EirQuest, year by year: from Junior Cycle to the CAO
See how Irish schools use MyFirstChoices, EirQuest, MyAptitude and MyUniChoices from 1st Year to the CAO, and what students, staff and parents get.
Students make big decisions at set points in post-primary school: Junior Cycle subjects, Leaving Cert subjects, levels and the CAO. This page, for guidance counsellors and principals, shows how MyFutureChoice (MFC) programmes support each point from 1st to 6th Year. For each stage you will see what the student does, what the guidance counsellor does, what parents see and how much time it takes.
MFC supports your guidance work. It doesn’t replace the guidance counsellor, and it never tells a student which career to choose.
The journey at a glance
| Year | MFC programme | The decision it supports |
|---|---|---|
| 1st and 2nd Year | MyFirstChoices | Junior Cycle subjects and first career ideas |
| 3rd Year | EirQuest and MyAptitude | Senior Cycle subject choice |
| Transition Year | Student Portal, WORKBRIEF and the EirQuest report | Career research and work experience |
| 5th Year | EirQuest report and MyAptitude results | Checking Leaving Cert subjects and levels |
| 6th Year | MyUniChoices | A course shortlist and the CAO application |
Every school fits the programmes to its own whole-school guidance (WSG) plan. If your students choose subjects during TY rather than 3rd Year, you can run EirQuest and MyAptitude in TY instead. Our TY careers programme shows how.
1st and 2nd Year: MyFirstChoices
MyFirstChoices is MFC’s introductory programme for students aged 11 and over. It links a student’s interests to school subjects and careers. It helps with Junior Cycle subject choice and is a first step before EirQuest.
- What the student does: completes MyFirstChoices and sees how the subjects they enjoy connect to work.
- What the guidance counsellor does: runs it as part of classroom guidance, then uses the results to talk through Junior Cycle subject choices with the class.
- What parents see: MyFirstChoices includes printable worksheets for further careers research, which students can share at home. MyHQ includes parent brochures that explain each programme.
- Time needed: students answer 100 questions. Check timings with us at your demo.
3rd Year: EirQuest and MyAptitude before Senior Cycle subject choice
In many schools, students choose their Leaving Cert subjects in 3rd Year. This is where EirQuest and MyAptitude do their most important work.
EirQuest is MFC’s careers programme for Irish students aged 14 to 17. It reveals occupational and academic interests, related abilities and personal qualities. It matches each student to career areas, such as law, and to related careers, such as barrister or solicitor, including ones they hadn’t considered. It lays the ground for Leaving Cert subject choices that meet the entry requirements of likely careers and courses.
MyAptitude adds an objective measure of strengths. It is a set of eight psychometric aptitude tests developed with occupational psychologist Dr Charles Johnson, with Irish and UK norms. MyAptitude is included on the Irish Department of Education and Youth’s published list of psychometric assessments for post-primary guidance (Circular 0023/2026 list).
- What the student does: completes EirQuest and sits the eight MyAptitude tests: verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, 2D and 3D spatial reasoning, arithmetic, spelling, and working quickly and accurately. They then get a PDF report with worksheets and a Mind Map, plus WORKBRIEF career profiles in their Student Portal.
- What the guidance counsellor does: explains to students and parents what the assessments are for and gets parents’ consent before testing, as Circular 0023/2026 advises. They supervise the tests, go through the reports with the class, and hold one-to-ones with students who need them.
- What parents see: the student’s PDF report, to talk through at home. MyAptitude results show speed, accuracy and a percentile for each test area, with the percentiles shown together on a radar chart. Students can download their report and share it as they choose.
- Time needed: MyAptitude: about 90 minutes. EirQuest: about 30 to 40 minutes, so set aside an hour. Report feedback in class: this varies by school. Brian Mooney, a former President of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, describes presenting the results in two-hour sessions to about thirty students, each with at least one parent.
MFC recommends MyAptitude first, then EirQuest, but they can be taken in any order. Run both before students choose their Leaving Cert subjects.
Our guide to choosing Leaving Cert subjects is written for students and parents at this stage.
Transition Year: research and work experience
TY gives students time to test the career ideas in their report. The NCCA’s Transition Year Programme Statement makes Career Exploration one of four Student Dimensions, with work placements and guided reflection among its experiences.
- What the student does: researches the careers from their EirQuest matches in WORKBRIEF. They choose a work experience placement that tests one of those ideas, then record reflections and an action plan in the Student Portal.
- What the guidance counsellor does: links each student’s report to their placement choice, and runs preparation and reflection sessions before and after work experience.
- What parents see: the EirQuest report gives families a starting point for placement ideas.
- Time needed: spread across the year. Our TY careers programme sets out nine guidance lessons.
See our TY careers programme for a term-by-term plan, and our TY work experience guide for students.
5th Year: review and Leaving Cert subject check
By 5th Year, students have started their Leaving Cert subjects. It is a good time to check that those subjects, and the levels they plan to take, still keep their likely courses open.
- What the student does: looks again at their EirQuest report and action plan. They check the entry requirements for courses that interest them, on Qualifax and college websites, and update their plan.
- What the guidance counsellor does: spots students whose subjects or levels may close off a course they want, and offers them a one-to-one.
- What parents see: the updated action plan, if the student shares it, and the original report. Students can revisit the programme as often as they like through their Student Portal.
- Time needed: a review lesson, plus one-to-ones for the students who need them.
Students can see how levels affect points with our CAO points calculator.
6th Year: MyUniChoices and the CAO
MyUniChoices matches interests and abilities to degree, diploma and certificate courses: 48,800+ courses from 772 institutions, including Irish, UK and overseas options. It is for students aged 16 to 18, so schools can start it in 5th Year and finish it in 6th.
- What the student does: builds a shortlist of courses, reads the Degree Course Descriptions (110+ subject areas, written by university academics) and gets a PDF report. They research the shortlist before the CAO deadline. For 2027 entry, the CAO application opens on 5 November 2026 and closes on 1 February 2027 (CAO Handbook 2027).
- What the guidance counsellor does: uses the shortlist in one-to-ones, checks course choices against subjects and levels, and supports the CAO application.
- What parents see: the MyUniChoices PDF report and shortlist.
- Time needed: the MyUniChoices questionnaire has 150 questions and takes about 30 minutes, at the student’s own pace. Course research follows.
Our step-by-step guide to the CAO application covers each stage, from opening an account to Change of Mind.
How MyHQ keeps track
MyHQ is the staff side of MFC, where the guidance counsellor manages the whole journey. In MyHQ you can:
- add students and track their progress
- keep an archive of every student’s reports
- use ready-made resources, such as PowerPoints for guidance classes and brochures for parents.
Authorised staff can also view and download student reports, track progress and guidance sessions, and see group results in charts and graphs.
Students can access their programmes for life. Their research, action plans and reflections stay with them after they leave school.
Training and support
MFC has worked closely with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) over many years. We also visit IGC branches on request.
Book a demo
See the student reports, the Student Portal and MyHQ in one session, and how they fit your WSG plan.