The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) is a self-contained two-year programme of the Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 Department of Education and Science

Department of Education and Science (Ireland)

The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...

. It was introduced in 1995. According to the Department, the programme is intended to meet the needs of those pupils who either choose not to opt for other Leaving Certificate Programmes.

The programme is aimed at young people who have completed the Junior Certificate

Junior Certificate

The Junior Certificate is an educational qualification awarded in Ireland by the Department of Education to students who have successfully completed the junior cycle of secondary education, and achieved a minimum standard in their Junior Cert. examinations...

 and students who have taken a FÁS

Fas

Fas can mean the following:* Fas receptor, an important cell surface receptor protein of the TNF receptor family known also as CD95, that induces apoptosis on binding Fas ligand.* Fes, Morocco, the third largest city in Morocco, as an alternate spelling...

 course.

See also

• Junior Certificate
  Junior Certificate
  The Junior Certificate is an educational qualification awarded in Ireland by the Department of Education to students who have successfully completed the junior cycle of secondary education, and achieved a minimum standard in their Junior Cert. examinations...
  
  
• Leaving Certificate
  Leaving Certificate
  The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
  
  
• Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
  Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
  The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme is a two-year Education Programme of the Irish Department of Education and Science. It was introduced in 1989. According to the Department, the programme is designed to give a strong vocational dimension to the Leaving Certificate...