Senior Cycle

After completing the Junior Cycle, students begin the Senior Cycle programme. The Senior Cycle generally caters for students from 15 to 18 although the Leaving Certificate is not limited to second-level students.

The main programmes that students can follow at Senior Cycle are:

• Transition Year
• Established Leaving Certificate
• Leaving Certificate Applied
• Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.

Not all of these programmes are followed in every school. You must find out what is available in your school or the school you are thinking of attending.

Changes to Senior Cycle and Leaving Certificate

The Senior Cycle and Leaving Certificate is changing. Students starting fifth year in 2025 will have to complete continuous assessment components for some Leaving Certificate subjects.

Students sitting Leaving Certificate exams in June 2026 will not be affected by these changes.

Read more about changes to the Senior Cycle and Leaving Certificate.

Within these programmes, there are several compulsory subjects. The subjects that are compulsory vary for different programmes and different types of school.

All third-level courses have minimum subject requirements for entry. These often include Maths, English and Irish. You should check these minimum requirements before deciding which subjects to take for the Leaving Certificate.

Irish is compulsory in most programmes. In some very limited circumstances, a student may not have to study Irish.