Leaving Certificate Applied (L.C.A.)
The Leaving Certificate Applied, introduced in 1995, is a distinct, self-contained two-year programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life. The programme is offered as an alternative to the traditional Leaving Certificate. It puts an emphasis on forms of achievement and excellence, which the established Leaving Certificate has not recognised in the past. Here at Dungarvan College the Leaving Certificate Applied programme has been provided for 13 years.
The Leaving Certificate Applied was introduced to recognise the talents of all students and provide opportunities for development in terms of responsibility, self-esteem and self-knowledge. It is an innovative programme in the way students learn, in what they learn and in the way their achievements are assessed.
The Leaving Certificate Applied is intended to meet the needs of those students who are not adequately catered for by other Leaving Certificate programmes or who choose not to opt for such programmes. The advantage of Leaving Certificate Applied is that it focuses on the talents of each individual student and helps students apply what they learn in the real world. The LCA Programme has a practical basis, with students applying their knowledge, skills and experience to practical tasks at school, in the workplace and in the wider community.
With a certificate in the Leaving Certificate Applied students may do a Post Leaving Certificate course and if they choose may take a longer route into higher education.
The course is recognised by most major employers such as;
- The Public Service
- Banks
- The Defense forces
- The Gardai
- Apprenticeships
One of the biggest differences between the established Leaving Certificate and the Leaving Certificate Applied is the system of continuous assessment. Students are assessed on the basis of project work completed over the two years and the final examination accounts for approximately one third of the overall marks.
What Dungarvan College has on Offer:
LCA offers a student centred approach to learning with an emphasis on Work Experience, IT, Personal Development and Social Skills. The two-year programme consists of four half-year blocks called Sessions and achievements are credited in each of these Sessions. In Dungarvan College the Leaving Certificate Applied programme is broken-down into four subject groups:
1. Vocational Preperation
- Vocational Preparation Guidance
- English and Communications
2.Vocational Education
- Mathematical Applications
- Hotel Catering and Tourism
- ICT
3. General Education
- Art
- Leisure and Recreation
- Social Education
- Irish
- Spanish
4. Elective
- Graphics and Construction Studies
The following is a detailed breakdown of what each year entails:
5th Year
Session 1 (Sept-Jan)
- Four key assignments in each subjects
- A mandatory 2 week work experience block
- A task in General Education
- Session 2 (Feb-May)
- Four key assignments in each subject
- A task in Vocational Preparation and in General Education
- A Personal Reflective Statement
- Exam in Spanish or Irish
6th Year
Session 3 (Sept-Jan)
- Four key assignments in each subject
- A mandatory 2 week work experience block
- A Contemporary Issue task
- A Practical Achievement task
- A task in Vocational Education
Session 4 (Feb-May)
Four key assignments in each subject
- A mandatory 2 week work experience block
- A Personal Reflective Statement
- Pre Leaving Certificate exams in Hotel, Catering & Tourism, ICT, Maths, Social Ed, English & Communications and Irish (some may be exempt from Irish)
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To obtain credits for all of the above, each candidate must have a 90% attendance record.
How the credits are scored:
At the end of the two years, all the credits are added up and a result is then given. See below for the breakdown:
- Key Assignments = 62 credits (60 credits if exempted from Irish)
- Tasks = 70 credits
- Final Exams = 68 credits (62 if exempted from Irish)
- TOTAL = 200 credits
- Final Results
- 120 credits (116 if exempted from Irish) - 60% - Pass
- 140 credits (135 if exempted from Irish) - 70% - Merit
- 170 credits (166 if exempted from Irish) - 85% - Distinction