1. HOW MANY SUBJECTS SHOULD I TAKE AND AT WHAT LEVEL? 

Your school will probably offer you the option of studying seven subjects. Your best six grades, achieved in one sitting of the Leaving Certificate or its equivalent, will be used to calculate your CAO points score for entry purposes to college courses.

If you are taking more than one ordinary level paper from the beginning of your two-year Leaving Cert programme, you may want the option of having six higher-level papers for point's purposes.

You can only achieve this by taking an extra subject either inside or outside school. You need to be very careful before considering this option. There is no such thing as an easy higher level paper and every subject requires considerable time commitment and effort on your part. Eight subjects are a major undertaking. If the additional subject is being studied outside school, you should factor in the time travelling to and from such a grind. All this time and effort eats into the time available to you to work on the seven subjects you are studying in school.

Students can also opt to do LCVP which can be counted as one of your top six subjects for points purposes. 

2. ARE THERE ANY SUBJECTS I HAVE TO CHOOSE? 

Unless you are officially exempt from any subject, students must choose English, Irish and Maths. Other than these core subjects, it is important to check any subject requirements there are for your preferred college course. You can do this using the CourseFinder Tool.

3. SHOULD STUDENTS TAKE ON EXTRA SUBJECTS OUTSIDE SCHOOL? 

If there are timetable restrictions that make it impossible for you to take a subject you particularly enjoy, you could consider taking it outside school, provided you factor in an appropriate amount of study time to cover all your other subjects. 

4. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT TAKE HIGHER LEVEL IRISH? 

Apart from ruling out some of honours degree programmes which have Irish as a core entry requirement, the main consequence of dropping higher level Irish is that you will not be eligible to study primary school teaching in any of the education training colleges in Ireland.

5. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT TAKE HIGHER LEVEL MATHS? 

There are many Level 8 degree programmes you can’t take if you don’t take Higher Level Maths some of which include; engineering, computer science, science, information and computer technology courses and many others  that include maths as a core subject.

If you are interested in any of these areas, you could start your third level journey with a two-year higher certificate programme. Provided you secure the required exam results you can then progress on to an ordinary degree level and from there to an honours bachelor's degree. This process may add one or two extra years to your studies, over and above those who secure a place on an honours bachelor's degree programme, immediately after the Leaving Cert, but it's still a good option.

It is worth noting that there are lots of courses which do not require maths or will accept ordinary level. You can search for these courses using the relevant filters on the CourseFinder here. 

6. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT TAKE A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN IRISH AND ENGLISH? 

The colleges of the National University of Ireland (NUI) have traditionally required a pass in a third language for entry to many courses in the NUI colleges at Maynooth, Dublin, Galway and Cork, and to a range of associated constituent colleges, all of which are listed on the NUI website.

More recently, NUI colleges dropped their third language requirement for engineering and science programmes. UCD also dropped the third language requirement for their agricultural programmes.

Nursing at NUI colleges never required a third language. A third language must be included for arts, human sciences, law, social science, commerce, medicine and health sciences and some other degrees.

[For full details see NUI Matriculation Regulations]

Trinity College Dublin accepts Irish as a second language requirement. UL, DCU and the Institutes of Technology do not require a continental language for entry purposes to most of their courses, apart from those which involve the study of such a language. Students may qualify for an exemption from these requirements if they have a learning difficulty or if they were born outside of the state.

The Institutes of Technology generally do not require a language and so should have no impact on a candidate's ability to get place in one of their programmes.

PLC colleges do not require students to have taken a language.

While not choosing a language will not affect entry to the majority of third level institutions, it will restrict choice to some extent.

You can search courses that do not require a modern language by using the CourseFinder here. 

Finally, a third language is also a requirement for entry to a cadetship with the Defence Forces (Army, Navy and Air Corps).

7. SHOULD I STUDY A SCIENCE SUBJECT?

In order to keep options open, students should strongly consider including a science subject in their subject choice. Science subjects are required for entry into a wide range of college courses. Most scientific, engineering, medical and healthcare courses require at least one laboratory science subject at Leaving Certificate. Many degrees in Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and some related fields of study will require two science subjects so interested students are urged to check out the specific entry criteria for these courses. Use our CourseFinder to locate these courses and check out their entry requirements.

8. WHAT IS THE EASIEST SUBJECT IN THE LEAVING CERT AND WHAT’S THE HARDEST? 

No Leaving Cert subject is easy, but studying something you are really interested in will make it seem easier and, as a result, you will probably get higher marks in it. If you dislike a subject, you will need to work harder to achieve a good grade and your motivation will need to be strong. Also remember that some subjects can slightly overlap in their content for example Home Economics and Biology which can be helpful when studying. 

9. WHAT COMBINATIONS OF SUBJECTS WORK? 

You should attempt to select a balanced range of subjects that will leave your further and higher education options open for as long as possible. Most students study Irish (unless exempted), English and Maths. A large majority of students also study a continental language, or for those students coming originally from outside the EU, a native language approved by the State Examination Commission (SEC).

In selecting your remaining three subjects, you should consider what third level courses you might be interested in when you leave school. If you have specific courses in mind, check that your subject choices and levels match the entry requirements for these courses.

You can check entry requirements for all courses on the CourseFinder here. 

10. IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO SUDY AT THIRD LEVEL YET, WHAT SUBJECTS SHOULD I CHOOSE? 

It is advisable to take a good mixture of subjects, a language and a science subject are important. Choose what you enjoy and what you are good at. Reviewing previous aptitude and Interest Profiler results will help you in determining the career path that might suit you.