What is the Leaving Certificate?
5 min read · updated 2026-09-06
The Leaving Certificate - the Leaving Cert - is the two-year programme that ends Irish secondary school and, through the CAO points system, decides college places. Every subject counts, Higher versus Ordinary level choices carry real consequences, and the June exams reward two years of steady work.
Subjects and levels
Students typically study six to eight subjects, each taken at Higher or Ordinary level, with Irish, English and maths compulsory in most schools. Maths is the great points-maker and the great divider: Higher level maths awards bonus points and opens engineering and science courses, but the jump from Ordinary is significant enough that the decision deserves a conversation in Year 4 of the cycle, not the last month.
The CAO points system
College places are allocated through CAO points calculated from the best six subjects: Higher level grades award more points than Ordinary, with the top grade in a Higher subject worth 100 points (25 bonus points for Higher maths). Because points come from six subjects, the strongest strategy protects the weakest subject as much as celebrating the strongest.
How tutoring fits
Leaving Cert tutoring concentrates on three levers: exam-paper technique against the marking schemes, subject content in the weaker of the six, and - for maths especially - the Higher versus Ordinary decision made with evidence rather than hope. Weekly sessions from the start of Year 5 of the cycle (the first Leaving Cert year) is the pattern that works.
FAQs
How many points do I need for college?＋
It depends entirely on the course: high-demand programmes in Dublin can require 500+ points from a 625 maximum, while many solid courses sit in the 300-400 range. Check the CAO points list for the specific course - requirements move year to year.
Can students switch between Higher and Ordinary level?＋
Yes, and it is common late in the cycle when evidence says the Higher paper is a gamble. The decision is worth making with a tutor's diagnostic input rather than pride, because an Ordinary level A beats a Higher level fail in the points system every time.
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