Free Practice Questions for LC Engineering
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Key Facts: LC Engineering Exam
25% + 25% + 50%
Current syllabus weightings: design project, practical skills exam, written paper
NCCA / State Examinations Commission Engineering assessment
150 marks
Each of the project and practical components is worth 150 marks
NCCA Engineering background paper
300 marks HL
Higher Level written examination total marks on the current syllabus
State Examinations Commission past papers
3 components
Current assessment uses project, practical and written components
Curriculum Online - Engineering
Exam to 2027
The current Engineering syllabus is examined to June 2027
Curriculum Online - Engineering
First exam 2028
Revised specification introduced for fifth year Sept 2026 is first examined in 2028
Curriculum Online - Engineering
H1-H8 / O1-O8
Results use the eight-point Higher and Ordinary grade scales
State Examinations Commission grading scale
100
Free original single-best-answer practice questions in this bank
OpenExamPrep
Leaving Certificate Engineering (Ireland) is a senior-cycle SEC subject combining materials, manufacturing, mechanisms, electronics basics, design and workshop safety. Under the syllabus examined to June 2027 it is assessed by a design project (25%), a practical skills exam (25%) and a written paper (about 50%, Higher Level 300 marks). Grades use the H1-H8 / O1-O8 scale. A revised specification (project 50% + written 50%) begins for fifth year in September 2026 and is first examined in 2028. Official papers are long-form and practical, not MCQ; this free bank offers 100 original single-best-answer study questions.
Sample LC Engineering Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LC Engineering exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1In Leaving Certificate Engineering workshop practice, which personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential when grinding metal?
2Which property describes a material’s ability to be drawn into wire without fracture?
3Mild steel is classified primarily as which type of metal?
4What is the main purpose of annealing a metal workpiece?
5Which joining process uses a coated consumable electrode and an electric arc without a separate shielding-gas cylinder?
6On a centre lathe, which operation reduces the diameter of a cylindrical workpiece by cutting along its length?
7In a simple gear train, a 20-tooth driver gear meshes with a 40-tooth driven gear. What is the velocity ratio as driver revolutions : driven revolutions?
8Which force tends to pull a member apart along its axis?
9What does an LED do in a simple electronic circuit?
10Which first stage of the engineering design process responds to the brief by clarifying needs and constraints?
About the LC Engineering Exam
Leaving Certificate Engineering is the Irish senior-cycle study of mechanical engineering materials, processes and technological applications, integrated with safe workshop skills and design realisation. On the syllabus examined to June 2027, achievement is assessed by three components: a design project (150 marks, 25%), a practical skills examination (150 marks, 25%) and a written examination (Higher Level 300 marks; Ordinary Level 200 marks), so roughly half the grade is project and practical work. The written paper is structured long-form work (compulsory short and special-topic questions plus chosen long questions), not multiple choice. Core content includes materials science and heat treatment, manufacturing and machining, welding and joining, mechanisms and force, basic electronics and control, design process, health and safety, and workshop practice. A revised specification is introduced for fifth-year students from September 2026 and first examined in 2028, with a design-and-manufacture project (50%) and written examination (50%). This free bank supplies 100 original single-best-answer questions as concept practice only.
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
Syllabus examined to June 2027: design project 150 marks (25%), practical skills examination 150 marks (25%), written examination Higher Level 300 marks / Ordinary Level 200 marks (about 50%). Higher Level written paper: answer compulsory Question 1 (Section A short questions and Section B special topic) plus four other long questions (6 × 50 = 300 marks). Revised specification (fifth year from September 2026, first examined 2028): design-and-manufacture project 50% and written examination 50%. Official papers are not multiple choice.
Time Limit
Written paper typically 3 hours (Higher Level, 300 marks). Project work spans much of sixth year (commonly brief issued in autumn, submission in spring). Practical skills examination is a timed workshop session, often in May.
Passing Score
No single pass mark. Results use the eight-point scale: Higher Level H1-H8 and Ordinary Level O1-O8, each a percentage band (H1/O1 90-100%, H2/O2 80 to under 90%, down to H8/O8 0 to under 30%).
