The Leaving Certificate explained, programmes, grades and CAO points

The Leaving Certificate is Ireland's final second-level exam, normally taken at the end of a two-year Senior Cycle around age 17 or 18. It comes in three programmes, is graded on an H1–H8 (Higher) and O1–O8 (Ordinary) scale, and converts into the CAO points that decide college offers. Here is how the whole system fits together.

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What the Leaving Certificate is

The Leaving Certificate (Leaving Cert) is the final exam of second-level education in Ireland. It is set and marked by the State Examinations Commission, and most students sit it at the end of a two-year Senior Cycle, around age 17 or 18. For the majority of school-leavers the results are the main route into higher education, through the Central Applications Office (CAO).

Senior Cycle often begins with an optional Transition Year after the Junior Cycle, before the two exam years. You can find schools on our secondary schools directory.

The three programmes

There is no single Leaving Cert, students follow one of three programmes, and schools decide which they offer:

  • Leaving Certificate (Established): the traditional academic programme most students take. Students usually study English, Irish and Maths plus a range of optional subjects, and the results feed directly into CAO points.
  • Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA): a distinct two-year programme with a strong practical focus, designed to prepare students for adult and working life. It is assessed differently (through modules, tasks and a final exam) and does not translate directly into CAO points, though it opens progression routes into further education and training. See citizensinformation.ie: Leaving Certificate Applied.
  • Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP): the Established Leaving Cert with extra Link Modules in enterprise and preparation for work. It keeps the academic subjects but adds a vocational, hands-on dimension, and the Link Modules themselves can earn CAO points. See citizensinformation.ie: Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.

Levels and grading

In the Established programme, each subject is normally taken at Higher level or Ordinary level. Irish and Maths can also be taken at Foundation level. Students typically sit at least six subjects, and can choose the level subject by subject.

Every subject is graded on a scale of 1 to 8. Higher level grades are written H1–H8 and Ordinary level grades O1–O8:

  • Grade 1 (H1/O1) = 90–100%, down in 10% bands to…
  • Grade 7 (H7/O7) = 30–40%
  • Grade 8 (H8/O8) = below 30%

Level choice matters: a grade at Higher level earns more CAO points than the same grade number at Ordinary level. Sitting a subject at Higher level is more demanding, but it can be worth more points, a key thing to weigh up subject by subject.

How grades become CAO points

For college entry, the CAO converts your grades into points using a fixed grade-to-points scale, then adds up your best six subjects. The scale is set, for example a H1 is worth 100 points, so a given result always converts to the same number of points. There is also a 25-point bonus for Higher level Maths if you achieve H6 or above.

Crucially, the points a course requires are not fixed. They are set each year by demand: how many students apply for a course versus how many places are available. That is why the same course can need different points from one year to the next. For the official grade-to-points grid and the current rules, see cao.ie: points calculation grid.

The CAO application and offers process

Applications for most higher-education courses go through the Central Applications Office (CAO), not the individual colleges. In broad terms:

  1. Apply online in your final school year, listing your preferred courses in order of preference.
  2. Results come out in late summer and are converted into points.
  3. Offers issue in rounds: the CAO makes you the highest course on your list that you have the points for, and you accept online.

Because you rank courses by genuine preference, it is worth researching options carefully. For deadlines, fees and the full step-by-step process, see cao.ie.

Senior Cycle Redevelopment, what's changing

The Leaving Cert is being reformed through Senior Cycle Redevelopment, a phased rollout that began in the 2025/26 school year. Subjects are being revised in tranches rather than all at once, so the change reaches students subject by subject over several years.

The headline change is assessment. Each redeveloped subject now includes an Additional Assessment Component: such as a project, practical or oral, worth at least 40% of the marks, alongside the traditional written exam. The first revised subjects (including Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Business) started in September 2025 with first exams in 2027, and more subjects follow in later years. Because the rollout is gradual, check which of your child's specific subjects are affected. For the current status and subject schedule, see gov.ie: Senior Cycle Redevelopment.

Thinking ahead to the exam years, some families use extra academic support, our guide to grinds and tutoring explains how that works and when it helps. You can also compare schools on our secondary schools directory.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Leaving Certificate?

The Leaving Certificate is the State exam taken at the end of second-level (secondary) school in Ireland, usually after a two-year Senior Cycle. It is set and marked by the State Examinations Commission. Most students sit it around age 17 or 18, and the results are the main basis for entry to higher education through the CAO.

What are the three Leaving Certificate programmes?

There are three: the Leaving Certificate (Established), which is the traditional academic programme most students take; the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), a two-year practical programme focused on preparing students for adult and working life; and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP), which is the Established Leaving Cert with added modules that give it a stronger vocational and enterprise focus.

How many subjects do you take for the Leaving Cert?

Students typically sit at least six subjects. For college entry the CAO counts your best six results. Most students study English, Irish and Maths plus a range of optional subjects, and each subject is normally taken at either Higher or Ordinary level (Irish and Maths can also be taken at Foundation level).

How does Leaving Cert grading work?

Each subject is graded on a scale of 1 to 8. Higher level grades are written H1 to H8 and Ordinary level grades O1 to O8. Grade 1 is the top band (90–100%) and Grade 8 the lowest. Higher level grades earn more CAO points than the same grade at Ordinary level, which is why level choice matters.

How are CAO points calculated?

The CAO adds up the points from your six best subjects using a fixed grade-to-points scale, so a single exam result always converts to the same number of points. There is also a 25-point bonus for Higher level Maths if you achieve H6 or above. The points a course requires are not fixed, they are set each year by how many people apply and how many places exist.

What is Senior Cycle Redevelopment?

It is a phased reform of the Senior Cycle being rolled out from 2025 onwards. Leaving Cert subjects are being revised in tranches, and each redeveloped subject now includes an Additional Assessment Component, such as a project or practical, worth at least 40% of the marks alongside the written exam. It is being introduced subject by subject over several years, so check which of your child's subjects are affected.

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Last reviewed 5 July 2026. This guide is general information to help you plan, it is not official advice. Scheme rules, dates and amounts can change, so always confirm the current details with the relevant scheme or with your child's school before you rely on them.