Free Practice Questions for LC Arabic
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Key Facts: LC Arabic Exam
3 hours
Duration of the Interim Syllabus written paper (Higher or Ordinary), set entirely in Arabic
NCCA Leaving Certificate Arabic Interim Syllabus
35%
Literature share of the Interim Syllabus written paper mark allocation
NCCA Leaving Certificate Arabic Interim Syllabus
June 2027
First examination of the redeveloped Leaving Certificate Arabic specification (Languages Connect / NCCA pathway)
Languages Connect Leaving Cert Arabic FAQs; Curriculum Online
30% oral (H)
Higher Level oral weighting under the redeveloped Arabic specification (25% at Ordinary Level)
NCCA Leaving Certificate Arabic Curriculum Specification / AAC Guidelines
A2–B1
Communicative pitch of the redeveloped specification, broadly aligned to CEFR A2–B1
NCCA Leaving Certificate Arabic Curriculum Specification
~15 min
Approximate oral examination time per student under the new Arabic AAC guidelines
NCCA Guidelines for oral and aural examinations in Arabic (2025)
Portfolio not marked
Language Portfolio texts support oral discussion but are not assessed for certification
NCCA Arabic AAC / Language Portfolio guidance
100
Free original English-language MCQ study questions in this OpenExamPrep bank
OpenExamPrep
LC Arabic is an SEC Higher/Ordinary subject in transition: the Interim Syllabus (to June 2026) was a 3-hour Arabic written paper (reading 20%, literature 35%, usage 20%, writing 25%), unlike full four-skill MFLs. The redeveloped NCCA specification (schools from Sept 2025; first exam June 2027) adds oral and aural and uses Higher weights oral 30% / aural 25% / reading 25% / writing 20% at about CEFR A2–B1, with a Language Portfolio for oral discussion only. This 100-question bank is a free English MCQ study adaptation with Arabic script in language items — not an official SEC paper.
Sample LC Arabic Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LC Arabic exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Under the NCCA Leaving Certificate Arabic Interim Syllabus (examined to June 2026), how was the subject primarily assessed?
2What is the published mark allocation for Literature on the Interim Syllabus written paper?
3According to the Interim Syllabus mark allocation, what percentage is Continuous writing?
4How many parts does the Interim Syllabus Arabic examination paper contain?
5In Interim Syllabus Part 2 (Literature), how many of the three sections must candidates answer?
6Which three text types appear as the three sections of Interim Part 2 Literature?
7In Interim Part 1 (Reading comprehension), what immediately follows the prose extract according to the syllabus description?
8How many usage questions does Interim Part 3 set?
9For Interim Part 4 continuous writing, how many titles are offered and how many must the candidate write?
10According to Languages Connect and Curriculum Online, when is the first examination of the redeveloped Leaving Certificate Arabic specification?
About the LC Arabic Exam
Leaving Certificate Arabic is Ireland's senior-cycle Arabic subject, examined by the State Examinations Commission at Higher and Ordinary levels. Until June 2026 it followed an Interim Syllabus that emphasised reading, literature, usage and continuous writing in a single Arabic-medium written paper — a pattern that differed from the full four-skill oral/aural/written model used for languages such as French or Spanish. A redeveloped NCCA specification was introduced in schools in September 2025 (first examination June 2027). It is designed for students with basic proficiency and heritage/community/home-language backgrounds, broadly aligned to CEFR A2–B1, and assesses communicative language competence plus plurilingual/pluricultural competence through oral, aural and written components. Examination stimuli use Modern Standard Arabic (MSA); the specification supports mediation and real-world plurilingual strategies, including dialectal resources in oral communication as set out in official guidelines. Learners build a Language Portfolio over senior cycle; portfolio texts stimulate oral discussion but are not themselves marked. This free bank is an English-language MCQ adaptation for specification knowledge, MSA grammar, reading strategies, literature structure, writing craft and culture — not a substitute for authentic Arabic productive practice or official SEC papers.
Exam sponsor: State Examinations Commission (SEC), Ireland. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
Two successive frameworks. Interim Syllabus (last examined June 2026): one 3-hour paper set entirely in Arabic — Reading comprehension 20%, Literature 35%, Usage 20%, Continuous writing 25%. Part 1: prose extract with four MCQs plus open questions. Part 2: three literature sections (Qur'an extract; classical verse; modern prose) — answer any two. Part 3: five usage questions. Part 4: one continuous composition from six titles (about 300–400 words). Redeveloped NCCA Specification (introduced schools Sept 2025; first exam June 2027 per Languages Connect): three SEC components. Higher Level: oral 30%, aural 25%, reading 25%, writing 20%. Ordinary: oral 25%, aural 30%, reading 30%, writing 15%. Oral is common level (~15 minutes: general conversation and Language Portfolio sample-text discussion; portfolio not marked for certification). Aural and written are level-specific and taken on the same day.
Time Limit
Interim: 3 hours for the single written paper. New specification: oral about 15 minutes in term 2 of sixth year; aural and written timed papers on the SEC June timetable (confirm each year). Exact aural/written durations are published with SEC materials.
Passing Score
No fixed pass mark. Results use the Leaving Certificate 8-point scale: H1–H8 at Higher Level and O1–O8 at Ordinary Level (grade 1 = 90–100%, then 10% bands down to grade 7 = 30–39%; grade 8 is below 30%).
