--- title: "Leaving Cert Computer Science Grinds Online | Live Python" description: "Leaving Cert Computer Science grinds online: live Python, algorithms and coursework skills for the 70/30 exam and project, taught one to one or in small groups." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/leaving-cert-computer-science-grinds-online source: src/pages/leaving-cert-computer-science-grinds-online.html --- > Leaving Cert Computer Science grinds online: live Python, algorithms and coursework skills for the 70/30 exam and project, taught one to one or in small groups. In short Leaving Certificate Computer Science is designed for 180 hours of class contact time and, under the current specification, assessed by an end-of-course examination worth 70 percent and coursework worth 30 percent: one computational artefact with a report, done individually. Python is the language assessed in the exam, Python and JavaScript in the coursework. From September 2027 a redeveloped subject moves to a 60 percent exam and a 40 percent coursework project. Our grinds build what both parts reward: fluent, well-understood Python, algorithms and data handled with confidence, and the testing and reporting habits a project needs. We never write or edit coursework. Classes run live online, one to one or in groups of five to ten; the first class is free, then USD 150 a month one to one or USD 100 in a group. Start here ## Three courses that match the subject's demands Python for the exam, problem solving for the algorithms, and web development for the JavaScript side of the coursework. Each card opens its syllabus. [![Python for Teens course thumbnail](/images/python-teens.webp) LCCS / 01 Python for Teens The language the exam assesses, taught until reading, tracing and writing it are second nature. Open the syllabus →](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens)[![Problem Solving for Teens course thumbnail](/images/problem-solving-teens.webp) LCCS / 02 Problem Solving for Teens Algorithms reasoned out and explained in words, the way a written exam asks for them. Open the syllabus →](/courses/problem-solving-dsa-masterclass-teens)[![Full Stack Web Development for Teens course thumbnail](/images/web-dev-teens.webp) LCCS / 03 Full Stack Web Development for Teens JavaScript and the web, the other language the current coursework assesses. Open the syllabus →](/courses/full-stack-web-development-teens-masterclass) The subject ## Leaving Cert Computer Science, as the specifications set it out Two specifications matter to students now: the current one, which applies for examination up to June 2028, and the redeveloped one, for introduction in schools from September 2027. The details below are quoted or closely paraphrased from both. | | Current specification | Redeveloped specification | | --- | --- | --- | | When | For examination to June 2028 | For introduction in September 2027 | | Hours | Designed for 180 hours of class contact time | Designed for a minimum of 180 hours of class contact time | | Assessment | An end-of-course examination (70%) and coursework (30%) | A final examination (60%) and a Coursework Project (40%) on a common brief | | Levels | Higher and Ordinary, with the same coursework brief for both | Higher and Ordinary | | Languages | Does not require a specific language; Python is assessed in the exam, and Python and Javascript in the coursework | Python is the language assessed in the final examination | | Coursework time | About ten school weeks for one computational artefact with report | Students may need up to 25 hours to complete the Coursework Project | The current specification has three strands: Practices and principles, Core concepts, and Computer science in practice. The third is taught through four applied learning tasks, set in the contexts of Interactive information systems, Analytics, Modelling and simulation, and Embedded systems. The redeveloped specification adds learning outcomes on artificial intelligence, among them "1.11. explain factors empowering AI systems", and asks students to acknowledge their sources, including the use of AI. The change is part of the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle. Computer Science is in the third group of subjects, introduced to all schools in 2027, and the new assessment components are worth at least 40 percent of the marks and externally assessed by the State Examinations Commission. For a student in Fifth Year now, the practical point is simple: check with the school which specification your class will sit, because the weighting and the coursework format differ. Sources, read 16 September 2026: [LCCS specification (current)](https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/cff6eb86-9ff8-4e68-abf9-e42ca637492d/LC-Computer-Science-specification-updated.pdf); [Structure of Leaving Certificate Computer Science](https://www.curriculumonline.ie/senior-cycle/senior-cycle-subjects/computer-science/structure-of-leaving-certificate-computer-science/); [Coursework assessment guidelines (August 2023)](https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/b5e9833d-6842-4c85-b46e-a0897b72891e/CS-Coursework-Assessment-Guidelines-en.pdf); [Computer Science specification for introduction in 2027](https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/e794b22c-902f-4a8d-babb-fc7610454198/SC-Computer-Science-ENG-INT.pdf); [Senior Cycle redevelopment: what it means for me](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/senior-cycle-redevelopment-what-it-means-for-me/); [Senior