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, students who take the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme have the opportunity to take Leaving Certificate Mathematics and, where possible, a Leaving Certificate Modern Language.

• The changes mean that should a student need access to Leaving Certificate Mathematics for further education options, then they will be facilitated while also continuing their LCA programme.

• The Department will work with employers and other interests to explore improved progression routes for those taking the LCA programme.

• 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.

• Further work on Pathways for LCA students is being undertaken.