject to candidates meeting certain criteria.
Please click here for further information.

Subject Exclusions
Candidates may not take any of following subject combinations:

1. Physics and Chemistry and either of the separate subjects, Physics or Chemistry.
2. Economics and Agricultural Economics.
3. Classical Studies and Latin.
4. Classical Studies and Ancient Greek.

Subject Clashes
The State Examinations Commission makes every effort to arrange the examination timetable in order to minimise the potential for subject clashes. Sometimes students enter for subjects that are timetabled for the same time and date. Arrangements can be made to allow time to sit both papers. Please contact Entries Section for further information. Telephone 090 6442704 / 6442702 / 6442706. E-mail: entries@examinations.ie

Composition of the Examination
The examination incorporates written tests in all subjects. In addition, there are oral and aural tests in the subjects Irish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Japanese. There are practical examinations in the subjects Engineering, Construction Studies, Art and Music. There is Practical Course Work in the subjects Engineering; Construction Studies; Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Science; LCVP; History; Geography, Religious Education, Design and Communication Graphics and Technology. The new examination in Home Economics includes an element of assessed course work and also a Textile option.

A new grading system will apply to all of Leaving Certificate subjects from 2017. The new grading system reduces the number of grades from 14 in the old system to 8 under the revised arrangements. The following table provides an explanation of the revised grading system compared to the previous grading system

The new grading system will be used on the Statements of Provisional Examination Results and on the final Leaving Certificates. The grades will be used consistently across all three examination levels – Higher, Ordinary and Foundation. The Statements and Certificates will indicate the level taken using the following notation beside each subject:

All grades will be awarded in accordance with the published grading system. Note that the use of percentages is used to facilitate understanding of the Grading system. In the examination marking and resulting processes, grades are derived from marks not percentages. So for example while a mark of 539 out of 600 in an examination is worth 89.83% when expressed as a percentage, the grading is awarded based on the marks which equate to a Grade 2. Rounding up to the next grade band is not permissible.