Leaving Certificate Applied
Childcare/Community Care - Frequently Asked Questions
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A
Where can I find the Childcare / Community Care course / modules?
You can download the module descriptor and resources from the website.
Q
How many Childcare / Community Care modules are there to choose
from?
There are five modules altogether in the module descriptor
1. The Care of Babies and Young Children
2. Child Development and Play
3. Parenting and Care Provision
4. People with Special Needs
5. Older People
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Q
A
How many Childcare / Community Care modules do students have to
do?
Four modules if students are doing Childcare / Community Care as a
Vocational Specialism
and
Between one and four modules if students are doing Childcare /
Community Care as an elective (Your co-ordinator will confirm the number
of modules)
Q
A
Are any of the modules mandatory?
No
Q
A
Do the modules have to be completed in any particular order?
No
Q
Do students have to complete all of the key assignments for
Childcare / Community Care?
For each module there are four key assignments. All four must be
completed for each module that is being done. They cannot be changed or
substituted.
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Q
A
Do students have to do a Task in Childcare / Community Care?
If students are doing Childcare / Community Care as a Vocational
Specialism they must complete one task in this area
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Q
A
When must students do the task?
Either in session 2 or session 3 (Your co-ordinator will confirm which of
the two)
Q
Who decides what the Childcare / Community Care tasks are going to
be about?
The students decide but they will need support and encouragement to
brainstorm ideas and finalise topics
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Q
A
Is there an exam in Childcare / Community Care?
Yes, if students are doing Childcare / Community Care as a Vocational
Specialism there are two exams; a written exam and a practical exam
Q
A
When do students sit the written exam?
At the end of year two (i.e. end of session 4)
Q
A
How long is the written exam?
1 ½ hours
Q
A
How many questions must students answer on the exam paper?
4 questions. Each question must be from a different section of the paper
Q
A
Where can I find past exam papers?
www.examinations.ie Click on ‘Examination Material Archive’ on the left
menu (green) and follow the instructions
Q
A
What does the practical exam involve?
Students complete a practical assignment based on one of two briefs
that are issued by the State Exams Commission
Q
A
Do the practical assignments change each year?
Yes, new practical assignment briefs are sent to schools at the beginning
of session 4 each year. They can also be found on www.examinations.ie
Click on ‘Examination information’ on the left menu bar (green), then click
on ‘Leaving Certificate Applied’ and you will see ‘LCA Practical
Examination Briefs’ on the right hand side of the page
Q
A
How many practical assignment briefs are issued each year?
Two. Each brief is based on a different module / area of the course
2
Q
A
Who decides which practical assignment brief students will work on?
The student decides in consultation with the teacher. Sometimes one of
the briefs may be sourced in a module that students have not done. In
this case the students have no choice
Q
A
When must the practical assignment be finished by?
Students undertake the practical assignment in session four and must
have it completed by 31 May. An examiner interviews students about the
practical assignment in June. The interview format is similar to that of
the task interview
Q
A
Is there a text book?
No, there is no specific text book however a list of books, resource,
worksheets and active methodology approaches can be found on the
website.
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