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Exam Review

Key Facts: LC English Exam

2 papers

Leaving Certificate English is assessed by two written papers of 200 marks each

State Examinations Commission

2h 50m / 3h 20m

Paper 1 lasts 2 hours 50 minutes; Paper 2 lasts 3 hours 20 minutes

State Examinations Commission examination papers

5 language categories

The syllabus classifies language as information, argument, persuasion, narration and aesthetic use

NCCA Leaving Certificate English syllabus

3 HL modes 2026

Higher Level comparative modes for 2026 are Cultural Context, General Vision and Viewpoint, and Literary Genre

Department of Education prescribed material for 2026

Shakespeare HL

Higher Level candidates must include a Shakespeare play among studied texts

Department of Education prescribed material

H1–H8 / O1–O8

Grades are reported on eight bands with no single fixed pass mark

State Examinations Commission grading scale

€116 (2026 school entry)

School-based Leaving Certificate examination entry fee restored at about €116 in 2026 (medical-card exemptions apply)

Department of Education / Citizens Information / SEC fee notices

Not MCQ

The official exam is long-form written assessment; this bank is a free MCQ study adaptation

OpenExamPrep / SEC paper format

Leaving Certificate English is examined by the SEC in two long-form written papers (200 marks each): Paper 1 language (comprehending + composition, 2h 50m) and Paper 2 literature (single text, comparative study, unseen and prescribed poetry, 3h 20m). Higher Level requires Shakespeare among studied texts; 2026 Higher comparative modes are Cultural Context, General Vision and Viewpoint, and Literary Genre. Grades use H1–H8 / O1–O8 with no fixed pass mark. School LC entry fees in 2026 are about €116 (medical-card exemptions apply; external fees may differ). This free 100-question bank is an MCQ study adaptation — the real exam is essays and unseens, not multiple choice.

Sample LC English Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LC English exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1On Paper 1 Comprehending, what is the safest first step before answering Question A?
A.Skim all three texts and the paper theme, then choose which text suits Question A best
B.Jump straight into writing without reading the other texts
C.Answer Question A and Question B on the same text to save time
D.Ignore the visual element and focus only on the longest paragraph
Explanation: Paper 1 presents themed texts. You must answer Question A on one text and Question B on a different text, so surveying all material first helps you choose wisely.
2What does 'tone' most accurately mean in a Leaving Cert English comprehension answer?
A.The writer's attitude or emotional colouring toward the subject and audience
B.The dictionary definition of every difficult word
C.The number of paragraphs in the extract
D.Whether the piece was written in Ireland or abroad
Explanation: Tone is the writer's attitude (ironic, affectionate, critical, celebratory, etc.). Naming tone and supporting it with language evidence is a core comprehension skill.
3When a Question A stem says 'support your answer with reference to the text', what should you do?
A.Select precise words, phrases or details from the extract and explain how they prove your point
B.Retell the whole extract from memory without quotation
C.Invent details that would strengthen the argument even if they are not present
D.Discuss only your personal life with no link to the passage
Explanation: Reference means grounded evidence: brief quotation or clear paraphrase tied to analysis. Higher marks reward explanation of how the detail works, not plot dump.
4Which reading strategy best helps you identify the dominant purpose of an unseen Paper 1 text?
A.Ask what the writer mainly wants the reader to know, believe, feel or do
B.Count how many adjectives appear
C.Assume every text is purely aesthetic poetry
D.Ignore the title and first paragraph
Explanation: Purpose (inform, argue, persuade, narrate, delight aesthetically) is central to the syllabus language categories. Titles, openings and recurring strategies usually signal purpose.
5A comprehension text blends a personal anecdote with statistics. What is the most accurate comment?
A.The writer mixes narrative colour with informative evidence, which can make the argument more memorable and credible
B.Anecdotes always cancel out statistics, so the piece has no purpose
C.Statistics prove the text is a short story and nothing else
D.Mixing modes is forbidden by the Leaving Cert syllabus
Explanation: The syllabus accepts that language functions mix. Noticing how anecdote and data cooperate shows sophisticated comprehension.
6What is the best use of the paper's overall theme (for example 'Connections' or 'Influence') when planning answers?
A.Use it as a lens for how texts relate and for vocabulary that links your analysis, without forcing every sentence to name the theme
B.Copy the theme word into every sentence regardless of sense
C.Ignore the theme completely because it never matters
D.Write only about the theme and never about the actual extract
Explanation: Paper 1 is themed. Awareness of the theme helps selection and coherent commentary, but answers must still address the specific question and text.
7Which approach to a visual element (photograph, illustration, layout) on Paper 1 is most effective?
A.Comment on composition, focus, contrast or caption and link these choices to the written message
B.Describe every colour in exhaustive list form with no interpretation
C.State that visuals never matter because English is only words
D.Replace the written Question A entirely with a drawing of your own
Explanation: Visual literacy is regularly rewarded when candidates explain how image choices reinforce tone, theme or audience appeal.
8A Question A asks for three insights into a character based on the written element of a text. What earns higher marks?
A.Three distinct, well-supported insights that show different facets of the character
B.One insight repeated three times in longer wording
C.A full biography invented beyond the extract
D.A list of plot events with no character focus
Explanation: Distinct, text-supported insights show range. Repetition and off-text invention waste marks.
9What does 'register' refer to when analysing or producing Paper 1 language?
A.The level of formality and the appropriateness of vocabulary and grammar for audience and context
B.The number of rhetorical questions only
C.Whether handwriting is joined or printed
D.The exam centre's room number
Explanation: Register is formality and situational appropriateness (e.g. formal report vs chatty blog). Matching register is assessed across Paper 1.
10Which statement best describes an efficient comprehension paragraph?
A.A clear point, brief evidence from the text, and explanation of effect or significance
B.Five long quotations with no commentary
C.Only abstract theory with no link to the extract
D.A one-word answer such as 'sad'
Explanation: PEE/PEEL-style movement (point–evidence–explain) keeps answers coherent and text-rooted under time pressure.

