Find your ideal PLC course based on your interests
Discover which Post-Leaving Certificate courses match your personality and interests. Based on the internationally validated RIASEC (Holland Codes) framework, this 10–14 minute assessment matches you to courses from 1,870+ Irish PLC programmes.
Insights and outcomes from completing this assessment
Your Holland Code — a personalised interest profile across 6 dimensions
Top 10 PLC course matches ranked by how well they fit your interests
AI-generated explanations connecting your profile to each course
Direct links to apply to each matched course
Here's an example of the personalized insights you'll receive after completing the assessment
Sample Profile
Aoife M. — 6th Year, Cork
RIASEC Interest Profile
Top 10 PLC Matches
from 1,870+ coursesEarly Childhood Care & Education
"Your dominant Social score (91) means you're energised by working with and helping people — the core skill in ECCE. Your secondary Artistic score (78) points to a creative, expressive approach to working with children."
Art, Craft & Design
"Your Artistic score (78) is your second strongest dimension — you're drawn to creative expression, visual thinking, and making things. This leads to degree-level progression in fine art, graphic design, or animation."
Community Health & Social Care
"Your Social score (91) is exceptionally high — you genuinely want to help people. This course trains you in care skills, anatomy, and social studies with direct pathways into nursing and social care."
Creative Media Production
"Your Artistic-Investigative combination (78/61) suits media production — it requires both creative vision and analytical problem-solving with video, audio, and digital storytelling."
Social Studies
"Your Social-Investigative pairing (91/61) is the classic profile for people who want to understand why people behave the way they do — and then help them."
Applied Psychology
"Your high Social (91) paired with Investigative (61) maps perfectly to psychology — you want to understand people's minds and use that knowledge to help them thrive."
Graphic Design & Illustration
"Your Artistic score (78) drives a strong visual imagination. Graphic design channels that creativity into professional communication — branding, typography, and digital illustration."
Youth & Community Work
"Your Social dominance (91) combined with Enterprising (55) gives you both the empathy and leadership to engage with young people and drive community-based programmes."
Theatre & Performance
"Your Artistic-Social blend (78/91) is the exact profile found in performers — creative expression combined with deep emotional intelligence and a need to connect with audiences."
Special Needs Assisting
"Your top Social score (91) means you're naturally drawn to caring roles. This course trains you to support children and adults with additional needs in educational settings."
Real feedback from families who've used this assessment
"I didn't even know PLC courses existed before this. Now I have a clear plan for after the Leaving Cert."
5th Year Student
Cork
"The match explanations really helped me understand why certain courses suit me. Much better than just a list."
6th Year Student
Dublin
"At 34, I was nervous about going back to education. The PLC Compass showed me options I didn't know existed — I'm now studying Social Care."
Mature Student
Galway
The most widely adopted framework in career and educational guidance globally.
30 scored questions describe real-life situations relevant to Irish students.
Your scores are compared to every PLC course using the same technique used in industry recommendation systems.
Each match includes a personalised explanation connecting your profile to course activities.
5 built-in quality checks ensure results are reliable.
Whether you're finishing school, considering a change, or returning to education — PLC courses offer flexible, practical pathways.
Not sure about the CAO? A PLC course gives you a practical, hands-on year to explore a career area before committing to a 3–4 year degree. Many students use PLCs as a stepping stone to university.
Returning to education? PLC courses are designed for all ages. No Leaving Cert points needed — entry is based on interview and motivation. Many colleges actively welcome mature learners.
Exploring your options? Use the PLC Compass now to discover career areas that match your interests — even if you're a year or two away from applying. It's never too early to plan.
PLC (Post-Leaving Certificate) courses are one of Ireland's best-kept secrets — affordable, practical, and a proven pathway to careers and university.
Most PLC courses are 1 year full-time (September–May), with some Level 6 courses running 2 years. You'll attend a college of further education (not a university), typically 9am–4pm, with a mix of classroom learning, practical projects, and work placement.
PLC courses award QQI Level 5 (equivalent to Leaving Cert) or QQI Level 6 (Advanced Certificate). These are nationally and internationally recognised qualifications on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
A full QQI Level 5 award with 8 distinctions earns up to 390 CAO points. Many universities have reserved places and direct entry agreements for QQI graduates. Over 50% of PLC graduates progress to higher education.
PLC courses are free for most students — a participant contribution of €200 may apply (medical card holders exempt). SUSI grants, Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), and VTOS are available for eligible students.
PLC courses span every career area. Here are some of the most popular sectors among Irish students.
Healthcare & Nursing
320+ courses
Business & Office
210+ courses
Art, Design & Media
180+ courses
Childcare & Education
150+ courses
IT & Computing
130+ courses
Sport & Fitness
90+ courses
Tourism & Hospitality
85+ courses
Science & Lab Work
70+ courses
Social Care & Youth Work
110+ courses
Engineering & Construction
65+ courses
Animal Care & Agriculture
55+ courses
Music & Performing Arts
45+ courses
Official websites, application portals, and financial support information.
Ireland's official course database. Search all PLC, apprenticeship, and higher education courses.
Browse Further Education & Training courses by county, level, and sector.
Apply to higher education using your QQI results. Check reserved places and QQI links schemes.
Check eligibility and apply for student maintenance and fee grants for PLC courses.
Comprehensive government guide to PLC courses, eligibility, costs, and supports.
Learn about QQI Level 5 and Level 6 qualification standards and the NFQ framework.
Learn about SUSI grants, DARE (disability access), HEAR (socio-economic access), and more financial supports.
No. PLC courses do not require CAO points. Entry is typically based on an interview and your interest in the subject. You do need to have completed the Leaving Certificate (or equivalent), but your grades don't determine entry.
Absolutely. Over 50% of PLC graduates progress to higher education. A full QQI Level 5 award can earn up to 390 CAO points. Many universities also have reserved places and direct QQI Links entry agreements for PLC graduates.
PLC courses are free for most students through SOLAS/ETB funding. A participant contribution of up to €200 may apply (waived for medical card holders). SUSI maintenance grants and Back to Education Allowance are also available.
Yes! PLC courses welcome students of all ages. Many colleges have dedicated mature student supports, flexible timetables, and prior learning recognition (RPL). The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and VTOS programme provide financial support for adult learners.
Level 5 (Certificate) is the standard PLC qualification — 1 year, 8 modules. Level 6 (Advanced Certificate) is a 1–2 year programme that sits between Level 5 and a degree. Level 6 can earn more CAO points and some employers treat it as equivalent to a first year of college.
The PLC Compass uses the internationally validated RIASEC (Holland Codes) framework. You answer 30 scenario-based questions, and your interest profile is compared to every PLC course in our database (1,870+) using cosine similarity matching — the same technique used in recommendation systems at Netflix and Spotify.
Explore our methodology, see sample results, and understand how we help Irish students
Take the assessment today and receive your personalized insights