Career Guidance Cork Independent CAO course-matching
Career Guidance Cork
The PLC Course Match Test

Cork College of FET runs six campuses — most students only ever look at one prospectus.

A Holland Code interest profile matched against over 1,870 PLC courses nationwide — including the ones across Cork College of FET's six campuses and the specialist provision at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa and Cork College of Commerce.

Students in a library laughing while looking at a laptop
Tests are Powered by CourseCompass · an Irish company working directly with schools · used by students and parents across Cork and nationwide
Why this, and not just a prospectus

PLC courses rarely get the same structured attention the CAO does

Cork's further-education options are genuinely wide: Cork College of FET alone spans six named campuses — Tramore Road, Morrison's Island, Douglas Street, Mallow, Kinsale and Bishopstown — on top of long-established specialist colleges like Cork College of Commerce and Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa.

The PLC Course Match Test treats the further-education route with the same structure as everything else: a proper interest profile, scored against a genuinely national database, so the shortlist you get back reflects fit rather than whatever course happened to be in a leaflet.

How it works

Three steps to your PLC shortlist

1

Build your interest profile

A RIASEC assessment — the same Holland Code framework used across CourseCompass's tests — mapping what genuinely interests you rather than what sounds impressive on paper.

2

Get matched against 1,870+ courses

Your profile is scored against a nationwide database of over 1,870 PLC courses, well beyond the shortlist any one guidance counsellor could realistically hold in their head.

3

Receive your top 10

A ranked list of your top 10 PLC matches, each with a personalised explanation of the fit and a direct link to apply.

Who's behind this

A real Irish company, not an anonymous website

Career Guidance Cork is powered by CourseCompass, an Irish company that works directly with schools and students on CAO decision-making — not a faceless test generator.

The CourseCompass team visiting the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick
Meeting with UL's Kemmy Business School to talk through how course-matching supports CAO decisions.
A CourseCompass team member at Live 95 radio studios in Limerick
On air with Live 95, Limerick's local radio station, talking through the CAO Course Match Test.
A real printed CourseCompass Career Assessment Report and course recommendations
A real printed Career Assessment Report and course recommendations, the same structure shown in the sample on this site.
What students and parents say

Real reviews, published with permission

These are genuine testimonials from CourseCompass users — see the full reviews page for more.

“Choosing a college course can be quite overwhelming, especially when there are so many options. I found the CourseCompass results helpful because they gave my son a clearer direction without making the decision for him. It was useful having something personalised to work from.”

R
Rebecca
Parent

“I honestly wasn't sure what I wanted to do after the Leaving Cert, so I gave CourseCompass a go. The recommendations were actually a lot more specific than I expected and gave me a few courses I hadn't really considered before. It was useful having everything explained rather than just getting a list of courses.”

J
Jake
Student

“I had a rough idea of the areas I was interested in but had no idea which actual courses suited me. CourseCompass helped connect the different things I was interested in with real courses. I came away with a much clearer idea of what I should be looking into.”

S
Stephen
Student
PLC Course Match Test

Get a further-education shortlist built from your own interests.

A Holland Code interest profile, matched against over 1,870 PLC courses nationwide.

€14.99 one-time, no subscription
  • Your top 10 PLC course matches from a database of 1,870+ courses
  • A Holland Code (RIASEC) interest profile
  • A personalised explanation for each match
  • A direct link to apply for every course in your shortlist
Secure checkout. You'll be redirected to complete payment, then get instant access.
Questions people actually ask

Before you take it

What exactly do I get for €14.99?
A Holland Code (RIASEC) interest profile, your top 10 PLC course matches from a nationwide database of over 1,870 courses, a personalised explanation for each match, and a direct link to apply.
What is a PLC course, and why would I choose one over a CAO course?
A Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) course is a further-education option, often run through your local ETB, that can lead straight into employment, into a specific trade or profession, or act as a QQI-linked route into a CAO Level 7 or 8 course further down the line. It suits students who want something more hands-on or more immediately career-focused than a straight CAO route.
Can I do this as well as the CAO Course Match Test?
Yes — a lot of students run both to see the two shortlists side by side before deciding which route, or combination of routes, fits them best.
Is my data kept private?
Your report is generated for the email address you provide and is not shared with third parties or used for anything beyond delivering your results and, where relevant, basic service communication.