Summerhill College

Leaving Certificate Applied Programme (LCA)

The Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) is a two-year Leaving Certificate course, available to students who wish to follow a practical or vocational orientated programme. It is one of three Leaving Certificate options offered by the Department of Education and Science

The word "applied" is used because the programme is designed to allow the students to apply the learning and experience they gain over the two years of the programme to practical tasks at school, in the workplace and in the wider community.

Parents and prospective parents should note that this applied course is different from the more traditional course in a variety of ways:

A) It is a distinct and self-contained programme made up of a number of course modules and Student Tasks, that bring together the different learning experiences.

B) It uses a unique system of assessment. The student's work is assessed over the two years of the programme and they gain credits as they go along. Practicals, interview and terminal written papers are among the different forms of assessment used. The student's communication, problem solving and practical skills are also assessed.

As students complete their Leaving Certificate Applied course work, they collect credits. It is possible to collect a total of 200 credits. A maximum of 62 credits are awarded for completing the required course, 70 credits for the seven Student Tasks and 68 credits for the examination at the end of Year 2. Depending on credits scored, students are awarded Pass, Merit or DistinctionThe programme is divided into three main areas:
· Vocational Preparation
· Vocational Education
· General Education

Over the past year, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has been liasing with employers and educational and training bodies to build up awareness, recognition and acceptance of the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.