CAO helpdesk: Our experts answer your questions

The 2024 Irish Times Leaving Cert results and CAO helpdesk is now closed. Many thanks to our readers for submitting questions and to guidance counsellors Deirdre Garrett and Brian Howard who have answered hundreds of queries from students and their parents over the last 10 days or so.
Q: I have applied to NCAD for common entry ( AD101 level 8) and have received a portfolio score of 907. I know to qualify for a level 8 courses I had to get a minimum of 2 C in my A level qualification. However I did not achieve 2 C and received A, D & E. Although, on the NCAD website it states “Grade A with Grade D or Grade E, or Grade B with Grade D are considered the equivalent of two Grade Cs” But I still didn’t receive an offer, I have emailed and call the NCAD admissions office over the last 3 days and haven’t received an answer. Do you think I have missed something? Should I just wait until Round 2? Although I didn’t get an offer from NCAD, I did get my first offer on the level 7 course, MT760 Interior Architecture. From my understanding I can still work my way up to the Level 8 course in interior architecture, as well as, Cork is a great student city, but my heart is set on studying in dublin and attending NCAD. However, waiting on replies from NCAD may cost me my accommodation in Cork. Do you think I have a chance on getting a position in NCAD, or do you think I should rather focus on Cork? It would be such a disappointment to miss out on an opportunity in NCAD with such a high portfolio score, however, with how non responsive they have been I’m not sure if I will get my position. Thank you. Rachel
A: I have just been in contact with the NCAD and they say that they will get to your email in the afternoon and will respond to your query. They are making their way through a lot of emails but will get back to you later today. Brian
Q: My daughter has Applied Psychology in UCC as her first choice and although she got 540 points she wasn’t offered it, but was offered her second choice. Should she wait for the second round or contact CAO directly? John
A: Is there a possibility that she didn’t meet the minimum entry requirements for this course? The CAO will only make an offer when a candidiate meets the cut off points and minimum entry requirements. Please see the link for requirements for Applied Psychology at UCC. Is she exempt from Irish or a third language? Has CAO recieved this exemption? Deirdre
Q: Because there are two separate CAO lists of preference between, level 8 courses and level 7/6 I was wondering if I choose preference one, which I have been offered in my level 7/6 courses, does it eliminate all of my other options on my level 8 course list for future rounds, or only the other level 7/6 courses. I have not been offered any level 8 courses so far. Fred
A: You will still be included in all CAO Level 8 that you meet cut off and minimum entry requirements for in future CAO rounds. So go ahead and accept Wednesday’s offer. You can transfer to a course if you recieve a new offer at a later stage. The very best of luck. Deirdre
Q: If I appeal a Leaving Cert result, is it possible that my result is downgraded (eg. from a H2 to a H3)? Robert
A: Yes this is a possibility. Not all appeals are upgraded and some may even result in a downgrade, albeit less common. Deirdre
Q: What are the points for AU340 Fire Safety Engineering? Paul
A: 340 CAO points in Round 1 2024. Deirdre
Q: If I accept my CAO offer now, can I decline it later even if i get no offers in future rounds? John
A: Yes, if you accept your place now and subsequently change your mind and want to withdraw from the course you can do that at a later stage. There may be financial consequences depending on how long you remain on the course ( see earlier answer to another question) particularly approaching October. Brian
Q: I am one point off of food science in UL so if I did appeal my bio result as I got 69.5, do you think I would have to wait till next year to start as the places may be taken for this year. I can’t find anywhere how many places are open for this course. Taylor.