About the LC English Exam

Leaving Certificate English is a core senior-cycle subject examined by the State Examinations Commission at Higher and Ordinary Level. The NCCA syllabus emphasises control of language for information, argument, persuasion, narration and aesthetic purposes, alongside independent reading of literature. Assessment is by two written papers: Paper 1 tests comprehending and composing on themed unseen material; Paper 2 tests a single prescribed text, three texts studied comparatively under year-specific modes, and poetry (unseen and prescribed). For examination in 2026, Higher Level comparative modes are Cultural Context, General Vision and Viewpoint, and Literary Genre. Higher Level candidates must include a Shakespeare play among their texts. The official examination is entirely long-form written response; this OpenExamPrep bank is an original multiple-choice concept-practice set, not a substitute for past 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 written papers, each 200 marks (400 marks total). Paper 1 (Language): Section I Comprehending — answer Question A on one text and Question B on a different text (100 marks combined) — and Section II Composing (100 marks). Paper 2 (Literature): Single Text (60 marks), Comparative Study (70 marks), Unseen Poetry (20 marks) and Prescribed Poetry (50 marks).

Time Limit

Paper 1: 2 hours 50 minutes. Paper 2: 3 hours 20 minutes. Papers are sat on separate days during the June Leaving Certificate examinations.

Passing Score

No fixed pass mark. Higher Level uses H1–H8 and Ordinary Level uses O1–O8 (H1/O1 = 90–100% down to H8/O8 = 0–under 30%). CAO points follow the standard Higher/Ordinary grade bands.

Exam / Certification Fees

In 2026, school-based Leaving Certificate candidates generally pay an examination entry fee of about €116 (restored after temporary fee waivers in previous years). Candidates with a full medical card, or covered for all services on a parent/guardian’s full medical card, are exempt. External and repeat candidates may face different fees; always confirm current rates with the SEC.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, 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.

25%

Comprehending and language awareness (Paper 1)

Practice covers identifying purpose, audience, tone and register; the five syllabus language categories (information, argument, persuasion, narration, aesthetic); rhetorical and stylistic devices; and strategies for Question A analysis versus Question B short tasks (letter, diary, proposal, introduction, etc.).

25%

Composition modes (Paper 1)

Practice covers planning and structuring personal essays, short stories, speeches, articles and descriptive writing; openings and closings; coherence and paragraphing; and matching form, genre conventions and language choices to the task.

15%

Single-text study including Shakespeare

Practice covers character motivation and development, key themes, imagery and motifs, dramatic techniques (soliloquy, irony, staging), and how to answer statement-based Higher Level essays with precise textual support rather than plot summary.