Exam / Certification Fees
In 2026 the Leaving Certificate examination fee is EUR 116 for a school-based candidate (EUR 301 for a school-going repeat candidate); full medical card holders are exempt. The fee covers all subjects entered, not Engineering alone.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
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.
Materials science and testing
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals, crystal structure and defects, iron-carbon concepts, heat treatment (annealing, normalising, hardening, tempering, case hardening), polymer types and processing properties, corrosion and surface protection, and materials testing (tensile, hardness, impact and NDT).
Manufacturing and joining processes
Casting and forming routes, machining on the lathe and mill, drilling and grinding, polymer moulding processes, and permanent and temporary joining including MMA, MIG/MAGS, TIG/TAGS, oxy-acetylene, resistance welding, brazing, soldering, rivets, fasteners and adhesives.
Mechanisms, force and control
Gears, gear trains and velocity ratio, levers and mechanical advantage, cams, clutches, linkages, pneumatics and simple hydraulic ideas, types of force (tension, compression, shear, torsion, bending) and applied ratio/force calculations used on the written paper.
Electronics, energy and automation
Basic circuit components (resistor, capacitor, diode, LED, LDR, thermistor), sensors and switches, transformers and rectification concepts, motors and power control ideas, and robots/automation used in manufacturing contexts.
Design, project, safety and workshop practice
Design process from brief to evaluation, project planning and folio documentation, materials selection and manufacturing sequence, health and safety symbols and safe workshop behaviour, metrology and measuring tools, and technical drawing concepts that support accurate manufacture.
Preparing for the LC Engineering Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No single pass mark. Results use the eight-point scale: Higher Level H1-H8 and Ordinary Level O1-O8, each a percentage band (H1/O1 90-100%, H2/O2 80 to under 90%, down to H8/O8 0 to under 30%).
- Assessment: Syllabus examined to June 2027: design project 150 marks (25%), practical skills examination 150 marks (25%), written examination Higher Level 300 marks / Ordinary Level 200 marks (about 50%). Higher Level written paper: answer compulsory Question 1 (Section A short questions and Section B special topic) plus four other long questions (6 × 50 = 300 marks). Revised specification (fifth year from September 2026, first examined 2028): design-and-manufacture project 50% and written examination 50%. Official papers are not multiple choice.
- Time limit: Written paper typically 3 hours (Higher Level, 300 marks). Project work spans much of sixth year (commonly brief issued in autumn, submission in spring). Practical skills examination is a timed workshop session, often in May.
- Exam / certification fees: In 2026 the Leaving Certificate examination fee is EUR 116 for a school-based candidate (EUR 301 for a school-going repeat candidate); full medical card holders are exempt. The fee covers all subjects entered, not Engineering alone. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
LC Engineering: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Leaving Certificate Engineering assessed?
On the syllabus examined to June 2027 there are three components: a design project (150 marks, 25%), a practical skills examination (150 marks, 25%) and a written examination (Higher Level 300 marks / Ordinary Level 200 marks, about 50% of the total).
Is the Engineering exam multiple choice?
No. The official written paper uses short and long structured questions. Project and practical work are manufacture- and design-based. These multiple-choice questions are an extra concept-revision aid only.
What does the design project involve?
Students respond to an SEC project brief by researching, designing, planning manufacture, making a working artefact and documenting the process in a folio. Project and practical together make up half of the current overall grade.
What is the practical skills examination?
It is a timed workshop test in which candidates manufacture components and assemblies from drawings and supplied materials, demonstrating accuracy, process choice and safe working. It is worth 150 marks (25%) under the current syllabus.
Is the Engineering syllabus changing?
Yes. The current syllabus is examined to June 2027. A revised Leaving Certificate Engineering specification is introduced for fifth-year students from September 2026 and is first examined in 2028, with a design-and-manufacture project (50%) and a written examination (50%).
Are these official SEC practice questions?
No. These are original OpenExamPrep questions modelled on Leaving Certificate Engineering topics. The State Examinations Commission publishes official past papers, sample materials and marking schemes separately on examinations.ie.