Exam / Certification Fees
Candidates in recognised schools do not pay a separate sitting fee; external and repeat candidates pay an examination fee set annually by the State Examinations Commission.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Official sources
- Curriculum Online — Leaving Certificate Arabic
- NCCA — Leaving Certificate Arabic Curriculum Specification (PDF)
- NCCA — Leaving Certificate Arabic Interim Syllabus (PDF; examination to June 2026)
- NCCA — Guidelines for oral and aural examinations in Arabic (2025)
- Languages Connect — Leaving Cert Arabic FAQs
- State Examinations Commission — Examination material archive
- State Examinations Commission
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
Exam structure and specification transition
Practice covers interim four-part written paper mark shares, new-specification oral/aural/written weights at Higher and Ordinary levels, Language Portfolio rules, oral timing and common-level assessment, grading scale, and the June 2026 vs June 2027 examination pathways.
MSA grammar and usage
Practice covers core Modern Standard Arabic needed for accurate reading and production: perfect/imperfect and derived forms overview, dual and sound/broken plurals, gender and number agreement, case roles in iḍāfa and prepositions, common negation patterns, object and attached pronouns, and register choices between formal MSA and dialectal speech.
Reading comprehension and vocabulary
Practice covers strategies for prose extracts and media-style texts: main idea, supporting detail, inference, author's attitude, and high-frequency thematic vocabulary (family, school, community, travel, environment, media) useful across interim and new-specification reading tasks.
Literature and text types
Practice covers the interim literature part structure (Qur'an extract; classical Arabic verse; modern prose — answer two of three), contextual vs text-based questions, and new-specification use of varied literary and non-literary authentic texts rather than a single fixed prescribed list for everyday classroom selection.
Writing, culture, oral and aural
Practice covers continuous writing purposes (describe, narrate, argue, explain), diglossia and Arab-world cultural awareness, oral conversation and portfolio discussion strategies, and aural listening tactics introduced under the redeveloped specification.
Preparing for the LC Arabic Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No fixed pass mark. Results use the Leaving Certificate 8-point scale: H1–H8 at Higher Level and O1–O8 at Ordinary Level (grade 1 = 90–100%, then 10% bands down to grade 7 = 30–39%; grade 8 is below 30%).
- Assessment: Two successive frameworks. Interim Syllabus (last examined June 2026): one 3-hour paper set entirely in Arabic — Reading comprehension 20%, Literature 35%, Usage 20%, Continuous writing 25%. Part 1: prose extract with four MCQs plus open questions. Part 2: three literature sections (Qur'an extract; classical verse; modern prose) — answer any two. Part 3: five usage questions. Part 4: one continuous composition from six titles (about 300–400 words). Redeveloped NCCA Specification (introduced schools Sept 2025; first exam June 2027 per Languages Connect): three SEC components. Higher Level: oral 30%, aural 25%, reading 25%, writing 20%. Ordinary: oral 25%, aural 30%, reading 30%, writing 15%. Oral is common level (~15 minutes: general conversation and Language Portfolio sample-text discussion; portfolio not marked for certification). Aural and written are level-specific and taken on the same day.
- Time limit: Interim: 3 hours for the single written paper. New specification: oral about 15 minutes in term 2 of sixth year; aural and written timed papers on the SEC June timetable (confirm each year). Exact aural/written durations are published with SEC materials.
- Exam / certification fees: Candidates in recognised schools do not pay a separate sitting fee; external and repeat candidates pay an examination fee set annually by the State Examinations Commission. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
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LC Arabic: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Leaving Certificate Arabic examined?
It depends on the cohort. Candidates examined up to June 2026 followed the Interim Syllabus: one 3-hour written paper entirely in Arabic covering reading, literature, usage and continuous writing. From the first examination of the redeveloped specification in June 2027, assessment comprises oral, aural and written (reading and writing) components set by the SEC.
How did Arabic differ from other modern foreign languages under the interim syllabus?
Unlike French, German or Spanish, which assess speaking, listening, reading and writing, the Interim Arabic syllabus emphasised reading and writing with a strong literature component and no separate oral or aural examination. The redeveloped specification brings Arabic into a fuller four-skill pattern aligned with other LC modern languages.
What are the new-specification mark allocations?
At Higher Level: oral 30%, aural 25%, reading 25%, writing 20%. At Ordinary Level: oral 25%, aural 30%, reading 30%, writing 15%. The oral is assessed at a common level for all students; marks are then weighted according to the level of the written/aural examination.
What is the Language Portfolio?
Over the two years of senior cycle under the new specification, students build a Language Portfolio of texts and reflections. In the oral they discuss a selection of sample texts as a stimulus. The portfolio itself is not assessed for certification marks, and students do not bring the full portfolio into the oral.
What CEFR level is the new Arabic specification pitched at?
Communicative expectations are broadly aligned with the A2–B1 bands of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The course is intended both for learners with basic Arabic proficiency and for heritage/community/home-language speakers seeking to expand communicative and pluricultural competence.
Are these official State Examinations Commission questions?
No. These are original OpenExamPrep single-best-answer study questions in English, with Arabic script where the language skill is tested. They are not an official translation, not a past paper, and not a substitute for SEC oral, aural or written assessment. Always use official past papers, specimen materials and live language practice.