Welcome to The Irish Times CAO Helpdesk for 2025. Using the form below, you can submit any questions you have about this year’s process, from points and Leaving Cert results, to appeals, deferrals and more.
Our education experts Deirdre Garrett and Brian Howard will be on hand from 12pm on Friday to give you quick and clear feedback as you navigate college offers, choices and deciding your next steps over the coming days.
You can read our live coverage of yesterday’s Leaving Cert results here: Grades deflate as number of H1 grades awarded falls.
Q: Is there a risk your grade could go down on a recheck? - Fidelma
A: Yes. The new examiner will be ensuring that the correct marking scheme has been carried out. A candidate can gain or lose marks and hence can receive an upgrade or down grade. Down grades are less common. Please view page 15 in this document. - Deirdre
Q: Why are the component marks not released on the initial results day? - Nicola
A: I am not sure. Good question. I don’t know the answer. I have tried the SEC but the corporate affairs section is not open until Monday. Their number is 0906 442888 - Deirdre
Q: I’m 12 points short for my first choice but have secured enough points for my second choice. Will I get offered place a place in my second choice? Both are at same college. - Catriona
A: If you are entitled to your second preference course you will be offered this course. If you become entitled to your first choice course in the next rounds you will be offered it regardless of the fact that you may have already accepted your second choice course. - Brian
Q: My daughter got 416 points in her leaving cert. She’s hoping to review music and business higher level. She got h2 in both, but expected h1s. She is a HEAR Candidate. It’s now likely she will be offered her 5th choice on the CAO form which she really isn’t happy about. How likely is she to get an increase in points through the HEAR scheme? Her first 3 courses are in DCU, then Grangegorman and Maynooth. What advice would you give her? - Mary
A: It is too hard to call. DCU will have certain entry requirements for reduced points. Please view this link. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter got 467 in her results. Is there any chance the bachelor of education in Mary I might drop to this? Very upset. - Ruby
A: So sorry to hear this, this CAO system can be very brutal in ways. I’m afraid if I were to make a call on this I would say it is very unlikely the points will drop from 488 to 467 for this course. I don’t know this for a fact but it is my opinion. I would be looking at the other more likely options rather than getting too much hope up for this course. - Brian
Q: Are points on Trinity Joint Honours set to rise or fall this year? My points clear two points of my number one choice, am I likely to receive an offer or not? - Charlie
A: We really cannot give you an answer to this question I’m afraid, too many variables and courses in the JH programme in TCD to give a definitive answer. - Brian
Q: Is it possible to get my exact grades in subjects? - Fiona
A: Yes, on Tuesday you will get access to the full marks in your subjects and all the different components marks. - Brian
Q: I want to know what the minimum points requirement in Ireland is for medicine - Sajid
A: A minimum of 480 CAO points is needed for Medicine along with HPAT score - Deirdre
Q: Is it true that if you appeal the result of a subject, you cannot be marked down in that subject? - Mary
A: You can be marked down. The examiner will recheck your paper and ensure that the proper marking scheme has been applied. Grades can go up but they can also go down. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter wants to appeal her English grade, how will this process affect her CAO offers, as she will miss out on her 1st choice and may have to accept her 2nd choice, which she isn’t as keen on. Both are in Marino. - Linda
A: If she is offered her second choice and then goes on to appeal her English grade, she will have to wait until the 26th August to get the results of the appeal. If she is upgraded and becomes entitled to a place on her first preference she must be offered this. It may be an offer to start immediately at the end of September or a deferred offer for next year. If she is not upgraded then she remains with her second choice course. - Brian
Q: My son got 518 in his leaving cert. Primary teaching in Mary Immaculate in Limerick is his first choice. Will he be ok to get this course? - Una
A: I would be very surprised if he didn’t get an offer on 518, a buffer of 30 points should be enough to cover any change in places. - Brian
Q: I received 553 points and Speech and Language Therapy in UCC last year was 563 points, with grade deflation and an increase in college places nationwide for this course, are my points sufficient? - Amy
A: I cannot say for certain. This is an area of high demand. SLT courses have fallen in points after round 1 and in round 2. No way of knowing until the points are released after 2pm on Wednesday - Deirdre
Q: If I do a PLC course instead of using CAO points, for an undergraduate course do I have to pay the full tuition fees? - Holly
A: Yes you will have to pay a small fee for PLC courses. This fee is no where near the student contribution fee for CAO courses which is usually approx €3,000. - Deirdre
Q: My son is hoping to get into medicine in Trinity but would then like to defer for a year. Do you know if this is generally possible (he read somewhere that you can’t defer a place for medicine) and if so he would like to know if he needs to do the HPAT again next year. It’s quite tricky to find information on this online. - Amy
A: On the TCD website, it says that deferred applications to the medical course will not normally be accepted. If he doesn’t take up a place this year and applies again next year, yes he would have to sit the HPAT again as you must sit the HPAT in the year of entry. - Brian
Q: If I accepted a course but then appealed and was eligible for a higher course, can I complete my first year and then switch or will the course be deferred instead? And if the course were to be deferred what can I do? - Jake
A: This varies from one HEI to another. I would advise you to contact the admissions office upon a successful appeal and hence a higher up offer. If a deferral is granted for 2026 you must complete a CAO application for 2026 and proceed with the proper deferral procedure. Please see page 32 of this link. - Deirdre
Q: Will points for national school teaching drop in the CAO for 2025? - Donna
A: As far as I am aware the extra places that were granted by the Department of Education last year are not being granted this year so this would lead one to believe that points are unlikely to drop this year for primary teaching, but there is no way of knowing for definite until Wednesday. To balance this the post marking adjustment has fallen and this could lead to a reduction in points. Where does this leave the points? This is the million dollar question as with other courses. I personally don’t think the points for primary will fall significantly if at all, but we will have to wait and see. - Brian
Q: I received 5 H1s and 2 H2s, I’m planning on appealing at least one grade to reach six H1s. If my appeal is successful, will I still lose out on a course place because of the delay or will I be treated as if I had received the post-appeal result initially? - Óran
A: You will be able to start on your new course (post a successful appeal) providing that there are still places available on this course. You will be offered a deferred place for Sept 2026 if the course is already full. You would then have to apply via CAO 2026 using the deferral procedure. I hope that this helps. - Deirdre
Q: Is 474 points sufficient for primary teaching in MIC? - Sara
A: You should be close. No way of knowing for definite until 2 pm on Wednesday when CAO release offers. I hope that you get the course you want. - Deirdre
Q: If I don’t get my first preference, can I accept my second choice and still be offered my first preference? - Nicola
A: Yes. You will always be included in future CAO rounds. You may receive an offer in round two that is higher up on your CAO preference list. - Deirdre
Q: My son has 540 points and is eligible for DARE. His preferred Business course was 544 last year. Has he any chance of getting it with DARE? - Anna
A: Stay confident. But it will depend on the points of the other DARE applicants too. Some disabilities are given priority. - Deirdre
Q: I want to appeal a few subjects but if I were to accept a course in the mean time and if the appeal is unsuccessful and I get points lower than my accepted course, will they kick me out? - Ophelia
A: We always advise people who are considering appealing a subject to view your subject scripts first. If your marks indicate you are very close to the grade lower than what you have then you should be very careful about appealing your grade as remember you can go down as well as up. In theory if your points drop and you are no longer entitled to the course you have currently accepted then you could be removed from a course. I have never heard of it happening but in theory it could. - Brian
Q: My daughter didn’t get enough points for physio in UCD, I see there is a course now opening in ATU for available places. I am just wondering how available places works, and what is the likelihood she would get this course, does points come into it, or is a lucky draw who gets the place - Miriam
A: Points do come into this new course but we won’t know the cut off points until Wednesday. Please see this link for information about available places. Get back on if you need more support. The best of luck - Deirdre
Q: What are the highest scoring subjects to take? - Tom
A: We would advise students to choose subjects that they enjoy. Hoping that they would have a natural aptitude towards this subject and hence do well in it. For example a H1 in German is equivalent to a H1 in Economics. Both give a candidate 100 points. Higher level Maths allow a bonus point of 25 on a grade of H6 and above. - Deirdre
Q: Are points expected to drop for college due to the grade deflation - Dominika
A: There are more CAO applicants this year. My personal opinion is that points should drop for a lot of courses. Very popular, high point courses may not experience the same effect from grade deflation. - Deirdre
Q: I have primary school teaching as my 1st choice, do you think teaching points will go down this year? - Saoirse
A: As mentioned earlier, as far as I am aware the extra places that were granted by the Department of Education last year are not being granted this year so this would lead one to believe that points are unlikely to drop this year for Primary Teaching, but there is no way of knowing for definite until Wednesday. To balance this the post marking adjustment has fallen and this could lead to a reduction in points. Where does this leave the points ? This is the million dollar question as with other courses. I personally don’t think the points for primary will fall significantly if at all, but we will have to wait and see. - Brian
Q: If I apply for Available Places on CAO next week and subsequently receive an offer for that course and accept in round 2, does that mean that I will not receive further offers from my CAO list should my points be upgraded on appeal for courses that I did not meet required points in round 1? - Ciara
A: No you will continue to be included in all rounds regardless. CAO will make an offer in future rounds if you receive the entry requirements and cut off points. You can then choose to stay with your original course or move to your new course. - Deirdre
Q: Will 578 points likely be enough for Chemistry in UCD? - Paul
A: I would be confident but I cannot say for sure. No way of knowing until CAO releases the cut off points for 2025 on Wednesday. Personally, I don’t think that it will jump that much. - Deirdre
Q: I got 532 in my leaving cert, however my first choice course is 540. I am also DARE eligible. Would it be still possible to get my first choice? - Kate
A: Yes, technically it is still possible. I have seen many cases where the points for courses dropped more than 8 for a DARE candidate. Whether it will happen or not depends on a number of factors but it is definitely possible. - Brian
Q: Is there a possibility the points for occupational therapy in Galway might go down? - Sinead
A: I would love to be able to say yes to this but honestly I think if the points stay the same as last year that’s about the best scenario. Demand for health related courses seems to be very high this year so this could counteract any potential drop in points due to a lower rate of grade inflation. The hope is that the University of Galway can keep the points the same as last year at least. - Brian
Q: My son has a UL language exemption. Can he get International Business without a second language? - Noreen
A: An Irish exemption automatically exempts candidate from a modern foreign language also. This is for minimum entry requirements. The entry requirements for this course is Irish or a foreign language. So he will be ok. - Deirdre
Q: I got my first choice of Law in UL but I’m now afraid that I won’t be hired as a lot of people have said law firms don’t like anyone from outside Dublin and UCC. - Rohan
A: That sounds more like a personal opinion rather than a fact. You have to make up your mind whether you agree with that opinion and examine carefully why. - Brian
Q: With combined LC (625) and HPAT my total points are 730, which is achingly below RCSI (732), TCD (738) and UCD (735) from last year. Do you know if it has ever happened that students get offered medicine in 2nd or subsequent rounds with lower points? - Liam
A: Points for medicine at undergraduate level didn’t change from round 1 offers. Let’s hope that grade deflation and other factors such as an increase in supply of places helps reduce CAO cut off points. No way of knowing for definite until Wednesday at 2 pm. The very best of luck. Well done on a great Leaving Cert. - Deirdre
Q: When will DARE come into affect? - Sinead
A: Not sure what you mean here. DARE will be taken into account in any offers that will be made in round one next Wednesday.