A: CAO will offer you a place on the back of a successful appeal if places are still available on thsi course. Otherwise you will be offered a deferred place for Sept 2025. Please read this link (pg35) explaining the process regarding deferals. Deirdre
Q: I got applied biology and biopharmaceutical science in atu galway and it was my 3rd but I now would rather my 5th choice, GY301, which I got well over the points for so is there any way possible for me to get it rather than waiting till next year? Ashley
A: Through the CAO system there is generally no way of moving down your list to courses underneath the one you have been offered. So essentially, everything below your 3rd preference is now gone. The only exception to this is if one of your lower courses appears in the vacant place list. Since the course you now rather is in the same college and in the same area there may be scope for an internal transfer later in 1st year. Maybe it might be a good idea to speak to someone in ATU about this possibility. Brian
Q: On my CAO I choose DN530 in UCD European Studies but it looks like I didn’t correctly select that option. I have been offered DN530 Art History. I have the points and it is the same department. What is the chance of being able to transfer. Do you know if UCD can accommodate such a change? Anna
A: I suggest that you phone Admissions Office at UCD asap 01-7081555. Deirdre
Q: My son got offered his 2nd choice but really wants his first choice if he accepts his first round offer can he still see if he gets his first choice in round 2? Vanessa
A: Yes, whether or not he accepts his 2nd choice in round one he will still remain in the running for his 1st preference in the next rounds and if he becomes entitled to it he will be offered it and he decides whether to stay with his 2nd choice of move to his 1st choice. Brian
Q: I wrote down the wrong global business wanted Trinity but got Dublin Business School. It was my number one choice but I really want to go to trinity and I have enough points. What can I do? Sam
A: Oh, really sorry to hear this. I’m not sure anything can be done to remedy this problem this year. My sense is you may only be able to get TCD Global Business next year with a new application. Technically you cannot change your application at this stage mid-cycle. I would make contact with TCD admissions and the CAO to see if there is a solution, but I’m not sure what they can do for you. Best of luck. Brian.
Q: Son did not receive offers Irish exemption was not submitted. It’s now submitted will he receive offer. He has the points. Priscilla
A: I would never say there is a guarantee that you will get an offer in round 2, however the norm would be in cases like this when an error has been corrected that the college would make the offer in round 2. However, it is down to the college to decide out of good will to do this. If they have over offered in round one and all accept, they could be under pressure with places and this is where it could get tricky. Consider having a chat with admissions in the college. Brian
Q: I’m one point off of my 2nd course food science and health in UL do you think there’s much hope for me in the 2nd round, got offered my 3rd. Taylor
A: CAO rounds in 2023 didn’t see a drop for this course in round 2. Accept your 3rd choice. You can transfer to a new course if you were to recieve an offer in Round 2 on Sepember 9th. The very best of luck. Deirdre
Q: If my son drops out of college in his first year , how long can he attend before we would have to pay the full fees if he goes back to college next year doing another course? Thank you Tom
A: There are 2 deadlines which are important here and these vary from college to college so you should check in with the fees office in the college you are concerned with. The first deadline, usually around the end of October – if you son drops out before this deadline, there will be no implications for the following year with fees. The second deadline, usually around the end of January – if your son drops out before this, they will only get half the free fees the following year and if he drops out after this he will not get the free fees the following year and will have to pay the full economic fees, somewhere in the region of 6/7K. Brian
Q: I got my second choice but now I don’t think I want to do it. I looked at the Available Places and saw a course that I would like. Do I have to accept the first offer and then apply for an available place or do I just leave the first offer not accepted and submit a new choice? Mary
A: Place the new course code (from available places facility) above your round 1 off. Doing nothing with Wednesday’s offer will automatically result in a decline of that offer. Round 2 is out on September 9th. This is the day that you should be offered the course you inserted from Available Places (providing that you meet the minimum entry requirements). Please view video guide for Available Places at this link
Q: Student got 601 points. Required points were 602…. What is the advice? Gavin
A: That is a hard one. Did this student recieve an offer? Would this offer have similar course and structure content as most desired course? Please supply more information. Deirdre
Q: My daughter has been offered her sixth choice but we are hoping to appeal for a higher offer. Does she need to accept this initial offer in order to remain in the CAO system? Jane
A: Accepting or rejecting Wednesday’s offer will have no influence in future CAO rounds. Would it be good to accept the offer incase she doesn’t get offered any higher preference courses in future rounds? This will ensure that she has a course regardless of what has happens. However, she would need to be interested in the course content. I am assuming that she is due to placing it on her CAO list. She will remain included in all future CAO rounds either way. The best of luck. Deirdre
Q: My son has accepted an offer of a college place in MTU. He now wants to defer it. We’ve emailed the college as per the deferral process but haven’t heard back yet. Our question is, is it possible to defer a place after accepting it? Susanne
A: The deferral process says in bold writing in the CAO handbook “do not accept your offer” so you could be in trouble. Ultimately, I would think this is a decision to be made by the admissions officer in MTU. You have done the right thing by emailing the admissions office in MTU and really you will have to wait for their decision. If you don’t hear back by lunch time you might see if you can get through on the phone. The admissons officer in MTU is the key player you need to speak with. Brian
Q: My daughter didn’t get any offer. All her courses were over 500 points vet nursing, sciences, zoology. What’s the best way forward? A PLC? She’s understanding disappointed and possibly won’t get 2nd round offer as the courses only have a handful of places. Thank you. Lillie
A: A PLC is a good alternative route. It gives one the chance to gain work experience and explore the course content in more depth. Certain PLC codes are needed for entry into Level 8 courses. Be liaise with the college of Further Education and ensure that your daughter does a PLC with a code that offers entry into third level courses of interest. Here is a link giving you more information on PLC courses. Please get back on if you need more support or have any questions Deirdre
Q: Our son was offered his 1st choice on level 8 list and his first choice on level 6/7. He would like to do the level 8 course. Does he accept that one and ignore the level 6/7 offer? Finbar
A: Yes that is correct. Ignoring the offer results in a decline, The best of luck going forward. Deirdre
Q: Is it difficult to defer if I feel I am not mentally for taking up an offer of a course this year. Paul
A: Deferral is an option. It will depend on the college, the course and the student’s circumstances. Please contact the Admissions Office of the college. The deferral request must be with the Admisiions Office a minimum of two days before the deadline date for acceptance of Round 1 offers on Tuesday 3rd Sept at 3 pm. Please see guidelines on seeking a deferral as well as taking up a deferral on pg 35 of this link.
