Free Practice Questions for LC Politics & Society
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Key Facts: LC Politics & Society Exam
20% + 80%
Citizenship project report is 20%; written examination is 80% of total marks
NCCA Leaving Certificate Politics and Society specification
2h 30m
The terminal written Politics and Society paper lasts two and a half hours
NCCA Politics and Society curriculum specification
4 strands
Power and decision-making; Active citizenship; Human rights; Globalisation and localisation
Curriculum Online - Politics and Society
3 paper sections
Written paper: short answers, data-based case study, discursive essays
NCCA Politics and Society curriculum specification
SEC brief
Citizenship project topics are set each year in a brief issued by the SEC
NCCA specification / State Examinations Commission
180 hours
Course designed for about 180 hours of teaching, including ~30 hours for the citizenship project
NCCA Politics and Society curriculum specification
H1-H8 / O1-O8
Grades are awarded on the senior-cycle 90-point grading scale
State Examinations Commission - Grading
100
Free original multiple-choice practice questions in this bank
OpenExamPrep
Leaving Certificate Politics and Society is an Irish senior-cycle subject examined by the SEC at Higher and Ordinary Level. Assessment is 20% citizenship project report (SEC brief; rationale, execution, reflection) and 80% written paper (2 hours 30 minutes: short answers, data-based questions, discursive essays). Content covers four NCCA strands — power and decision-making, active citizenship, human rights, globalisation and sustainable development — plus key thinkers. This free bank uses original single-best-answer questions on structure, concepts and thinkers — the real SEC paper is not multiple choice.
Sample LC Politics & Society Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LC Politics & Society exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Leaving Certificate Politics and Society is assessed through which two main components?
2Approximately what share of the total marks is awarded to the report on a citizenship project?
3How long is the terminal written examination in Politics and Society?
4The written Politics and Society paper is organised into how many sections by question type?
5Who issues the annual brief that sets citizenship project topics?
6If students complete a citizenship project as a group, what must each candidate submit?
7Which set correctly names the three main sections of the citizenship project report in the NCCA specification?
8At Higher Level, which written-paper section carries the largest share of marks according to the NCCA specification weightings?
9Compared with Higher Level, Ordinary Level places relatively more weighting on which written-paper section type?
10What skills does the terminal written examination primarily assess, according to the NCCA specification?
About the LC Politics & Society Exam
Leaving Certificate Politics and Society is a senior-cycle subject in Ireland, examined by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) at Higher and Ordinary Level. The NCCA specification (updated 2019) aims to develop reflective and active citizenship informed by sociology, anthropology, political studies and philosophy. The course is organised in four strands — Power and decision-making; Active citizenship; Human rights and responsibilities; Globalisation and localisation — each with two topics (eight topics total). Students also engage with named key thinkers (for example Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Karl Marx, Noam Chomsky, Benedict Anderson, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Paulo Freire, Martha Nussbaum, Sylvia Walby and Kathleen Lynch) whose ideas are applied across strands. Assessment has two components: a Report on a citizenship project (20%) responding to an annual SEC brief, and a terminal written examination (80%, 2 hours 30 minutes) with short answers, a data-based case study and discursive essays. Results are reported on the H1-H8 or O1-O8 grade scale.
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 components: (1) Report on a citizenship project — 20%: based on an annual SEC brief; individual report with Section A (rationale and research), Section B (execution) and Section C (reflections on knowledge and skills); group work is allowed but each candidate submits a separate report focused on their own role. (2) Terminal written examination — 80%, 2 hours 30 minutes, Higher or Ordinary Level, three sections by question type: short answers (OL 20% / HL 10% of total subject marks within the paper weighting scheme stated in the specification), data-based short and extended responses (30%), and discursive essays (OL 30% / HL 40%). The paper assesses knowledge and understanding, analysis of qualitative/quantitative social and political data, and capacity to form clear, evidence-based argument.
Time Limit
Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes at Higher and Ordinary Level. Citizenship project completed during the course and submitted to the SEC according to the annual brief and digital/report booklet requirements (maximum total word count commonly cited as 1,700 words across report sections).
Passing Score
No pass/fail mark for the subject. Politics and Society is graded H1-H8 (Higher) and O1-O8 (Ordinary); grades at or above H6/O6 award CAO points, and many third-level courses require specific minimum grades for entry.
Exam / Certification Fees
There is no separate fee for Politics and Society alone; a single Leaving Certificate entry fee covers all subjects, with an exemption for medical-card holders. Confirm the current amount with your school and the State Examinations Commission.