Q: I got 488 this year and I applied for food science in UCD requiring 490. Is there a chance of CAO points dropping to my points? Or am I more likely to get in my other course at 481 vet nursing in UCD -Marie
A: Stay positive. No way of knowing this until CAO release offers and cut off points on Wednesday. You only need a 2 point drop. Remember that CAO rounds carry on until all places are filled. The best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter is disappointed with her results. She received 350 points. All of the courses she put on CAO are between 360 and 450. Is she out of the race? - Catriona
A: Absolutely not. No way of knowing exact points for 2025 until Wednesday. Courses of interest may appear under available places. I would advise for her to look into this option also. - Deirdre
Q: If I have a h8 in higher maths can I do arts UCD? Can I get into UCD, TCD and DCU? - Jon
A: There is no maths requirement for the joint honours and humanities programmes in UCD so you would be fine there. In DCU, the 4 arts programmes have a maths requirement of a H7 so you are not ok there. In TCD, the maths requirement varies with the subject being studied. - Brian
Q: Can I turn down my 4th option if offered and accept 5th if offered - Sadhbh
A: Once offered your 4th choice then all offers beneath it on your CAO order of preference become obsolete (deleted). Regardless of what you do with your CAO offer on Wednesday you will not receive a a course below this offer in future rounds. You may only receive an offer of courses above your fourth choice. The best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: My son has gotten 452 points and is thrilled with is results. His first choice is English in UCC. That was 368 points last year. How confident should he be of an offer on Wednesday? - Jim
A: Yes, I would expect he is safe enough for an offer on Wednesday. - Brian
Q: I have 60 points buffer for my 3rd choice (UCG), I am short about 10 points for 2nd choice of Actuary UCD (2024 cutoff). If I don’t get my Actuary UCD in 1st round when/how will I know (find out?) that Actuary UCD is full up (full at 1st round? full at 2nd?) before I cut my losses and focus on UCG accommodation logistics? - James
A: CAO will make more offers until this course is full. round two offers 8th September from 2 pm. - Deirdre
Q: I have received enough points, that provides a reasonable buffer of points for my first CAO choice, over what that course required last year. However, I feel hard done by in 1 subject. I am querying, following viewing my scripts/marks for this subject, that if it appears worthwhile appealing, would this appeal in any way compromise or put on hold my offer and acceptance of my 1st choice on Wednesday. With my 7th subject, I still make the same points, even if the appeal resulted in a downgrade.- Dave
A: No it will not. You feel you have the points comfortably so really this is an exercise in satisfying what happened in a particular subject. I think it is very wise to look at the marks on Tuesday, view the script on foot of this and if you still feel there is an error then appeal. Or you may feel having viewed the paper you don’t think it is necessary to appeal, but at least you are making an informed decision. - Brian
Q: I want to get 2 marks reviewed. I however don’t want to get my marks too much higher as the course I want to get is lower then my current score. I might get assigned a course further up my list. So question is if I get reviewed up when do these points come into effect. Before or after the offers come out - Michael
A: I would advise you to accept Wednesdays offer. View your scripts and then appeal. Upon a successful appeal CAO may make you an offer that is further up the list. It is your choice to stay in your original course or move to the higher preference course in last September when appeals results come out. - Deirdre
Q: If my son opts for a PLC 1 year course what are his options next year? - Pamela
A: He can use the PLC as an entry point to the world of work, use it to link to a third level course or rule out a particular area of study and change to another course area entirely the following year, essentially using it as a year to try something out. - Brian
Q: What happens if our daughter is successful in a recheck and her results are upgraded to be enough for her preferred course which has random selection at this point level? Will she be offered a place next year as she is obviously at a huge disadvantage as she was not included in any of the random selection draws? - Joe
A: So if your daughter’s grades are upgraded, the question that is essentially asked is: what would your daughter have been offered on round one offers day with these increased points? If the answer is a course where random selection was used then a further check must be made. When students apply to the CAO they are given a randomly generated number along with their normal CAO number. When applicants for a course are listed in order of their points to determine who is entitled to an offer of a place (person with the highest points at the top), if there are a group of people on the same points they are listed in order of their random number. So if there are 5 people on 350 points then in the order of merit list for the course the 5 people will be listed in order of their random number. If there is one place to offered but all 5 are on the same points then the person with the highest random number will get the place. In your daughters case they will check to see her position in her course with points and her random number and if she would have been entitled to a place in round one with her points and numbers then she must be offered a place on this course. - Brian
Q: I am an EU prospective student and have secured 4 A levels with 4 A* including Maths, this I calculated to be 625 points correct? I will be taking a gap year and plan to apply for entry Sept 2026. I am interested in Trinity Engineering, assuming entry CAO points are not materially changed I am guaranteed a place? And when should I expect to receive an offer in 2026? - Zack
A: During your gap year CAO for 2026 Entry will open in November 2025. The normal application deadline is February 1st 2026. Your offer will be made in round one which normally takes place in August. With 625 points it would appear you are fairly certain to receive an offer in round one in August 2026- Brian
Q: I saw yesterday that ATU have announced a new course in Physiotherapy and applications will be open through the CAO available places. But how will this work? Will there be a CAO points minimum required? I’m eligible for DARE so how will that be catered for? - Seren
A: You must meet the minimum entry requirements for this course and place it as the first choice on your CAO (assuming that it is your most preferred course of choice). Please see ATU eligibility for DARE - Brian
Q: My daughter is DARE eligible and got 440 points. Last year her preferred course in UCD had DARE points of 400. Is she likely to get in or can points move dramatically upwards? - Bill
A: I would advise you to look at UCD terms and conditions for DARE. It will very much depend on the number of DARE applicants and the CAO points that they bring to the table. We can speculate but nobody will know for definite until 2 PM Wednesday when CAO release the offers for round 1 2025. - Deirdre
Q: Do you think points for courses like biomedical science will drop down to pre Covid points due to the removal of the points inflation and overall point deflation? - Reese
A: Very hard to call. If you look at a lot of the other questions and answers we refer to the variety of variables this year which could impact on points for courses. Above all years, this year it is almost impossible to predict what the points are going to be for courses next week. - Brian
Q: Will the CAO points for occupational therapy or speech and language come down this year? - Noelene
A: No way of knowing this for definite until CAO release the offers and cut off points for 2025. This will be from 2 pm on Wednesday, August 27th. The demand for first preference CAO health courses has risen from last year. Let’s hope that a slight deflation of grades will keep the points for the Allied Health courses similar to last year. - Deirdre
Q: I want to know my points - Favour
A: You can convert your results into CAO points using a Leaving Cert points calculator.
