1. St. Mary’s Guidance and Counselling Service
Subject Choice
St. Mary’s Guidance and Counselling Service

2. How many subjects do students do for the Leaving Certificate?
7 subjects & possibly LCVP
3 of these subjects are
English
Irish
Mathematics
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

3. How many subjects do students do for the Leaving Certificate?
Students choose the remaining 4 subjects
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

4. St. Mary’s offers 17 subjects
What 4 to choose from the available 17 subjects?
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

5. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
Subject Groupings Business Studies Group Business, Accounting, Economics
Science Group Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agricultural Science
Language Group French, Spanish Practical Group Design and Communication Graphics, Construction Studies Arts/Humanities Group Music, Geography, History, Art, Religious Education, Classical Studies
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

6. What do I need to keep in mind when choosing my subjects?
Do I like the subject?
Am I good at the subject?
Will the subject be useful to me?
Is the subject essential for the college I might want to go to or the course I might like to do?
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

7. Higher Certificate (Level 6)
THE THIRD LEVEL LADDER 4
WORK 3 3
WORK 2 2 2 1 1 1
Ordinary Degree (Level 7)
Higher Certificate (Level 6)
Honours Degree (Level 8)
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

8. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
Subject Choice and College Entry
1. Basic Entry Requirements
·   3rd language?
2. Specific Course Requirements
·   Sciences? Language?
3. Selection System
· Aptitude Tests, portfolio, audition
·  Leaving Certificate points system
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

9. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
Business Studies Group Business, Accounting, Economics
Science Group Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agricultural Science
Language Group French, Spanish
Practical Group Design and Communication Graphics, Construction Studies
Arts/Humanities Group Music, Geography, History, Art, Religious Education, Classical Studies
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

10. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
The Business Group
Business
Accounting
Economics
These subjects are generally not essential for any course
You don’t need to have studied one of the Business subjects to go on to study Business/Commerce in college
An exception (Accounting is essential for Business-Accounting in NUI, Galway)
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

11. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
The Science Group
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Agricultural Science (cannot be presented with Biology as a separate science subject)
Geography is accepted as a science subject in TCD & UCD in a limited way
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

12. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
The Science Group
Science Essential to Maximise Choice in:
Medicine
Dentistry
Veterinary
Pharmacy
Physiotherapy
Radiography
Nursing
Dietetics (Chemistry essential)
Occupational Therapy
Speech & Language Therapy
Architecture
Sports Science
Science
Engineering
Optometry
Naval Cadets
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

13. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
The Language Group
French or
3 languages:
Colleges of The National University of Ireland: UCD. , UCC.; NUI, Galway; Maynooth; Shannon College of Hotel Management; NCAD, RCSI.
1 language:
DCU; All ITs; TUD,NCI; Private Colleges;
Spanish
2 languages:
University of Limerick; Trinity College, Dublin; NCAD (once the student has Art for LC).
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

14. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
The Practical Group
Construction Studies
Design and Communication Graphics (nb to have studied Tech graphics for JC)
Not essential for any course or college
Very useful for Teacher Training for the above subjects, for Architecture and courses related to construction.
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

15. The Arts/Humanities Group
Geography (accepted as a Science subject in TCD & UCD)
History
Art
Classical Studies
Religious Education
Music
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

16. Tools to help you pick your subject
Minimum subject module
=213
With this tool you can search each subject to see if it is essential for your chosen college and course
interest assessment
This is a great site for watching career videos
Read about subjects
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

17. St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service
What happens next?
Do an interest assessment on or )
Ask your teachers questions
Talk to your parents about picking your subjects
Use the minimum subject module on to find out if the subject is an essential subject.
Talk to Ms.Deering about your options
careers exploration evening
What happens next?
VSWARE
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

18. DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS!
Do I like the subject?
Am I good at the subject?
Will the subject be useful to me?
Is the subject essential for the college I might want to go to or the course I might like to do?
St. Mary's Diocesan School Guidance and Counselling Service

19. Link Modules/LCVP
It is a Leaving Cert subject which combines academic study with a focus on enterprise, further educational opportunities and the world of work.
Irish and a course in a modern European Language (unless exempted).
Must do a certain combination of other L.C. subjects.
Can be used for points in L.C.

20. Link Modules Assessment
The Link Modules are assessed by written examination and portfolio
Both Portfolio and written exam completed in May of 6th year before rest of L.C. subjects

21. Portfolio of Coursework
Written Examination
Section A - Audio Visual
Video sequence of an enterprise
Section B - Case Study
Received 4 weeks in advance
Section C - General Questions
Choice of 4 questions from 6 21

22. Recognised by Universities, DIT and Institutes of Technology
Grades
Distinction 80 – 100%
Merit 65 – 79%
Pass 50 – 64%
Points
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 26 points
Recognised by Universities, DIT and Institutes of Technology
66 points = H4 60%- 69% on Higher paper
46 points = H6 40%- 49% on Higher paper
46 points = O2 80%- 89% on Ordinary paper
28 points = O4 60%-69% on Ordinary paper
66 points is greater than any grade on Ordinary paper (max 56 points) 22

23. Available as 8th extra subject
Must be taking a Leaving Cert language
Class outside timetable so will not interfere with other L.C. subjects
Student attempting to maximise points for Third level course
Students with suitable combinations will be offered opportunity to do the Link Modules.

24. ADVANTAGES OF Link Modules
Leaving Cert Points
Exam early May
60% for portfolio
CV, Interviews, Work Experience, Career/course research, Entrepreneurs
Education for employability 24