Q: I selected the wrong option on UCD course DN530 can I change the option? Anna
A: I would suggest contacting admissions in UCD immediately to see what are the possibilites. Brian
Q: Can I apply to college through the CAO with my LC points and a QQI award to get the best chance of getting in? Caroline
A: You can apply to a college course using both your LC results and your QQI results. The CAO will work our the best scenario with both results and if you are entitled to a place on the basis of one of the sets of results you will be offered this. Some courses in the CAO have a quota of places set aside for PLC applicants and some course don’t and you are in open competition with LC applicants. You don’t have to worry about this the CAO will look for the best outcome for you. Deirdre
Q: I accepted an offer but the university has not contacted me yet, is this normal? Olga
A: Yes, that’s fine. Some univerities are faster/slower than others at making contact with sucessful applicants. If you don’t hear anything in the next day or so you could send an email to enquire. Brian
Q: If I accept an offer now and start in college but get another offer can I change course after I start? Aran
A: Yes. CAO will make you an offer if you have the cut off points, minimum entry requirements and if there is a place available on this course. If the course is full then you will be offered a deferred place for Sept 2025. You can choose to stay on your original course or swap over to your new offer. Deirdre
Q: I got my first choice but I really hope my second choice comes up in a future round. I heard from the college I want its highly unlikely that the course isn’t filled in Round 1. Should I accept my round 1 offer? Is it too much of a gamble to not do so, and to hope my preferred Maynooth 101 comes available? Ben
A: Yes, I think you should accept what you have been offered in round one. By doing this you will still remain in the running for your higher preference courses. If you become entitled to a higher preference course in the next rounds you will be offered it even if you have accepted your round one offer. If you don’t accept your round one offer you could be left with no place. Brian
Q: My daughter has missed optometry in TUD by 2 points and Radiation therapy by 1 point. Is there anything she can do or what are her options now? Claire
A: Many applicants view theri scripts and appeal. Some get a successful appeal hence go up in CAO points. Others get offered their preferred course in future rounds if points fall. Your daughter could look to see alternative routes for this course e.g. a PLC course that offers entry into a level 8. Please get back on if you would like to more about this option or any of the options listed above.