Q: My first choice course was 555 points in 2024 last year, but I only received 543 points in the leaving cert, how likely is it that I will get a place in this course? - Emily
A: There are many variables that have an affect on CAO points year on year. The first preference demand for this course, the supply of places and the results from interest CAO candidates. Unfortunately, we don’t have access to all this information. No way of knowing until CAO release offers and cut off points at 2PM on Wednesday. - Deirdre
Q: I scored 309 points, my first choice in TUD last year was 307 points, will I get a place in this course? - Neil
A: One would like to think as you have more points than the minimum required last year you stand a good chance of being offered a place this year unless there has been any particular change with the course, e.g. reduction in places, increased demand, etc. - Brian
Q: I’m short around 4 points for medicine (based on last years requirements), do you think there’s any chance of me getting in? Or should I give up hope right now? - Delia
A: The government have committed to increasing the numbers of students on Medical programmes. However, undergraduate medicine has remained highly popular. Do not give up hope. I cannot say for definite as too many unknown variables. Congratulations on doing so well. I would advise you to stay positive. - Deirdre
Q: Are points expected to reduce for quantity surveying or engineering? - Dominika
A: The demand for this area has increased slightly from 2024. There are many variables that affect points. We have no way of knowing until Wednesday August 27th at 2 pm. - Deirdre
Q: Will undenominated engineering in Galway go up much this year in points? I got 613. - Róisín
A: I would stay very positive. You have well above last years points. Personally I cannot imagine it will increase by that much. No way to know for sure until 2 pm on Wednesday when CAO release course offers and 2025 cut off points. - Deirdre
Q: When can I apply for the new nursing course in NUI Maynooth? - Maire
A: Applications open on August 28 through the CAO Available Places facility for the first intake of 30 students in September. - Deirdre
Q: More than likely i will be offered my 3rd choice but after thinking things through would prefer the course on my 8th choice. I understand that all others are deleted below the highest offer you get, but is there anyway to see about getting one further down the list or hope the course is not filled to see then if any places left. Do you contact that college? - Emma
A: The only way you can be offered a place on a lower preference course is if that course appears in Vacant/Available places on the CAO website where you will be able to include the course on your application and place it above what you have already been offered. Details of available places are on page 29 of the CAO handbook. Available courses will appear on the CAO website at 12 noon on the 28th August. - Brian
Q: How are places allocated to students? Is it based on who got higher points? My son has applied to DCU for the Arts degree DC009. He received points well above the requirement. - Sinead
A: CAO will make offers to all whom meet the course minimum entry requirements and CAO cut off points. If demand exceeds supply on filling the last place then course use random selection. This is effectively an electronic based lottery. The courses that used this random selection have an asterisks (*) beside the points. - Deirdre
Q: I accepted my second choice in round zero. I also meet the requirements for my first choice of BEd Home Ec and Business in MIC. Any chance of an offer in a future round? - Mary
A: Yes, you will still be included in future rounds and will be offered if you meet entry requirements and CAO cut off points. The very best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: Yesterday students received provisional results. When will final Leaving Certificates will be issued? My daughter is planning to study abroad and needs to deliver a valid document for enrolment purposes - Mag
A: Candidates can now print a statement of their provisional results via their CSSP. - Deirdre
Q: Could the examiner for your music practical affect your grade? I got a h2 and my music class didn’t do great. If I appeal it will a different examiner mark a recording of my practical? - Róisín
A: Yes and the new examiner will work to ensure that the proper marking scheme has been put in place. Provisionally appeals result day is September 26th. - Deirdre
Q: What is the points for national school teaching in Mary I? If you don’t get the points is there any other way to get there? - Collette
A: 2024 points for primary teaching at Mary I were 488. Many people do an undergrad in an area of interest and then complete a Master’s in Primary Education. - Deirdre
Q: Will the CAO points be adjusted down for those who sat the the leaving cert last year to same point of the bell curve distribution where they were last year so that results and points are comparable? - Joe
A: No, the CAO will simply take the results of the applicants, no matter which year they did their LC and allocate places according to these results. - Brian
Q: Are the general agricultural science courses in UCD and DKIT expected to go up in points this year? - Orla
A: CAO application figures are up from 2025. Very slight change in the first preference demand for Agricultural related courses. Personally, I think that Ag Science courses will remain with the same points as 2024 or may even experience a slight drop in points. No way of knowing for definite until 2 PM Wednesday when CAO release offers and 2025 cut off points. - Deirdre
Q: Is it possible for pharmacy points to reduce this year perhaps considering there is a new pharmacy course in Galway with 40 new places? - Josh
A: Under normal circumstances this would be a reasonable thought, more places in the system, less points. This could be the case. Just a note of caution though, the extra demand for health related courses could counteract some of the above this year. We just don’t know what way it is going to go this year I’m afraid. - Brian
Q: I have a disability and did 5 subjects for my leaving cert. The main course I’m interested in requires 6 subjects. Is an exception to this rule made for applications from those qualifying for DARE or does it just relate to less points being required? - Clare
A: Even through the DARE process you must meet the minimum entry requirements for the courses you are applying for, if you don’t meet these you are not qualified to apply for the course. I’m afraid if you only have five subjects and the course requires a minimum of six then you are not eligible for this course, even through the DARE scheme. - Brian
Q: How long will the appeals take and should I accept the course I’m offered even if I don’t want it in the meantime? - Reese
A: The SEC state that they hope to have the results of appeals out on Tuesday 26th September. In the meantime we recommend you accept something you are offered in the earlier rounds as there is no guarantee you will be upgraded and offered any new course. If you really do not want to complete any earlier course for sure then maybe it might be wise to look at other options such as PLC courses for example. - Deirdre
Q: Thanks for the booklet but the problem is that for the converting table on page 52, score 79 could be some where between 410 and 445, or should I consider 79 = 410? I guess we’ll know only on Wednesday? - Francesca
A: It may be no harm to contact the admissions office of the HEI/college that you wish to attend. Please get back on if you need further assistance. The very best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter applied for two courses through UCAS and didn’t get the requirements for either, does she still have a chance at getting any? - Anne
A: I would contact the admissions office for both courses as they may still confirm her place if she is not too far away from the conditions of the offer or they may be able to offer a place on a similar course. Failing this she is eligible to enter clearing where unfilled places are advertised and she can make application to the courses in this place. - Brian
Q: My son is below the points requirement for his preferred course in Trinity (History). He has been accepted for DARE and has achieved a H1 in his leaving cert history exam. How are DARE places awarded? Is any consideration given to the applicants LC results? - Rachel
A: Each college has their own DARE eligibility requirements. Please view TCD’s here. Get back on if you would like more information. - Deirdre
Q: If a marking scheme shows an error, will this be corrected or is it still necessary to view scripts and go through the appeal that way?- John
A: There is the standard appeals system where the paper is re-corrected fully using the marking scheme. However, if upon viewing the script you see a clear discrepancy between the mark awarded by the examiner and the grade awarded then you can use a process call seeking Rectification outside the Examinations Appeals Process (ROAP). Details of this are in the Candidate Information Guide 2 on the SEC website. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter got the exact points for her course and also has DARE. Is it likely she will get offered the place? Will it be under DARE or General pool of students. - Christina
A: You will only know the answer to this on Wednesday from 2 PM. If the points stay the same as last year she will be made the standard CAO offer. If points rise and she still is made an offer then this is a DARE offer (successfully taking one of the reserved DARE places on this course). The best of luck. I hope that I have answered your question. - Deirdre
Q: Will CAO points come down for physiotherapy? - Jane
A: Physiotherapy is a popular choice causing the demand for CAO courses to be high. While there are efforts to counter grade inflation the rising demand for this area may result in points staying the same or a slight drop. Personally, I don’t think that the points will come down too much. But no way of knowing for certain until CAO release 2025 course cut off points from 2 PM on August 27th. - Deirdre
Q: If you want to appeal a result is it necessary to request to see paper first, or is that part optional? - Cian
