The Leaving Certificate is a two-year programme, students normally study seven/eight subjects for examination purposes.
English, Irish and Maths are core subjects which mean they are compulsory except where a student holds an Irish exemption.
Students at Monaghan Collegiate School can pick any four optional subjects from a total of ten.
The optional subjects are: Art, Business, Construction Studies, Design & Communication Graphics, Engineering, French, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, History, Home Economics and Music.
In addition, all senior students receive R.E & Guidance.
Students may opt to take the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) to complement the Leaving Certificate. This subject provides a vocational component to learning that is delivered through two link modules, Preparation for the World of Work and Enterprise Education.
Further information is available in the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme section.
Senior Cycle Redevelopment
Senior Cycle is being redeveloped following a comprehensive review process. This important work will seek to enhance the educational experience and ensure meaningful learning and achievement in senior cycle for all learners.
In 2022, the Minister set out an ambitious programme for the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, guided by the vision of a Senior Cycle that delivers “equity and excellence for all.”
The programme is informed by, and builds upon, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA) Advisory Report on the review of Senior Cycle, as well as the experience of Leaving Certificate students, a growing demand for change and international experience and perspectives.
In the 2025/26 school year, students will benefit from the earlier rollout of nine new and revised subjects two years earlier than had been previously announced.
• The revised subjects for Fifth Years in 2025/26 are: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Business, Arabic, Ancient Greek and Latin.
• The two new subjects that will be available in a selection of schools from 2025/26 are: Drama, Film, and Theatre Studies, and Climate Action and Sustainable Development.
• Each of the new and revised subjects will incorporate new assessment components that are not a traditional written examination.
• These components will worth at least 40% of the available marks and will be externally assessed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC).
• There will be a second set of new specifications (Accounting, Construction Studies, Engineering, English, Geography, Physical Education) introduced in the 2026/27 school year with more revised specifications introduced annually after that.
• The schedule of subjects to be redeveloped can be found on the NCCA website .
• Since the start of the 2022/23 school year, in schools providing the Leaving Cert Vocational Programme (LCVP), students starting 5th year are able to take the LCVP Link Modules without having to meet the subject-specific criteria.
• LCVP Link modules are being redeveloped for introduction in schools in the 2026/27 school year.