17.5%

Comparative study (2026 modes)

Practice covers Cultural Context (values, power, class, gender, religion, setting), General Vision and Viewpoint (overall outlook, light/dark tone, reader attitude), and Literary Genre (how the story is told: narration, structure, characterisation, film/drama techniques). Theme or Issue is not a 2026 Higher mode.

17.5%

Poetry techniques and response

Practice covers imagery, metaphor and simile, sound (alliteration, assonance, sibilance, rhyme), form and structure, tone and voice, persona, and approaches to unseen poems and prescribed-poet essays with integrated quotation.

Preparing for the LC English Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: No fixed pass mark. Higher Level uses H1–H8 and Ordinary Level uses O1–O8 (H1/O1 = 90–100% down to H8/O8 = 0–under 30%). CAO points follow the standard Higher/Ordinary grade bands.
  • Assessment: Two written papers, each 200 marks (400 marks total). Paper 1 (Language): Section I Comprehending — answer Question A on one text and Question B on a different text (100 marks combined) — and Section II Composing (100 marks). Paper 2 (Literature): Single Text (60 marks), Comparative Study (70 marks), Unseen Poetry (20 marks) and Prescribed Poetry (50 marks).
  • Time limit: Paper 1: 2 hours 50 minutes. Paper 2: 3 hours 20 minutes. Papers are sat on separate days during the June Leaving Certificate examinations.
  • Exam / certification fees: In 2026, school-based Leaving Certificate candidates generally pay an examination entry fee of about €116 (restored after temporary fee waivers in previous years). Candidates with a full medical card, or covered for all services on a parent/guardian’s full medical card, are exempt. External and repeat candidates may face different fees; always confirm current rates with the SEC. 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 English: Suggested Study Strategy

1Practise full past SEC Paper 1 and Paper 2 under timed conditions and study the official marking schemes so you know how Clarity of Purpose, Coherence of Delivery, Efficiency of Language Use and Accuracy are rewarded.
2For Paper 1, master the five language categories and always match Question B form (letter, diary, proposal, speech extract, etc.) to audience, purpose and register.
3Build a composition toolkit: strong openings, clear paragraphing, varied sentence craft, and endings that resolve the task — personal essay and short story appear very often among options.
4For single text and Shakespeare, prepare character, theme, key scenes and techniques with short quotable moments; Higher Level rewards analysis over plot retell.
5For comparative 2026, build a three-text grid under Cultural Context, General Vision and Viewpoint, and Literary Genre, with linking phrases that compare rather than treat texts in isolation.
6For poetry, practise unseen poems weekly for form, imagery and tone, and learn enough poems by each prescribed poet to answer flexibly with integrated quotation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Leaving Certificate English examined?

By two written papers set by the State Examinations Commission. Paper 1 (Language) lasts 2 hours 50 minutes and is worth 200 marks. Paper 2 (Literature) lasts 3 hours 20 minutes and is also worth 200 marks. Both Higher and Ordinary Level use this two-paper structure with different demand and text lists.

What is on Paper 1?

Paper 1 has Section I Comprehending and Section II Composing. You answer Question A on one of the themed texts and Question B (a short functional writing task) on a different text, then write one full composition from the options provided. Each section is worth 100 marks.

What is on Paper 2?

Paper 2 covers the Single Text (60 marks), the Comparative Study (70 marks), Unseen Poetry (20 marks) and Prescribed Poetry (50 marks). You must attempt all required sections according to the paper instructions for your level.

What are the Higher Level comparative modes for 2026?

For Higher Level in 2026 the comparative modes are Cultural Context, General Vision and Viewpoint, and Literary Genre. Theme or Issue is not examined in 2026. Ordinary Level uses its own modes (including Social Setting, Relationships, and Hero/Heroine/Villain on the prescribed list).

Is Shakespeare compulsory?

At Higher Level a play by Shakespeare must be one of the texts chosen (either as the single text or as part of the comparative study). At Ordinary Level studying Shakespeare is optional.

Is the real exam multiple choice?

No. The official SEC examination is entirely long-form written response. This OpenExamPrep bank is an original multiple-choice concept-practice set to build terminology and judgement; you should still practise full past papers and timed essays.

How much does it cost to sit Leaving Certificate English in 2026?

English is taken as one subject within the Leaving Certificate entry. In 2026 school-based candidates generally pay an overall examination entry fee of about €116 (with full medical-card exemptions). External and repeat candidates may pay different fees set by the SEC.