Cycle redevelopment](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/senior-cycle-redevelopment/). The current coursework guidelines give ten school weeks in one place and eight in another. The coursework ## One artefact, one report, and the student's own work The coursework is where a grind has to be most careful. It is also where understanding pays off most. ### What is submitted Under the current specification, one computational artefact with a report. The guidelines ask for the report in HTML format, including video evidence of the final artefact in operation, and the State Examinations Commission sets the brief towards the end of the first term of the course's second year. ### Whose work it is The specification says the coursework "must be carried out individually", and the guidelines say only work which is the student's own can be accepted. Irish guidance treats AI-generated material as material the student did not produce. ### What a grind can do Teach the skills the brief will need, on other examples: planning a program, testing it, handling data, building a simple interface, and describing honestly what a program does and does not do. ### The line we never cross We never write, edit, debug or review a student's actual coursework artefact or report, and we do not suggest code for it. During the coursework weeks our lessons move to different examples of the same ideas. This is not only about rules. A student who builds the artefact alone, from skills they own, can write the report about it truthfully and explain every design choice. ### What the four contexts ask of a student Interactive information systems need a working interface and stored data; Analytics needs data read, cleaned and interpreted; Modelling and simulation need a model whose assumptions are stated; Embedded systems need code that talks to hardware. Our lessons practise each kind of task on separate projects across Fifth Year, so no brief arrives as a surprise. More on AI and your own work is on [understanding the code instead of copy-pasting](/understand-the-code-dont-copy-paste-ireland). The written exam ## What exam practice looks like in a Computer Science grind A written paper tests whether a student can reason about code without a computer to check it. That is a skill, and it is practised. ### Trace before you run Students read short Python programs and write down exactly what they print, then check. The habit of predicting code is the single best preparation for a paper that cannot be run. ### Say it in words Algorithms are explained in plain sentences as well as in code: what a sort does, why a search stops, what happens with an empty list. Written answers reward clear explanations. ### Write under time Short functions written by hand against the clock, then compared with the teacher's version line by line, including the edge cases that cost marks. The 2026 Leaving Certificate written examinations ran from 3 June to 23 June 2026. We do not quote the date of any individual paper here: the State Examinations Commission publishes the timetable, and students should take it from there. Nothing on this page is a prediction of exam content or results. Good grinds ## What a good Computer Science grind looks like, from any provider Four things worth asking before booking Computer Science grinds, with our own answers. | Question | Why ask it | Our answer | | --- | --- | --- | | Is it live, with the same teacher? | Recorded lessons cannot notice where a student is stuck. | Live every time, with one specialist through the year. | | Does it teach understanding or answers? | A paper that cannot be run rewards reasoning, not memory. | Every program is predicted and explained before it is written. | | How does it handle the coursework? | The coursework must be the student's own work. | Skills on other examples only; the artefact is never touched. | | What does it promise? | No one can promise a grade or CAO points. | We promise a student who understands their code, and nothing we cannot keep. | Fifth and Sixth Year ## A two-year plan around the subject's calendar The plan fits the current specification's timing, with the coursework brief arriving towards the end of the first term of the second year. Each student's plan is adjusted to their school. | When | Focus | By the end the student can | | --- | --- | --- | | Fifth Year, autumn | Python fluency | Read, trace and write Python without looking things up | | Fifth Year, spring | Algorithms and data | Explain and code sorts, searches and data handling | | Fifth Year, summer term | Project skills | Plan, test and document a small program of their own | | Sixth Year, first term | Practice on other briefs | Handle each of the four coursework contexts on separate examples | | Sixth Year, after the brief | Exam practice | Answer written questions on code and algorithms under time | ### Starting late Students who start in Sixth Year skip nothing, but move faster through the first rungs and spend more time on tracing and written answers. One-to-one lessons usually suit a late start best. Students who have not yet chosen the subject can begin with [a general coding class](/best-online-coding-classes-ireland) in the Junior Cycle or Transition Year. ### During the coursework weeks While the student builds the artefact, grinds switch entirely to exam practice and to different example projects, so there is no question about whose work the coursework is. After the coursework is submitted, the final months go