Navigating the New Leaving Certificate
For over 30 years, Yeats College has set the standard for educational excellence in Ireland.
Having successfully guided thousands of students through decades of curriculum changes, we remain at the forefront of teaching excellence.
As the Leaving Certificate undergoes its most significant transformation in a generation, our commitment to top-tier results is unchanged. These new reforms are already fully integrated into our two-year programme, ensuring the Yeats standard of excellence remains constant as the curriculum evolves.
A Shift from the Final Exam to Continuous Success
The most significant structural change to the Leaving Certificate is the introduction of Additional Assessment Components (AACs) across all subjects.
Under the new curriculum, your final grade is no longer solely dependent on a single day in June. AACs—which include research projects, practical investigations, and portfolio work—will now account for at least 40% of a student’s overall mark. The remaining 60% will be assessed through the traditional written examination.
All AACs are externally set and marked by the State Examinations Commission, ensuring a fair, independent standard across the country.
When Do The Changes Happen?
Revised subject specifications are being introduced in annual tranches. If you started 5th Year in September 2025 or later, you are already learning under this new curriculum.
Tranche 1
Subjects: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Business, Arabic, Ancient Greek, Latin.
New Subjects Added: Drama, Film & Theatre Studies, and Climate Action & Sustainable Development.
Tranche 2
Subjects: Construction Studies, Engineering, Geography, Physical Education, and the new Leaving Certificate Life, Community and Work module.
Tranche 3 & Beyond
History (2027).
Remaining subjects will be rolled out annually until the full programme completes in 2029.
Beyond the Books: The 7 Key Competencies
The new curriculum goes beyond rote learning. All new subject specifications formally embed seven key competencies designed to reduce student stress, promote wellbeing, and prepare young adults for third-level education and beyond.
Communicating
Clarity and impact in every interaction.
Being Creative
Unlocking innovation through project work.
Being Literate
High-level analysis and sophisticated writing.
Being Numerate
Strategic logic for a data-driven world.
Being Well
Resilience and balance for the modern student.
Being Digital
Technical fluency for future-proof learning.
Managing Learning and Self
Personal accountability and time-management mastery.
The Yeats Advantage
For students, the new curriculum means that academic success depends on the quality of work completed consistently across the entire two-year cycle. Excellent research skills, time management, and the ability to handle continuous, project-based assessment are now critical.
These are precisely the qualities we have nurtured at Yeats College for over 30 years. Our teachers are fully up-to-date with the new specifications, and our programmes have been meticulously updated.
At Yeats College, high performance is built day by day, across two years, with great teachers and focused students working together.
Have questions about how these changes affect subject choices or programme planning for your son or daughter? Our admissions team is here to help you navigate the new Leaving Certificate.