A: It is advised that one should view their script before making an appeal. It is not necessary or mandatory to do so. Applications for appeals open at 10 am Sunday August 31st and closes at 5 PM Monday September 1st. - Deirdre
Q: Is it possible to repeat certain exams but not the full Leaving Cert? - Reese
A: Yes you can repeat any number of subjects next year if you wish. Remember you cannot combine two or more sittings of the Leaving Certificate for the purposes of calculating points but you can for the purpose of meeting LC entry requirements. - Brian
Q: To review and appeal a script do I need to arrange for my teacher to assist me over the weekend of the 30th and 31st of August in my school or is the process done by exam commission? - Kathy
A: Firstly, all details relating to viewing and appealing scripts are in the Candidate Information Guide 2 which is on the SEC website. You do not need a teacher to assist you in any part of the viewing and appeals process. If they are available to assist with the viewing of your scripts that would be great, but not necessary. You must approach your teachers and ask if they are available to do this. - Brian
Q: Could you see Economics and Finance UCD dropping to 613 following the grade inflation reduction? - Andrew
A: Offers Round 1 in 2024 were 625*, meaning random selection was used. Points remained the same in all CAO rounds 2024. It may see a slight decrease but it is a very popular course and the course intake is relatively small (approx 55 places in 2024). No one will know for definite until 2 pm on Wednesday. The best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: Based on last year’s points, I’m short 14 points for BSc. psychology in the University of Galway. I’m not optimistic that it will drop that much. If I don’t get it, can I use this year’s points to reapply to CAO next year for the same course? It would mean that I’d possibly be taking a gap year even though this wasn’t my initial intention. - M
A: Yes, your results in the LC are yours to use as you see fit. If you wish to reapply to the CAO next year with them that is no problem. Given we are in a glide of lowering the level of post marking adjustment over the next few years, your results may be more valuable next year for this or other courses. It is certainly an option to take a gap year if you don’t like the options presented to you for this year. - Brian
Q: Could you help with converting Italian leaving cert results: how many points does 79/100 equal to? - Francesca
A: The information in this booklet should help you when converting your results into Irish CAO points. Get back on if you need more support. - Deirdre
Q: I’ve definitely fallen short for my first 4 choices, my next choice is secondary school teaching (music & Religion) DCU, I got 451 points, I’m wondering if this is a good choice if I get it, how employable am with that subject choice? My favourite subject in school was music, would I be better employment wise doing an arts degree and picking say music & French? I think the end goal is teaching but now I’m totally second guessing myself? I achieved a H2 in music but I was sure I would have gotten a H1 - Ruby
A: Candidates will see their marks including for each component and the post marking adjustment at 12 noon on Tuesday, August 25th. It is good that you are continuing to study in an area that matches your interests. I suggest that you view and compare the course modules and course structure of both courses. Perhaps talk to someone who has studied on both courses. A qualified teacher can continue to return to Higher Education and add subjects to their primary qualification. This will result in a teacher being able to add to his/her teaching subjects. I suggest that you research the time and cost of completing a Masters in Education (post an Arts Degree). Not all students doing a con current teaching degree end up teaching . One may choose to change career pathways if teaching isn’t for them. Please get back on if you would like more support. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter got two conditional offers for Queens, she hasn’t made the points and her first choice has been retracted, her second offer is still pending. Do you know what timeline works with this? I understand if second offer is retracted she can attempt clearing but wondering if this process will be through before CAO results come out. - Martina
A: This should happen very quickly as they now have all the ROI results and they are probably waiting on a response from some other ROI students to reply to an offer of a place they have on your daughters 2nd choice course before they can confirm your daughters place. If you haven’t done so already get in contact with admissions in Belfast to see what is happening. - Brian
Q: I achieved 535 points in my leaving cert. I want to study medicine and plan on repeating the HPAT next year. Do you think the points will go down if I were to score in the 90th percentile in the HPAT. I scored in the 75th percentile last year. - Brion
A: Not 100% sure what you are asking here. If you repeat the HPAT and increase your performance to the 90th percentile, then your overall medical points score will increase and your chance of getting an offer will increase also. Come back to us if this is not what you were referring to. - Brian
Q: My daughters achieved 495 points in her exams, her first choice being Primary Teaching in Mary I which is 488 as of last year. She is desperately worried that while she has a buffer it may not be enough. Are her fears unfounded? - Anne
A: As far as I am aware the extra places that were granted by the Department of Education last year are not being granted this year so this would lead one to believe that points are unlikely to drop this year for Primary Teaching, but there is no way of knowing for definite until Wednesday. To balance this, the post marking adjustment has fallen and this could lead to a reduction in points. Where does this leave the points? This is the million dollar question as with other courses. I personally don’t think the points for primary will fall significantly if at all, but we will have to wait and see. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter was surprised by some of her results yesterday as they were quite mixed. Many were way-off her mock results. We are hoping to check 2 or 3 results and while she is likely to get one of her top choices in the CAO, if she is upgraded following an appeal and then meets the points requirement for one of her higher courses, will she automatically be offered a place on that course for this year? - Seán
A: No, not automatically this year. If upon upgrading she becomes entitled to a higher preference place, she must be offered that place, but whether it will be this year or next depends on whether the college have a place to offer this year or not. Most colleges will try their best to offer a place this year but if they cannot then a deferred place next year will be offered. - Brian
Q: If I have the minimum CAO points required for a course, does that mean that I will 100% be accepted on that course? - Anna
A: The minimum course entry requirements are the lowest points that somebody gets into a course. So yes, if you have the minimum entry points for a course you will be offered a place unless there is a star (*) beside the points total indicating that random selection was used and not everyone on the minimum points was offered a place. This is used sparingly in the system. Remember we don’t know what the minimum points are for this year yet. We will know on Wednesday when first round offers emerge. - Brian
Q: I have been offered a course in TUD outside the CAO. I’m not sure I’ll like it so plan on doing it for a year and deferring my CAO offer. If I revert my CAO offer next year, will I have an increase in fees. - Anne Marie
A: If you pay just the student contribution charge for your course in TUD and you complete this year you will have to pay the full economic cost for your new first year if you change over to a new CAO course. - Brian
Q: What will happen if I accept a course via CAO this year and change my mind and apply again different course next year? - Aamna
A: If you attend college this year and do first year the government will pay your tuition fees. However, they will only pay for you to do first year once. Applying to CAO 2026 and changing courses in Sept 2026 will result in you paying your own tuition fees. This can be anywhere between five and seven thousand. - Deirdre
Q: Do you think business courses points will drop this year? - Christina
A: Demand in general for business was up at July 1st so if this is strong, it might counteract the drop in grade inflation. Some high demand business courses may not drop whereas some lower demand business courses may drop but which specific courses will go up or down is hard to call. It’s a waiting game until Wednesday. - Brian
Q: My son got enough points for his first choice in UL. However we didn’t get picked in the accommodation lottery first time round. We are more than 60km away from the college which was their criteria for priority. When could we expect to be reconsidered for accommodation again? - Sinéad
A: I recommend that you contact the University. Please see contact details here. Each university will have different dates. The very best of luck. - Brian
Q: Will points for speech and language therapy in Galway rise or fall this year 2025? - Ellie
A: No way of knowing. We will all find out at the same time on Wednesday when CAO issues the offers and cut off points for 2025. Bit of a waiting game. But stay positive - Deirdre
Q: How likely are students to get an increase in grades with an appeal? - Sinéad
A: That is too difficult to call. The purpose of appeal is for the re-examiner to review and ensure that the proper marking scheme and relevant marks have been granted to the candidate. Grades will be upgraded if an error in calculation or implementation is spotted. - Deirdre
Q: I’m planning to defer for a year. Can I change my mind and reapply to CAO again for a different course later - Cormac?
A: Yes you can but placing another course on your 2026 CAO will result in you losing your deferred college place. Please see page 32 on CAO handbook. - Deirdre
Our CAO helpdesk is back from 10am-5pm today.