to written practice. The catalogue ## Eight live courses that support Leaving Cert Computer Science The courses our Computer Science students draw on, grouped by what they support. The free first class decides the mix. I ### For the exam Python, algorithms and reasoning LCCS / EXAM / 01 #### Python for Teens The language of the paper, learned to fluency. [Open the syllabus](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens) LCCS / EXAM / 02 #### Problem Solving for Teens Algorithms and data structures, reasoned out. [Open the syllabus](/courses/problem-solving-dsa-masterclass-teens) LCCS / EXAM / 03 #### Maths Through Coding The mathematics that algorithms quietly rely on. [Open the syllabus](/courses/maths-through-coding)II ### For coursework skills Practised on separate projects, never on the artefact LCCS / SKILL / 01 #### Full Stack Web Development for Teens Interfaces, stored data and JavaScript. [Open the syllabus](/courses/full-stack-web-development-teens-masterclass) LCCS / SKILL / 02 #### Data Science for Teens Reading, cleaning and interpreting data. [Open the syllabus](/courses/data-science-course-for-teens-python-data) LCCS / SKILL / 03 #### Git and GitHub for Teens A clear history of the student's own work. [Open the syllabus](/courses/git-github-version-control-course-for-teens)III ### For the redeveloped subject AI outcomes and deeper projects LCCS / NEXT / 01 #### AI and Machine Learning for Teens How AI systems learn, and what makes them work. [Open the syllabus](/courses/ai-ml-masterclass-teens) LCCS / NEXT / 02 #### App Development for Teens A complete app, built and documented. [Open the syllabus](/courses/complete-app-development-masterclass-for-teens) How the grinds run ## Live grinds on Irish evenings and weekends Lessons are live, taught from India, at a weekly hour set in Irish time. Irish time runs five and a half hours behind India time in winter and four and a half in summer, so Senior Cycle students usually meet their teacher in the early evening or at the weekend. Early evening After study, on school days, Irish time. Saturday Longer sessions for written practice. Sunday For students with busy weekday evenings. ### A free first class The student traces and explains some Python, and the teacher says honestly where they stand. ### One to one The usual choice for Sixth Years: one specialist, one student, the whole hour. ### Small groups Five to ten Senior Cycle students at the same level, often from several schools. ### Specialist teachers Teachers who program, not generalists covering the subject for a term. ### Coursework kept separate Skills on other projects only; the student's artefact is never seen or touched. ### Progress you can see Parents hear what the student can now do, in plain terms, as the months go by. Student work ## Projects our students built, outside any coursework Four live projects by our students. More on the [student labs](/student-labs) page. ![NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot](/images/projects/nutrilife.webp) AI and ML #### NutriLife An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target. by Bhavya · [Open it](https://nutrilife-bhavya.lovable.app) ![Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot](/images/projects/misti.webp) AI and ML #### Misti A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student. by Harshit · [Open it](https://misti.modernagecoders.com) ![GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot](/images/projects/guardianx.webp) AI and ML #### GuardianX An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online. by Vivaan · [Open it](https://guardianx-cybersaver.lovable.app) ![SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot](/images/projects/skycast.webp) Web app #### SkyCast A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location. by Krish Fees ## Fees for Computer Science grinds Charged monthly in US dollars, the one rate we use outside India. No registration fee, and you can stop at the end of any month. Free first class USD 0 no card required - A first class with a specialist - An honest assessment of the starting point - No card needed Book it Group batch USD 100 a month, billed in US dollars - Five to ten Senior Cycle students - The same teacher each week - Written practice every week - A certificate at the end Start here One to one USD 150 a month, billed in US dollars - A specialist for one student - Paced to the school calendar - The usual choice for Sixth Year Enquire What families say ## Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews Copied from Google exactly. We do not write or pay for reviews. ★★★★★ "The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content." Ria Mukherjee Parent ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease." Samriddha Mondal Student ★★★★★ "One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development." Vansh Agarwal Student ★★★★★ "My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative." Sonam Oswal Parent of Dhairya ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation." Sonu Goyal Parent ★★★★★ "I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding." Ritu Kedia Parent Questions from Senior Cycle families ## What students and parents ask about Computer Science grinds ### How is Leaving Cert Computer Science assessed? Under the current specification, by an end-of-course examination worth 70 percent and coursework worth 30 percent. The redeveloped subject introduced from September 2027 moves to a 60 percent examination