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.
Power and decision-making
Practice covers school-level decision-making (rules, safety and non-safety policies, student council, principal, board of management, patron), national executive representation in Ireland, comparison with Northern Ireland and the EU, media roles in democracy, and foundational concepts of power, representation, democracy, social class and gender.
Active citizenship
Practice covers effective contribution to communities, planning and evaluating civic action, rights and responsibilities in communication and debate, working with others, and the knowledge base for the citizenship project (Strand 2 learning outcomes).
Human rights and responsibilities
Practice covers human rights frameworks in Ireland (Constitution, equality and rights institutions), European and international instruments (including the European Convention on Human Rights and UN human rights architecture), responsibilities that accompany rights, and debates on equality, dignity and justice.
Globalisation and localisation
Practice covers globalisation and identity (nationalism, imagined communities, migration, local-global links, culture) and sustainable development (environmental limits, development models, education for sustainable development, local action for global issues).
Key thinkers and citizenship project
Practice covers applying named key thinkers to strand debates and the citizenship project report process: annual SEC brief, choice of topic, individual report even for group work, Section A rationale and research, Section B execution and critical analysis of the action plan, Section C reflection on knowledge and skills, and assessment criteria focused on rationale, research, Pol-Soc concepts and evidenced reflection.
Preparing for the LC Politics & Society Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No pass/fail mark for the subject. Politics and Society is graded H1-H8 (Higher) and O1-O8 (Ordinary); grades at or above H6/O6 award CAO points, and many third-level courses require specific minimum grades for entry.
- Assessment: Two components: (1) Report on a citizenship project — 20%: based on an annual SEC brief; individual report with Section A (rationale and research), Section B (execution) and Section C (reflections on knowledge and skills); group work is allowed but each candidate submits a separate report focused on their own role. (2) Terminal written examination — 80%, 2 hours 30 minutes, Higher or Ordinary Level, three sections by question type: short answers (OL 20% / HL 10% of total subject marks within the paper weighting scheme stated in the specification), data-based short and extended responses (30%), and discursive essays (OL 30% / HL 40%). The paper assesses knowledge and understanding, analysis of qualitative/quantitative social and political data, and capacity to form clear, evidence-based argument.
- Time limit: Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes at Higher and Ordinary Level. Citizenship project completed during the course and submitted to the SEC according to the annual brief and digital/report booklet requirements (maximum total word count commonly cited as 1,700 words across report sections).
- Exam / certification fees: There is no separate fee for Politics and Society alone; a single Leaving Certificate entry fee covers all subjects, with an exemption for medical-card holders. Confirm the current amount with your school and 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
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
LC Politics & Society: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Leaving Certificate Politics and Society examined?
There are two components: a Report on a citizenship project worth 20% of the marks and a terminal written examination worth 80% lasting 2 hours 30 minutes. The written paper has three sections — short answers, data-based questions, and discursive essays — with slightly different weightings at Ordinary and Higher Level.
What is the citizenship project?
It is coursework based on an annual brief from the State Examinations Commission. You choose one topic from the brief, take action in a community or civic setting, and submit an individual report with three main sections: rationale and research, execution of the project, and reflections on knowledge and skills gained. Group projects are allowed, but each candidate still writes a separate report focused on their own role and learning.
What are the four strands of Politics and Society?
Strand 1 Power and decision-making; Strand 2 Active citizenship; Strand 3 Human rights and responsibilities; Strand 4 Globalisation and localisation. Each strand has two topics (eight topics in total), and Strand 1 is designed to be studied first as the foundation.
Is Leaving Cert Politics and Society multiple choice?
No. The official SEC assessment uses a citizenship project report plus short answers, data-based constructed responses and discursive essays. This free bank uses single-best-answer multiple-choice questions on the same strands, skills and key thinkers to check recall and understanding while you revise.
Who are the key thinkers?
The NCCA specification and PDST support materials name thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Robert Nozick, Karl Marx, Sylvia Walby, Kathleen Lynch, Noam Chomsky, Paulo Freire, Martha Nussbaum, Benedict Anderson, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Samuel Huntington, André Gunder Frank, Vandana Shiva, Seán McDonagh, Thomas Hylland Eriksen and Edward Said. You are expected to apply their ideas to course contexts, not only memorise biographies.
Are these official SEC questions?
No. These are original OpenExamPrep questions written to match the Leaving Certificate Politics and Society specification structure and skills. Official past papers and marking schemes are available free from the State Examinations Commission examination material archive.