Q: I got 359 points. My 4th choice was 307 last year. Do you think I’ll get in? my choices above that are way above 359. - Mary
A: I would be confident. I would be surprised if a course rose by that number of points. But we will have to wait until Wednesday when the CAO will release cut off points for all courses. I hope that you get the course you want. Best wishes. - Deirdre
Q: I only meet the cut off point for my 6th choice and below will I get offered it? - Anonymous
A: No way of knowing. We will all find out at the same time on Wednesday when CAO issues the offers and cut off points for 2025. Bit of a waiting game. But stay positive. - Deirdre
Q: With a combined score of 716, (HPAT and LC points), how likely is it to get accepted into medicine in NUIG as a student eligible for DARE? - Dairine
A: Stay positive. You will be competing against other DARE candidates. I obviously don’t have access to their results or course preferences. Hence I cannot say for definite. Do get back on and let us know how it goes. We wish you the very best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: Wondering if you think points for UCD medicine will drop and if so, by how much? - Maire
A: If you have a look at some of the previous answers you will see it is almost impossible to make a definitive comment on this as there are so many variables at play, especially this year. Unfortunately, we will just have to wait until Wednesday when the admissions officers have had their meetings and allocated whatever places they have funding for. - Brian
Q: Considering all factors this year I am short ten points. Would you say there is a fair chance courses will drop by ten-ish points as results are generally lower? - Aisling
A: Courses have dropped by this number of points before. No way of knowing until CAO release cut off points for 2025 on Wednesday. - Deirdre
Q: Is it likely to get offered your 6th choice on your CAO? - Anonymous
A: CAO will offer you the highest preference course where you meet minimum entry requirements and CAO cut off points. - Deirdre
Q: Will course points drop due to the deflation of points achieved? - Sinéad
A: In principle yes they will due to the drop in grade inflation. However, there are other factors which may affect points also. There are extra applicants from this years LC class of 25 and there are increased numbers of last years LCs applying this year and also an increased amount of non Irish applicants also. So it is very hard to know where all of these factors combined will leave points for individual courses. - Brian
Q: Will 2 H6, 2 H5 and 2 H3 get me mechanical engineering? - Sean
A: Please elaborate, what college etc... - Deirdre
Q: Have any more general nursing places been added to SETU? Do you think points may drop for this course? - Jennifer
A: The most definitive way to find out about numbers of places in courses is to contact the admissions team in the particular college, SETU in this instance. I have not come across additional places being added specifically to SETU but this may still be the case. If this is the case and the reduction in post marking adjustment you could be lucky and see a reduction in points. - Brian
Q: Would you have any idea if demand is up for PE with geography in UL? - Mary
A: Unfortunately, we don’t have figures for individual courses so can’t help you there. It’s a waiting game until Wednesday. - Brian
Q: Will points for law in UCD go up dramatically as the CAO mentioned a 20% increase in demand for that course? - Blake
A: Demand certainly pushes up points. But who knows. It will depend on the points received by interested candidates for this course. No way of knowing until CAO release offers on Wednesday at 2pm. - Deirdre
Q: Do you think points are likely to drop by 3-4 points? Particularly for medicine. -Amy
A: I hope so. More places have been put in place and undergraduate level. I would hope that the extra supply would ease the pressure on cut off points for this course. It will depend on the CAO points received by other interested applicants. No way of knowing until CAO release offers at 2 PM next Wednesday. - Deirdre
Q: When you view scripts will it give exact % mark, so if I got 69.5%, could I go up a grade? - Jean
A: 12 noon on Tuesday you will be able to see marks allocated to each component and subject. You will also be able to see your marks before and after grade adjustment. - Deirdre
Q: University of Ulster had advised that five minimum grades are required for my course which I have achieved, is five the minimum? I contacted them and got two different responses as to whether they accept grades from six Leaving Cert subjects. It says minimum five subjects. I have enough points with six. Will six subjects apply? - Carla
A: I am not sure what is in your offer, but looking at a UU publication here it is saying that all Leaving Certificate subjects can be used to calculate UCAS tariff points and it is saying that minimum requirements are passes at H6 or above in four subjects. - Brian
Q: Do you have any indication of the amount of applicants for UCD Veterinary Nursing this year. My daughter is within a few points of the first round of offers last year 499 but I know it went down to 481 in the 2nd round? - Helen
A: The demand for Veterinary courses have slightly risen. I have no way of knowing as I don’t have access to all relevant data. We won’t know exactly until CAO releases offers on Wednesday. I hope that it works out for you. - Deirdre
Q: If I have primary teaching in Marino as my number 1 on my CAO and I achieved 465 points and achieved the entry requirements but the points for last year were 473 how likely is it that I will get my number 1 choice? Are the points likely to go down for primary teaching? - Leah
A: As far as I am aware the extra places that were granted by the Department of Education last year are not being granted this year so this would lead one to believe that points are unlikely to drop this year for Primary Teaching, but there is no way of knowing for definite until Wednesday. To balance this the post marking adjustment has fallen and this could lead to a reduction in points. Where does this leave the points for Marino? This is the million dollar question as with other courses. I personally don’t think the points for primary will fall significantly if at all, but we will have to wait and see. - Brian
Q: Hello, my son got 613 and also is entitled to DARE. He has applied for Ec and Fi at UCD and Global Business at TCD, how confident should he be of getting into either of those courses? - Pauline
A: Stay positive. You will be competing against other DARE candidates. I obviously don’t have access to their results or course preferences. Hence I cannot say for definite. Do get back on and let us know how it goes. We wish you the very best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: I want to have home economics rechecked - Emma
A: You can apply for an appeal. The appeals process and payment opens at 10 am on Sunday 31st of August and closes at 5 PM Monday, September 1st. An appeal application can be made through your CSSP. - Deirdre
Q: My child is 3 points off for nursing, could the points for this reduce? - Paula
A: It is possible. Nursing is a very popular choice. No way of knowing until 2 PM next Wednesday. - Deirdre
Q: I am 11 points short for my desired course but I am eligible for DARE, is it likely that I’d be offered a place via DARE? - John
A: Let’s hope so. It will depend on the points achieved by other DARE applicants. Some DARE applicants will get priority over others due to the severity of their disability. - Deirdre
Q: If you refuse your first CAO option in the hope you get a course on lower points, is the risk all places have already been awarded even though you would have enough points? - Kieran
A: All courses that lie below the course offered to you in round 1 will become obsolete (deleted). You can only get offered courses that lie above this course in your CAO order of preference. I would advise you to accept your offer as this won’t impact you getting higher offers in future rounds. - Deirdre
Q: Would you see the points for Trinity engineering or environmental science and engineering in trinity dropping or staying the same? - Patrick
A: From looking at the stats for Engineering, demand seems to be up for courses in this area by July 1st. This would generally be an indicator that points for these courses would be on the way up. However, with the lowering of the post marking adjustment percentage for this year, this could balance this out in the other direction. So as you can see, it is almost impossible this year to predict with any level of accuracy. - Brian
Q: Does the UCAS system allocate places based on six leaving cert subjects? - Maria
A: This is not the same for all universities so it is advisable to check your offer to see if it is mentioned in the offer and if not contact admissions to see what they have to say. Some will allow you to use any subjects you are studying in the LC, others may put a cap on the number of subjects. - Brian
Q: I scored 601 points, which is above the 556 required for my first choice course, however last year the course went to random selection. How does this work? Does it mean that people below a certain point cut-off point were randomly selected or that all students no matter their points were randomly selected? Is there a chance I won’t get my course? - Sandro
A: CAO random sampling is a system used by the Central Applications Office for college admissions in Ireland when multiple applicants have the same score for the last remaining places on a course. Each applicant is assigned a completely random, lottery-like number for each course choice; the applicant with the highest random number among those with identical scores is awarded the place. - Deirdre
Q: I got 462 and a H3 in Irish which is the requirement for primary teaching through the medium of Irish in Marino, I also have DARE. Last year the points were 467 (minus the TEG, which I have done). Do you think it’s likely with the 5 points difference that I could be offered a DARE place. I understand it is impossible to know if the points will go up but I couldn’t find any statistics in relation to my course. - Jessica
A: I would stay positive. Nobody will know the exact cut off points for 2025 until CAO release the offers at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 27th. Being 5 points off and a DARE applicant, I would be hopeful. Do let us know how you get on. Best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter would like to get UCD Landscape Architecture and has DARE. Last year points were 400 and she got 445. I know you can’t tell but would you expect she has enough to get in? - Sally
A: I would be confident. I would be hopeful. Nobody will know the exact cut off points for 2025 until CAO release the offers at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 27th. - Deirdre
Q: What is the process for appeals? - Helen
A: All the details regarding appealing subject grades can be found in the Candidate Information Guide 2. Applications for appeals are completed online in the Candidate Self Service Portal. Applications open Sunday 31st of August at 10am and close Monday 1st of September at 5pm. - Brian
Q: Will CAO points for general nursing drop in SETU ? (As more nursing availability in other colleges such as Maynooth and Queen’s). - Sarah
A: Hard to say. The hope would be that it would. Nursing is a very popular course though. Unfortunately, no way of knowing until CAO release offers at 2 pm on Wednesday. - Deirdre