Q: I accepted an offer but the university has not contacted me yet, is this normal? Olga
A: Yes, that’s fine. Some univerities are faster/slower than others at making contact with sucessful applicants. If you don’t hear anything in the next day or so you could send an email to enquire. Brian
Q: If I accept an offer now and start in college but get another offer can I change course after I start? Aran
A: Yes. CAO will make you an offer if you have the cut off points, minimum entry requirements and if there is a place available on this course. If the course is full then you will be offered a deferred place for Sept 2025. You can choose to stay on your original course or swap over to your new offer. Deirdre
Q: I got my first choice but i really hope my second cones up in a future round. I heard from the college i want its highly unlikely that the course isn’t filled in Round 1. Should I accept my round 1 offer? Is it too much of a gamble to not do so, and to hope my preferred Maynooth 101 comes available? Ben
A: Yes, I think you should accept what you have been offered in round one. By doing this you will still remain in the running for your higher preference courses. If you become entitled to a higher preference course in the next rounds you will be offered it even if you have accepted your round one offer. If you don’t accept your round one offer you could be left with no place. Brian
Q: If I don’t accept my first choice what are my chances of getting other choices? Ellen
A: It really would depend on how close your points are to higher preference courses. Here is an excel sheet containing points at round 1 and round 2 in 2023. Last year can only be used as a guide. Nothing is certain until the CAO realeases Round 2 offers on September 9th. Deirdre
Q: How likely is it for a student to get a deferral for a Medicine place at UCC until next year as they only have one year left in their current undergraduate degree? A
A: This would be a question for the Admissions Office of the relevant college. I would be confident that they would work with the student and put the needs of the student firs. Please follow this link . This link tells you how to go about requesting a deferral as well as taking up a deferred place via CAO 2025. Please go to pg 32 of the CAO handbook. Please request a deferral at a minimum of two days before deadline for acceptance date of Round 1 offers… The very best of luck. Deirdre
Q: I missed out on TR758 by 2 points. Is there a chance I can still get in on later offers? Secondly, I want to see if there even were later offers in that course in previous years, but I can’t seem to find that info for any trinity joint honours course. Cheers Eoin
A: You are correct, it is not possible to see if there were 2nd or subsequent round offers for the joint honours degree courses in TCD. I must bring this up with the CAO and TCD in due course. The only way to get this information is to contact the admisssions office in TCD and hope they have it to hand. As to whether there is a chance you will get in in later rounds is almost impossible to tell at the moment. I’m afraid its a waiting game until round 2. Best of luck.
Q: My son has asked to see three of his scripts to decide if they are worth getting them remarked. If he goes down in points instead of up could he lose out on his current offer and subsequent higher preference offers in the 2nd, 3rd round of CAO. Thanks Gemma.
A: Technically, yes. If he goes down in grades and points he may no longer be eligible for the course place he now has. In reality, I have not come accross this happening yet. This is why it is so important if at all possible to view the scripts first and if the percentage score is near the border with the grade below then it may be wise not to go ahead with a recheck in this subject and if the percentage score is borderline moving up to the next grade then it should be safe to proceed. Brian
Q: I am appealing my English result..will it be rechecked before the second offers come out on Monday 9th Sept. Liam
A: No, the results of the rechecks will not be released until the 27th of September. They will not be ready for round two. If you have a read through some of the other Q & As above you will see what happens in October when the results come out from rechecks. Brian
Q: My daughter missed out on a place in her course she is a DARE applicant, but she knows friends who got about thirty points less than her who are also DARE applicants but they got the course, how is that possible should we investigate? Sean
A: DARE prioritises applicants that qualify for both HEAR and DARE as well as applicants with a physical or sensory disability. They are placed on the top of the order of merit for DARE allocated places. Could this explain it? Deirdre
Q: My teenager’s first preference was Radiotherapy but they didn’t get enough points. They have been offered a degree course in Nursing and are wondering whether this is a good pathway to ultimately doing Radiotherapy or whether there is a better alternative pathway to Radiotherapy. Thanks. Will
A: There are 2 types of Radiography – Diagnostic and Therapeutic. At undergraduate level you have Diagnostic in UCD and Therapeutic in TCD. The University of Ulster also offers an undergraduate course in both Diagnostic and Therapeutic. There are postgraduate courses in both also in UCD, TCD and in UCC. It would be common for nurses to pursue postgraduate courses in Radiography and other healthcare areas. The UK has quite a few Radiotherapy courses also with many Irish students also studying there. Brian.
Q: My son got 546 points in LC and also has DARE eligibility. His first choice was occupational therapy in Trinity. He got his fourth choice which is general nursing and is hugely disappointed. The points on round one for OT are 548. Is there a chance he might get in one round 2 or get a DARE place? Shauna
A: That is hard. This course dropped in points last year. Please view this link and the end of session (final points) for this course in 2023 was 534. Look at line 1075 on this spreadsheet. University Limerick also offer a postgrad in Occupational Therapy. This could be done after nursing degree. More information here. Deirdre
Q: My daughter is 8 points short for her 1st choice. She qualified for DARE however missed the app date in March. Can she apply now for DARE and have it taken into account for 2nd round offers? Tim
A: No, this isn’t possible. DARE has a deadline of March 1st and documentation must be with CAO by March 15th. I would advise you to contact the Admissions Office of the college. Would your daughter be interested in making a CAO application for 2025 and combine her DARE application with her 2024 CAO points? Please get back on if you need additional support. Here is the link for all information regarding DARE. Brian
Q: My daughter has 431 points from European BAC 2022, and no offers because of a mistake in her CAO application. Her first choice is Law and German TUD, (TCD and UCD 2 & 3) 4th is Law TUD. CAO says she will be considered in Rnd 2, but those places may be gone. GC403 is further down her list, and on available courses list, so potentially her Rnd 2 offer. She really wants to go to TUD. Can she change 3 or 4 CAO choices to available TUD courses? Could it help to at least be at the right college? Thank you so much
A: She can insert available places on her CAO list but only courses that come up on available places facility. See here.