and a 40 percent Coursework Project. ### Which programming language is assessed? The current specification does not require a specific language, but Python is assessed in the exam, and Python and JavaScript in the coursework. In the redeveloped subject, Python is assessed in the final examination. ### How many hours is the course? The specification is designed for 180 hours of class contact time, and the redeveloped one for a minimum of 180 hours. ### Will you help with my coursework? We teach the skills the coursework needs on different examples, before and after it. We never write, edit, debug or review the artefact or the report itself, because it must be the student's own individual work. ### Can you guarantee a H1 or CAO points? No, and no honest provider can. We promise a student who understands their code and has practised the kinds of task the subject sets. ### Are online grinds as good as in person? For Computer Science, often better: the teacher and student share one screen, the code is on it, and every lesson can be recorded in the student's own notes. ### When should grinds start? Fifth Year autumn is ideal. A Sixth Year start works too, usually one to one, with more time on tracing and written answers. ### What do Computer Science grinds cost? The first class is free. One-to-one grinds are USD 150 a month and a group place is USD 100 a month, both charged in US dollars, with no registration fee. ### When are lessons, in Irish time? At a weekly hour set in the free first class, usually early evening or at the weekend. Irish time is five and a half hours behind India time in winter and four and a half in summer. ### What happens after I send the form? We ring back at a suitable Irish hour to arrange the free first class. Nothing is charged unless the student continues. Elsewhere on this site ## More for Senior Cycle students Related pages for the subject and beyond. ### [Understand the code, do not copy-paste](/understand-the-code-dont-copy-paste-ireland) AI and your own work, in Irish guidance. ### [Best online coding classes in Ireland](/best-online-coding-classes-ireland) Where Computer Science sits in Irish schools. ### [AI and machine learning classes in Ireland](/ai-and-machine-learning-classes-in-ireland) For students drawn to the AI side of the new subject. ### [Coding classes in Ireland](/coding-classes-in-ireland) The national page. ### [How to read code](/how-to-read-code) Tracing, the core exam skill. ### [The best coding class in the world](/best-coding-class-in-the-world) Eight tests for any class, grinds included. Start here ## Book a free Computer Science class Leave a number and we will ring at a suitable Irish hour. In the first class a specialist works through some Python with the student and tells you plainly what to work on first. To read first: the [course pages](/courses) list every syllabus, [how we teach](/how-we-teach) explains the method, and [how to read code](/how-to-read-code) shows the tracing skill the exam rewards. [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20free%20first%20class%20for%20Leaving%20Cert%20Computer%20Science%20grinds.) · [+91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161) · [contact@modernagecoders.com](mailto:contact@modernagecoders.com) WhatsApp from an Irish phone is free and usually quickest. The number is Indian; we have no Irish office or classroom. ## Keep exploring Modern Age Coders ### Related courses and guides - [Minecraft Coding Classes for Kids](/minecraft-coding-classes-for-kids) - [Learn Coding From First Principles: Understand How Code Actually Works](/learn-coding-from-first-principles) - [11 Common Coding & Maths Mistakes Students Make](/mistakes-students-make) - [Learn Coding by Class (4–12)](/learn-coding-by-class) - [Mobile App Development Company](/mobile-app-development-services) - [Learn Coding by Age (8–17)](/learn-coding-by-age) - [AEO & GEO Services](/aeo-geo-optimization-services) - [Web Application Development Company](/web-application-development-services) - [Understand the Code, Don't Copy-Paste](/understand-the-code-dont-copy-paste-ireland) ### Learn more - [IGCSE Computer Science (0478): Full Syllabus and Exam Prep](/courses/igcse-computer-science-0478-course) - [Computer Science Class 11-12: CBSE Python & ICSE/ISC Java](/courses/cbse-icse-computer-science-class-11-12-python-java-complete-course) - [GCSE Computer Science: AQA, OCR and Edexcel Exam Prep](/courses/gcse-computer-science-course) - [AP Computer Science Principles: Create Task and Exam Prep](/courses/ap-computer-science-principles-exam-prep-course) ### Free resources - [Java Tutorial for Beginners to Advanced](/resources/java) - [OOP Basics - Classes, Objects, and Constructors | Java Tutorial](/resources/java/object-oriented-programming-basics) - [Triggers and Scheduled Events](/resources/sql/triggers-and-events) - [Common Table Expressions (CTEs) and Recursive Queries](/resources/sql/common-table-expressions) ### From the blog - [20 Python Programs for CBSE Class 12 Board Exam (083)](/blog/python-programs-for-cbse-class-12) - [AP Computer Science A Changes for 2026: A Parent's Guide](/blog/ap-computer-science-a-changes-2026) - [How to Revise GCSE Computer Science (AQA and OCR)](/blog/how-to-revise-gcse-computer-science) ### Start here - [How Modern Age Coders teaches, small batches and real projects](/how-we-teach) - [What Modern Age Coders families say](/love) --- *Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/leaving-cert-computer-science-grinds-online*