LC Italian study guide
LC Italian · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
LC Italian - Lingua Italiana is the Leaving Certificate Italian examination, a school-leaving language qualification taken by candidates in Ireland who have studied Italian to senior-cycle level. It is intended for learners who can already handle everyday written and spoken Italian and who want certification of their ability to understand, produce and discuss the language at upper-secondary standard. The LC Italian study guide has 5 sections and about 1,669 words.
01Listening comprehension
Listening comprehension (Section A of the written paper) tests your ability to extract information from spoken Italian at natural speed: announcements, dialogues, interviews, phone messages and short reports. Questions target gist, specific detail, numbers, place, time, speaker attitude and inference; you answer in English unless the rubric states otherwise, so paraphrase rather than transcribe.
328 words, about 2 min02Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension (Section B) presents three authentic-style Italian texts - often a news item, an interview or personal account, and a cultural or environmental piece. Questions test literal detail, vocabulary in context, pronoun reference, inference and the writer's purpose.
332 words, about 2 min03Written production (composition and structured writing)
Written production asks for two pieces: a longer composition on a discursive or narrative title, and a shorter functional task such as an email, letter or notice. Marks come from task achievement (all prompts covered, correct length), range (tenses, structures, vocabulary), accuracy (agreement, prepositions, verb forms) and organization (paragraphs, connectors).
334 words, about 2 min04Grammar and language accuracy
Grammar and language accuracy is not a separate paper section: it is marked in writing, speaking and through discrete items in the written paper. The core system is the Italian verb, but pronouns, prepositions and agreement decide most lost marks.
331 words, about 2 min05Oral examination (spoken interaction and presentation)
The oral examination is a short interview with an external examiner, usually around 15 minutes, and carries a substantial share of the total. It tests spoken interaction and presentation: general conversation on familiar topics, a picture sequence or stimulus-based description, and possibly a transactional role-play.
344 words, about 2 min