Fifth Year - Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Fifth year is the first mandatory year of the Leaving Certificate cycle. It is sometimes precluded by the optional Transition Year. Most pupils are 17 or 18 years of age by the end of their Fifth Year. Many secondary schools have Summer exams at the end of Fifth Year to test the student on what they have learned throughout the year. Fifth year requires students to work more independently and requires more responsibility than in the Junior Certificate cycle.