Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
- What is the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme?
- Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme subjects and assessments
- Access to further study
- Exam fees
- How to apply
- Where to apply
What is the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme?
Ireland's Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) is a Leaving Certificate with a strong vocational aspect.
The programme consists of Leaving Certificate subjects, together with three compulsory link modules on enterprise education, preparation for work and work experience. Students must take at least 5 Leaving Certificate subjects, one of which must be Irish and a continental language or vocational language module.
The Department of Education has published the assessment arrangements for Leaving Certificate 2023.
You can read information about Leaving Certificate 2023.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme subjects and assessments
The link modules
The link modules are activity-based. They usually take a total of 2 to 3 class periods per week, compared with a Leaving Certificate subject, which generally takes 4 to 5 class periods in a week.
The subject groupings
The subject groupings put regular Leaving Certificate subjects that complement each other into groupings. There are 2 groupings:
- Specialist groupings, in which the subject content of each subject is helpful to the other
- Services groupings, where the subjects might work well together from a business or commercial point of view
Students must take 2 subjects from these groupings.
Assessment and examinations
The Leaving Certificate subjects are examined through the standard Leaving Certificate examination.
The link modules are assessed in a written examination representing 40% of total marks and a portfolio of coursework representing 60% of total marks.
Certification
Students receive the same certificate as other Leaving Certificate students, but their Leaving Certificate includes an additional statement of the results of the link modules (pass, merit or distinction).
Access to further study
The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) gives students the same opportunity to proceed to universities and colleges as the students taking the Established Leaving Certificate.
A new grading scheme for the Leaving Certificate was introduced in 2017. The new scheme means that the Common Points Scale used by the CAO to determine entry into higher education institutions, has also been revised.
From 2017, institutes of technology and the universities recognise the link modules as follows:
Distinction: 66 points
Merit: 46 points
Pass: 28 points
You can read more on transition.ie.Exam fees
There will be no exam fee for the Leaving Certificate 2023.
How to apply
If you are a post-primary school student, your details will be sent to the State Examinations Commission (SEC) by your school. If you are an external (non-school) candidate for the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, you can apply online by completing the application form available on the SEC website.