Leaving Cert Computer Science Predictions 2026

Higher Level

As with all predictions, use caution and don’t take too many risks. We also offer a study plan for Computer Science.

Binary Numbers / Number Systems / Data Representation 

  • Appears consistently in every paper, often as conversion, comparisons, or character encoding questions. Students need to know how to convert from one number system to another and understand why computers use different number systems. 

Logic Gates and Boolean Algebra 

  • This chapter covers truth tables (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR) and circuit diagrams. Appears every single year without absence. Highly expected for 2026. 

Sorting Algorithms 

  • Bubble sort is a popular sorting algorithm to appear, followed by selection and insertion sort. Common questions include traces through steps of the algorithm, providing brief explanations of how the algorithm works and explaining the time complexity of the algorithm (Big O notation). 

Software Development Methodologies 

  • Staged/waterfall models vs iterative/agile methods come up every year. Know the stages, the pros and cons of each, and why one might be chosen over the other. Other topics from this chapter include the roles of the Software Development Lifecycle (Scrum Master for example). 

Networking 

  • Another common topic, mainly as a short question. Students should know the different protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, TCP/IP). It is also expected to explain the client-server model. 

Python Programming 

  • A non-negotiable long question + a few short questions. Strong programming fundamentals to expect of Python operations, spotting bugs and syntax issues, as well as implementing Python code by hand. 

CPU & Computer Hardware 

  • RAM vs ROM, registers, cache and how the fetch-decode-execute cycle works are common topics in this chapter. Appears almost every year as a short question. 

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence 

  • A hot topic in the current tech landscape – students should know about the societal impacts of AI, algorithmic bias, supervised vs unsupervised vs reinforcement learning, how data affects outcomes etc. 

Cloud Computing 

  • Also a hot topic in the tech landscape. Students should know the advantages and disadvantages of the cloud and be able to explain terms such as SaaS, PaaS, IaaS.# 

History of Computing

  • Students should be able to note the significance of major events in computing, such as the invention of the Internet, ARPANET, and the Turing machine.