Q: My son had to sit three exams in one day and did significantly worse in two of those exams than he had expected (had been predicted to get H1s, got H3s). When we are appealing, can we raise this as an issue? I had flagged it with the SEC beforehand (he had 9 hours of exams that day, and has anxiety) but at the time but got nowhere. - Emma
A: I would advise you to wait until Tuesday. Your son can access the exact marks received in each exam and each component. Viewing of scripts can also help when deciding on whether to appeal or not. - Deirdre
Q: If I appeal and I end up getting lower in a subject, and lower points overall, will they kick me out of my college course? - Addison
A: I imagine that this would be highly unlikely. Be careful of rechecks with subjects and grades that are required for minimum entry requirements. - Deirdre
Q: Can I get into my course if my point is lower than the course requirements? - Suey
A: Unless you are DARE or HEAR eligible? Both are an entry scheme that offers entry via point reduction. One must meet minimum entry requirements and course cut off points before a CAO will make an offer. - Deirdre
Q: If my daughter is offered and accepts a 3rd place course on her CAO, plus is going to request an appeal/recheck of her results, what happens if the appeal brings up her CAO points score to give her her 2nd choice, does she get a new offer or does she wait? - Eimear
A: If your daughters grades improve in the appeals process then whatever course she would have been entitled to with the higher grades must be offered to her, regardless of what she has already accepted. The only question is when the college can offer the higher preference place. The colleges will try to offer her her upgraded place this year but if they cannot they must offer her a deferred place for next year. - Brian
Q: Are there more places available for Children and General integrated nursing this year? - Sarah
A: The introduction of new courses and the overall rise in interest for nursing programs suggest a potential increase in the number of available places for Children and General Nursing for the 2025 CAO cycle. - Deirdre
Q: My son has applied for primary teaching in Mary Immaculate College. Last year the points for this course were 488 plus a H4 in Irish. My son got 518 and a H3 in Irish, surely the points won’t jump up over 30 points for this course, should he be confident enough with these points of getting his course? - Noreen
A: I would stay positive. Nobody will know the exact cut off points for 2025 until CAO release the offers at 2 Pm on Wednesday, August 27th. - Deirdre
Q: I got 348 points today and I want arts joint honours politics and law in DCU. I am a HEAR and DARE student. Is it likely I’ll get in since I’m only 10 points short and have HEAR and DARE? - Shane
A: I would say there is a good chance but it depends on the standard of Leaving Certificate results of the other DARE candidates looking for a place on this course as those with the higher points have a better chance of being offered a place. - Brian
Q: Can you appeal if you were sick on the day of an exam with a doctor cert? - Caroline
A: The appeals process does not cover situations where students were sick on the day of the examination. You are appealing the correction of your exam script using the official marking scheme. If a student is sick on the day of the examination this is dealt with on the day by the exam superintendent and the school authority. - Brian
Q: If you have qualified for DARE but get the points needed for a course, are you then placed in the general pool of applicants or are you among the other DARE applicants? - Emma
A: You are among the general applicants but you can still avail of the services provided to the DARE students by the college. - Deirdre
Q: Is it likely that points for Biomedical Science will drop this year? - Karen
A: Demand for Biological Science courses was up as the CAO closed on the 1st July thus indicating a possible increase in points, however as we know the post marking adjustment rate was lower this year indicating a possible reduction in points. Where one meets the other we don’t know, i.e. will there be a net increase or decrease in points. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until Wednesday to find out. - Brian
Q: My son failed maths. His first choice was business in Shannon which has maths as a requirement. Is there any possibility of him getting a place? He is approved for a DARE place. - Maeve
A: Unfortunately not, no matter what points your son has or indeed the fact that he has qualified under the DARE scheme, he is not deemed a qualified for this course and will not be offered a place. - Brian
Q: Will the grade change I get if my appeal is successful have the additional 5% grade inflation boost? - Alexa
A: If your appeal is successful and you get a new grade, then the post marking adjustment will be applied to that grade as if you had that grade from the beginning. Not every grade in the Leaving Certificate got a 5% increase, this is an average figure across the Leaving Certificate. - Brian
Q: I am over the point request for my first choice Engineering in Trinity but this course went to lottery last year. Is there a chance that even though I am over the point request I may still not be offered it? - Damien
A: I would remain hopeful. But I cannot say for definite. Nobody will know the answer to this until CAO release offers and publish the CAO cut off points for 2025. This will happen from 2pm on Wednesday, 2025. - Deirdre
Q: Will medicine points stay the same or drop with 500 extra applications? - Áine
A: No way of knowing until CAO release offers at 2 pm on Wednesday. The hope would be that the extra places will relieve pressure on the points for this career area. - Deirdre
Q: I got 243 points, but my course requires 300 points. Do I still have a chance? - Nazim
A: No way of knowing until CAO release offers at 2 pm on Wednesday. Best of luck. There are plenty of other options. Get back on if you need more support. - Deirdre
Q: I have been offered a place in Poland to study veterinary medicine. I have applied for agricultural science in UCD also. Is it possible to defer ag science for a year in case going to Poland doesn’t work out for me? - Sorcha
A: Absolutely. Please view page 32 of the CAO handbook. Get back on if you need more support - Deirdre
Q: How likely is it that course requirement points will go down this year? - Mairead
A: It will depend on the places available on each course, the popularity of a course and the points of interested candidates. No way of knowing this until 2 PM next Wednesday. - Deirdre
Q: How do I know which scripts will be available to be viewed online? - Kevin
A: Please click this link and go to page 12. Here you will find the list of all Leaving Cert subject 2025 that were corrected online. You should have received a copy of the Candidate Information Guide 2. - Deirdre
Q: I got 454 points which converts to 138 tariff points and I am hoping to go to St Mary’s University College Belfast to study primary physical education. Last year it required 142 points and 156 the previous year. I passed my interview and also had a very strong reference. How likely am I to get in? - Shane
A: I would contact them asap with your results and they may be able to confirm if they are going to continue with your offer even though you are short some tariff points. The UCAS system is not as black and white as the CAO system so I think there is still a good chance that they may confirm your offer. Contact the admissions tutor as soon as possible. - Brian
Q: I want to know if my son can repeat two subjects (maths and chemistry) to improve his grade and points - Sajid
A: You cannot combine Leaving Certificates for the purposes of calculating points. Points can only be calculated from one sitting of the Leaving Certificate. - Brian
Q: What exactly is grade deflation and how does it work? - Michael
A: For the past number of years since 2019, grades in Ireland have been inflated to take into account the effects of the disruption to learning that Covid caused. This year the rate of this grade inflation has been decreased from 7.5% on average to 5.9% on average. This decrease in the rate of grade inflation is now being referred to as grade deflation. - Brian
Q: How will grade deflation affect students looking to study outside Ireland? - Roger
A: As a result of lower levels of grade inflation students will more than likely end up with lower grades and this may mean they will not get the grades required for courses outside of Ireland. If they are achieving at the higher end of grades the effect of lower grade inflation may not be as great. - Brian
Q: My first choice is a new course so there are no points yet. When do I know the points allocation for the course? - Tiernan
A: Not until next Wednesday when first round offers are made. - Brian
Q: If I appeal a subject and it goes up a grade, will I be offered a spot in round 3 or 4 with my new points? - Jack
A: Yes providing that there is space on this course. If this course is full you will be offered a deferred place on this course for 2026. One would have to reapply to CAO 2026 and list this one course only. - Deirdre
Q: If 100+ people achieve the points required for a course, but the course only allows 50 people, are the 50 people with the highest points among the 100 accepted or does it go to a lottery among the 100 applicants? - Ryan
A: The fifty with the highest points get in. The cut off point for this course is the points received by the last successful candidate. It may come down to random selection. All students that meet this cut off point will be given a random electronic generated number. If there is four places available then the four students with the highest number are selected for the course. Courses that used random selection have an asterisks (*) beside the points. - Deirdre
Q: I have been told that if I accept the very first offer I am given, even if it’s not really what I want, that every other course on my CAO list disappears and only the first choice on my CAO list remains for when the second round of offers come in. Is this true? - Ayesha
A: Once you receive an offer on Wednesday then all course choices that lie below on your CAO become obsolete (deleted). You can only get offers that lie above your original offer in future rounds. - Deirdre
Q: I think UCD Radiology DN410 has been allocated extra places. How many of those additional places will be set aside for DARE applicants? For context I scored 529 points. Have I a chance of a place? - Juliette
A: Each college will have a targeted number of DARE places per course. Please view UCD’s DARE link. - Deirdre
Q: If I got 477 points and DARE, will I get primary teaching in St. Pat’s, DCU? - Rachel
A: DCU reserves 5% of places for DARE students. It will depend on where you are in the order of merit (queue) with the other DARE candidates. Some disabilities get placed further up in the queue. Please view this link for more details https://www.dcu.ie/disability/disability-access-route-education-dare - Deirdre
Q: If you appeal a grade, can it only go upwards? Any fear of the grade going down? And at what percentage is it worth a re-check, for example if a grade is at 63, is it likely to get a 7% increase? - Jen
A: An appeal can result in a grade going up as well as down. The closer you are (percentage wise) to the next grade the better. You will be able to view your marks for each subject on your CSSP at 12 noon on Tuesday 26th August. You will be able to make a better judgement then. Please get back on if you need more support. - Deirdre
Q: It appears that the results of an appeal will not be made known until after the first round of college places have been offered. How does this work if my daughter has a successful appeal and all the college places have been allocated? - Mary
A: Your daughter will be offered a deferred place on this course for Sept 2026, regardless of the CAO points for this course in 2026. She will have to make a CAO application for CAO 2026 only putting this one course on her list. - Deirdre
Q: My daughter is lucky to have done well with a solid buffer of points for her first choice CAO over what was required last year. However, she feels one result was way off what she expected. Is there any point in appealing once marks are released or is it little more than speculation given a higher mark isn’t really ‘required’. - James
A: I would recommend your daughter views the script first and if she feels there is an issue and she is not near dropping to a lower grade in the subject, then she might consider making an appeal. - Brian
Q: My daughter got 319 points and was accepted as a Dare applicant but her first two courses are 400 points. Is there a chance she could get it or will offers be in line with her points - Gillian
A: I would advise you to contact the Access office at this college. Applicants tend to have to be with 60 points of their chosen course. That is the general rule of thumb. But again I would advise you to contact the college in question. The very best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: Will primary school teaching points be reduced this year? How many points will you need for to be accepted as a dare student for primary school teaching? - Katie
A: As far as I am aware the extra places that were granted by the Department of Education last year are not being granted this year so this would lead one to believe that points are unlikely to drop this year for Primary Teaching, but there is no way of knowing for definite until Wednesday. Again with the DARE scheme we have no idea what the points will be for primary teaching. You could ring the colleges you are interested in and see if they can give you more information but they might not be able to answer your question until Wednesday. - Brian
Q: I am likely to get offered my 3rd choice however would prefer my 4th choice. Both courses are in Trinity. Is there any way of checking if the college would allow me change to 4th choice? - Ben
A: I would advise you to contact their Admissions Office. Internal transfers can happen, but the candidate would need to meet the entry requirements for the course and the CAO points. Obviously availability on the course would have to be looked at. Each college has their own rules on internal transfers. The best of luck. - Deirdre
Q: Is it possible after getting it appealed to go up two grades? Is it possible to go up two grades after appealing? - Thomas
A: The appealing process is designed to ensure that the original marking scheme was applied correctly to all your answers. If an error was made in adding up your marks then yes an increase in a grade may be possible. Your grade can go up as well as down. - Deirdre
Q: If you appeal and its granted, does this affect your DARE offer? - Karen
A: I don’t fully understand your question. A successful appeal may result in a higher preference offer in a future round. You, the candidate, have the choice to stay with your original offer or move to your new one. I hope that I have answered your question. - Deirdre
Q: I’m very disappointed, my 2 best subjects in which I’ve never received lower that H1s only got H4s. My teachers are also very surprised and want me to appeal after I view my scripts. If my results are lowered on appeal, my points reduced, can any offer already made and accepted be withdrawn? - Simone
A: That is the choice of the college that you register with. I feel that it would be highly unlikely. But I would advise you to contact the college in question. Be sure to meet the entry requirements before and after the appeal. The appeals process opens at 10 am on Sunday 31st of August and closes 5pm Monday, September 1st. - Deirdre
Q: Do you rate UCD as better college than NUI Maynooth? - Gordan
A: UCD would be ranked higher than Maynooth university in many of the world and other ranking organisations. However many of these rankings are to do with a lot of issues other than undergraduate teaching and courses. There are many students who would much prefer the smaller more country feel of Maynooth and feel UCD is too big for them and vice versa, many would feel UCD is the right fit for them. Ultimately the answer to this question varies from person to person. - Brian
Q: I got 418 points and my course is exactly 418 points. It’s law with criminology in Maynooth, do you think I’ll get the course with these points? - Julianne
A: I would remain hopeful. But I cannot say for definite. Nobody will know the answer to this until CAO release offers and publish the CAO cut off points for 2025. This will happen from 2pm on Wednesday, 2025. - Deirdre
Q: I got 369 points in my LC today but the points for my preferred course were 390 points last year. How likely do you think I will get my course? - Emily
A: I can’t say, unfortunately. CAO will release 2025 cut off points for all courses from 2pm on Wednesday, August 27th. - Deirdre
Q: Would you please advise if points for construction management and engineering will increase in UL this year - Eoin
A: I can’t unfortunately. CAO will release 2025 cut off points for all courses from 2pm on Wednesday, August 27th. - Deirdre
Q: I would like to know how long I can see the result online (when it will be closed) and how I can get the actual certificate without going to school. I also would like to know how long the access to data of each component will be available after the 26th August. - Alana
A: When you go online you can print off a copy of your results. The results will be there for 2/3 weeks. Your school can give you a printout also if you wish. the breakdown of results will not be there for the same length of time according to the State Examinations Commission (SEC). These will only be available for a limited amount of time. The SEC Candidate Helpline is 1800111135 if you want to speak with them.
Q: If I do a PLC in order to get into the course i didn’t get enough points for, how does it work? - Rachael
A: Some CAO courses don’t link with PLC courses, some CAO courses have a quota of places set aside for PLC applicants and some CAO courses allow PLC applicants apply alongside LC applicants for all its course places. To get further information on this Higher Education Link Scheme go to this link and you will see how the system works: https://www.cao.ie/?page=scoring&s=fetac&bb=studentresources - Brian
Q: I got 520 points in the mocks, but 413 in the real exams. I’m way below any course I put down on my CAO (MH208 being the lowest). Do I have any other options apart from repeating? I’m absolutely gutted. - Sean
A: I am very sorry to hear this. There are a few options here.
1) Look at PLC courses. Some of the courses you listed on your CAO list could accept applications from PLC course applicants.
2) Vacant places. After round one on the CAO some courses are listed on the CAO website under Vacant or Available places. You can add these to your CAO account at that stage if you wish.
3) National Tertiary Office courses. If you go to NTO.ie you will see the range of courses available here. They accept applications until the end of September.
4) Private colleges - these accept direct applications to some of their courses so if it is and option, check their websites.
These are just some options to think about. - Brian
Q: How many points can HEAR give you? I received 327 points and need 368. Will I be likely to get my 368 course? - Emily
A: Firstly, impossible to definitively answer this question - too many variables to consider. However, I have seen courses drop by this amount in the HEAR and DARE scheme so it could be possible. We will just have to wait until Wednesday to find out for definite. - Brian
Q: Could you see accounting and finance in DCU dropping points? - Oisin
A: Unfortunately, I have to say there is no definitive way of knowing if this will happen or not, especially this year with so many factors changing this year. It is not a very high demand course so there is a chance but we will have to wait until Wednesday for round one offers to know for sure. - Brian
Q: If my sister gets her second option and accepts it but gets her points for her first option after appeals can she change to her first option? - Orla
A: Yes. If, having accepted a place in round one, you become entitled to a higher preference in a subsequent round including the appeal results round on 26th September, you will be offered the higher preference course and it is up to you if you want to move to the new course or not at that stage. But there is no guarantee of this so it is a good idea to accept something in round one. - Brian
Q: Are DARE places based on the number of points achieved by the student, or randomly allocated? i.e. does more points make a difference if you are being considered for a DARE place - Sam
A: The answer to this question can vary somewhat from college to college. I would direct you to www.accesscollege.ie - DARE to get a lot of information about how colleges offer places. Essentially, if there are 5 places set aside for DARE on a course, then all DARE eligible applicants compete for these 5 places. All these applicants are ranked in order of their points and the people at the top of the list get the first places. Some disability groups get bumped up to the top of the lists also, so this can have an effect also. Priority is given to applicants with physical disabilities, applicants who are blind or deaf and those who are both DARE and HEAR eligible. - Brian
Q: For Northern Ireland universities, where an offer is based on H3 x 6 benchmark, will they factor in 4 above and 2 below to get a place? - Fi
A: It depends on the offer that was made and the conditions attached to it. Depending on the demand for places on the course, the admissions office may be happy to confirm the place if the overall tariff points are similar. Contact the admissions office of the college involved and see what they have to say. - Brian
Q: How do l appeal one of my subjects? - Eric
A: All the details regarding appealing subject grades can be found in the Candidate Information Guide 2. Applications for appeals are completed online in the Candidate Self Service Portal. Applications open Sunday 31st of August at 10am and close Monday 1st of September at 5pm. Just choose the subject you wish to appeal. - Brian
Q: How does DARE work re point reduction for a course? How many points are usually deducted? - Susan
A: Unfortunately, this is an impossible question to answer in this format and the answer can vary from college to college. I would direct you to www.accesscollege.ie DARE to get a lot of information. Essentially, if there are 5 places set aside for DARE on a course, then all DARE eligible applicants compete for these 5 places. All these applicants are ranked in order of their points and the people at the top of the list get the first places. Some disability groups get bumped up to the top of the lists also, so this can have an effect also. - Brian
Q: I did my leaving cert before Covid. I have 578 points. Is there any chance of UCD vet med coming down to that? - Sadie
A: I think to be honest 589* down to 578 might be a long shot but it is impossible to know. If the new Vet courses were up and running this year there might have been a better shot but without them this year it might not drop by too much. - Brian
Q: Is there any indication whether CAO course points will decrease this year? - Orlette
A: More than any year this year it is impossible to pinpoint what is going to happen with the points for individual courses this year. There are so many variables: extra LC applicants from this year, extra applicants from previous years, extra applicants from abroad, lower post marking adjustment, etc. to allow any definitive projections to be made. We will all just have to wait until next Wednesday for sure - Brian
Q: Just wondering how my results can differ so much from my mock exams. I have never gotten lower than a H2 in English and I received a H4 in the Leaving Cert. I’ve been a H1 student in biology and got a H4. - Erin
A: Unfortunately this can happen for a variety of reasons. I would recommend applying to view these subjects to see what went wrong and caused this drop in grades. If you can get your teachers to view the scripts also, that would be very informative. - Brian
Q: With moderated LC points and HPAT, my daughter has 733 points. Last year that would get her into 3 out of 5 medical schools. Is there any indication that CAO points could go up this year due to re-applicants using last year’s LC? - Robert
A: It is just a guessing game at this stage. Nobody will know until CAO release offers and then release CAO cut off points 2025. This will be done from 2pm on Wednesday, August 27th. - Deirdre
Q: How long to get a re-mark? - Rona
A: The appeals results issue date is provisionally set for 11 am September 16th. This date is subject to change. The number of appeals will affect this date being met. - Deirdre
Q: Will I have enough time to appeal my subject and start the college year? - Mairead
A: The results of the appeal process should be known on the 26th September. You may have already started on another course by this time and may have to make a decision as to whether to move to a new course or stay with the course you have already started. - Brian
Q: Do the DARE points for UCD courses change dramatically year to year or are they likely to be close to previous year’s points requirement? - Mark
A: Anything can happen as the variables vary. It will depend on the points received by other DARE applicants who have expressed interest in this course. - Deirdre
Q: What does FM mean on LCVP subject? -R. Brady
A: This is Merit grade - 65 to 80%. - Brian
Q: Do deflated marks affect a lot H1 students? - Gabriel
A: I cannot imagine so as they are somewhere in the bracket of 90-100% pre and post marking adjustment. - Deirdre
Q: Where can i get the breakdown of my LCPE result? - Éabha
A: This will be available on your CSSP at 12 noon Tuesday, August 26th. Candidates will see their marks including for each component as well as teh post marking adjustment. - Deirdre
Q: What does the full breakdown of results mean for Tuesday? Do you get the breakdown of oral and written for a language? - Mary
A: Yes, you get the marks for all components of the subject. On Tuesday 26 August you will be provided with additional information about your examination results. You will be able to view your component marks, details of any Post-Marking Adjustment marks applied and the final graded mark for each subject. Section 2 above provides some preliminary information about the approach to the Post Marking Adjustment this year. The SEC will provide more details on Results Day. You may also see supplementary information which indicates that there is some aspect of the result that was not typical in the processing of results by the SEC. The indicators presented are as follows with an explanation provided of what these mean:
Candidate confirmed absent - Candidate has been marked absent for one or more mandatory components in a multi-component subject.
Assessor’s mark used for this component – The examination session was incomplete and the SEC provided a result in this component based on a range of information.
Invalid Practical coursework – The coursework has been deemed invalid as could not be authenticated by the school authority.
Extrapolated mark - In cases where a candidate has an exemption for a subject under the RACE scheme then the marks in the subject will have been extrapolated from the other components.
This is detailed in Candidate Information Guide 3 which will be available on Monday 25 August. - Brian
Q: How accommodating are UCD and Trinity when in regards to places after appeals have been marked? - John
A: Generally, if they can offer a place after the appeal results they will. If not it will be a deferred place the following year. - Brian
Q: Can a student view their paper online or do they have to go into their school to do it? Do they have to have the teacher with them? - Joanne
A: Any scripts that were corrected online this year will be viewed at home online. Access will be given to view these scripts over the 24-hour period; 9 AM Saturday 30 August and 9 AM Sunday 31 August. All other scripts/subjects will be viewed in school. Manually Marked Scripts Candidates will be assigned to one of two three-hour sessions on Saturday 30 August; Session 1. 9.30 AM – 12.30PM, Session 2. 2PM – 5 PM. You do no need a teacher present to view scripts. - Brian
Q: My points are lower then I thought they would be. Is there a chance my course point could drop too? - Jennifer
A: Points will drop if the demand for that course has fallen. Points are determined by the points achieved by the last candidate that receives a place on this course. Hence, students results affect cut off points for courses. There are many other options that you could look at. Points can also fall in future rounds. Please get back on if you need more information. - Deirdre
Q: Do you have to view your scripts if you want to appeal? - Michelle
A: No. It is advisable however to view scripts before appealing as remember grades can go up as well as down - Brian
Q: Any idea when we will know what funding SUSI will provide for my son? - Sarah
A: You should be able to see this at this link: https://www.susi.ie/eligibility-criteria/income/full-time-undergraduate-income-thresholds-and-grant-award-rates/ The level of maintenance and fee support depends on your income and the number of dependents in your household. - Deirdre
Q: My son only got sufficient points for his 5th and 6th choices on CAO. Will he be offered one of those, or how does that work? - Mags
A: CAO will work out your son’s entitlement to all his choices and then he will be offered his highest choice that he is entitled to. - Brian
Q: What are the odds that OT (occupational therapy) in Galway will come down 21pts I’ve put it first but now I really want my second choice and don’t want OT in Galway? - John
A: As per the previous question it is very hard to know. Places look to be remaining static in OT and possible extra demand from extra CAO applicants from this and last year make this hard to predict what is going to happen. It is unlikely that there will be a 21 points reduction. - Brian
Q: My daughter is short 18 points for Speech Therapy in Galway. Last years points requirement was 544. What is the likelihood of these courses dropping in points? - Orla
A: This is a very hard one to predict. As far as I am aware there are no extra places in SLT in Galway this year. There is high demand for SLT this year and there may be applicants from last year seeking some of the places available this year with their higher post marking adjustment. With all of this going on, it is so hard to predict what is going to happen. I would say that an 18 point reduction is probably unlikely. - Brian
Q: Will primary teaching points drop or rise this year? - Jordan
A: As far as I am aware the extra places that were granted by the Department of Education last year are not being granted this year so this would lead one to believe that points are unlikely to drop this year for Primary Teaching, but there is no way of knowing for definite until Wednesday. - Brian
Q: I got 477 points but I want to study primary teaching in DCU. Do you think I have any hope of getting into DCU? - Jordan
A: This course finished at 478 last year so you are in with a chance but really there is no way of knowing until next Wednesday. Best of luck. - Brian
Q: When can I see the 2025 points for courses? - Brenda
A: The 2025 points will be published on Wednesday at the same time as round one offers. - Brian
Q: When can you appeal a subject grade? - Fiona
A: You can access your marks and post mark adjustments at 12 noon on Tuesday. Application for viewing of scripts opens at 5pm on Tuesday, August 26th. Application for appeal and payment opens at 10 am August 31st and closes at 5 pm Monday Sept 1st. - Deirdre
Q: I required a scribe for my Leaving Cert how is this reflected in my results? - Jason
A: The same marking scheme would have been applied to your script. You may or may not be DARE eligible. No extra grade inflation would have been assigned to you for having a scribe. Please get back on if you have anymore questions. - Deirdre
Q: How do we calculate the extra boost? Or has it already been added onto our grades? - Shayla
A: It has already been added to your final grade that you received today. You will be able to view a full breakdown of results at 12 noon Tuesday, August 25th. - Deirdre
Q: How long does it take to have a result rechecked? - Conor
A: The appeals results issue date is provisionally set for 11 am September 16th. This date is subject to change. The number of appeals will affect this date being met. - Deirdre
Q: Is there a way we can see the percentage marks? - Caitriona
A: On Tuesday 26th August from 12 noon, you will have access to your marks including for each part of the exam. - Brian
Q: How do we appeal a subject grade? - Isabelle
A: All the details regarding appealing subject grades can be found in the Candidate Information Guide. Applications for appeals are completed online in the Candidate Self Service Portal. Applications open 10 AM Sunday 31 August at 10am and close Monday 1 September at 5pm. - Brian
Q: We are getting one subject checked. If the grade increases my daughter would most likely have the points for her first choice on CAO. Should we accept her second choice next week and hope that she gets first choice in second round offer? - Alli
A: Absolutely. Make decisions next week as if your daughter is not going to get any further offers in the future. Then if she does get a higher offer it is a bonus, but at least she already has something. - Brian
Q: Is there a back door route for the Science Education Course in UCC? - Orla
A: There are a quota of places for QQI PLC graduates for this course. Details are at this link: https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=fetac_search - Brian
Q: If my son’s mark in a subject increases after an appeal and gets him to the points required for a course he applied for, will a place on that course be made available for him? - Dave
A: This very much depends on the college in question. In most instances the college will try to facilitate the upgraded student with a place after the final round of upgrades but in the event that they can’t a deferred place for the following year will be made. - Brian
Q: Will there be more primary places in DCU? - Jordan.
A: The only way to know this definitively is to email admissions in DCU and get an answer from them. - Brian