Q: Hi. I had a question on appealing LC papers. My daughter thankfully got and accepted her first choice course. However there were two of her papers where she came really close to a H1 grade (88.8% and 89.5% after grade inflation). If she were to appeal these to see if she could get the H1 and her gradecwere to go down, is there any way her CAO offer coukd be rescinded? Or are we better leaving well enough alone? Many thanks. Cáit.
A: Her grade would have to go down by 8.8% or 9.5% to be down graded. I would advise you to appeal. It would be the decision of the University. Highly unlikely that the University would ask any registered student to leave. Deirdre.
Q: My Daughter missed her 1st choice by 8 points. She has a disability and qualified for DARE but missed applying for it in March. Is there any way of applying for DARE now so it could be taken into account for 2nd round? Time
A: No, this isn’t possible. DARE has a deadline of March 1st and documentation must be with CAO by March 15th. I would advise you to contact the Admissions Office of the college. Would your daughter be interested in making a CAO application for 2025 and combine her DARE application with her 2024 CAO points? Please get back on if you need additional support. Here is the link for all information regarding DARE.
From The Irish Times: If you are a student on the hunt for accommodation, we would like to hear about your experience of trying to find a place this year. The annual scramble for somewhere to live is well underway, with colleges due to reopen in early September and little sign of housing pressures easing. You can tell us about your experience via the form here.
Q: My daughter is interested in doing law at a college in the UK. What steps does she need to take to do this? Greame
A: Here is a link explaining the UCAS clearing system. You are not too late to apply. There will be fees involved. Get back on if you need any further help.
Q: Hi I have been offered a degree course in ATU Galway, however I have struggled with mental health issues and don’t feel ready to embark on a degree this year. My plan is to do a plc course locally in Wicklow and then next year embark on a degree programme. I am not 100% sure this is the course I want to do, so should I defer or let the offer lapse and reapply. If I defer the course, can I apply again next year for other courses (if I change my mind). I have over 150 points more than required for this course so the points shouldn’t be an issue. Thanks for any advice!
A: I would advise you to defer. See where you are at and your interest in January when filling out your CAO 2025. Putting more than your deferred course on your new CAO will result in a lost deferral. Please read pg 32 of the CAO handbook about taking up a deferral. You can bank your deferral now and review the situation in a few months. The best of luck and well wishes from the Irish Times Helpdesk. Deirdre
Q: My son’s 1st choice is Criminology with Psychology in UCD which is 519 points. He has 518 points. Do you think he will be offered it in 2nd round offers? Therese
A: Unfortunately, no way of knowing in reality. Looking at last year it did drop from 631 in the first round to 321 in the final round – a drop of 10 points, so looking at this you would like to think he has a good chance with only one point off. Best of luck.
Q: Would doing a PLC course help my daughter get a better offer next year? She did Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers. Do the PLC courses supplement school exams or replace them? Where can we get more information? Tracy
A: Generally, PLC courses don’t supplement school exam results. They can however be used to apply for Higher Education courses in their own right. This link has a lot of information about PLC courses. I would reccommend having a read through it and come back to us if you have further questions.
Q: My daughter did her secondary education in Scotland and did not get any of her preferred courses in the first round of the CAO. We don’t understand how the PLC courses work and whether they are compatible with her Scottish School qualifications (Highers and Advanced Highers) Tracy
A: PLCs are generally post school terminal exam qualifications. They are available at different levels; level 5 and level 6 are one or two year courses completed after students here complete the Leaving Certificate. Our Leaving Certificate qualification is equivalent to your Scottish School Qaulification so the PLCs would equate to any certificate course post Scottish School qualifications. Brian
Q: Can you change your “Available Places” order of preference more than once? Eg. a course I want hasnt come up in available places, but considering that it might, should I leave the number 1 spot open to potentially insert that, and only add current available places from no. 2 onwards? Shona
A: Available Places is run almost identical to the change mind facility. You can log in and make changes to your CAO listing, making sure to keep your courses in the order you would like to get into them. The only difference with Vacant Places is you can only add courses that are on the vacant place list and you cannot change the order of existing courses on you list. You can log in and make as many changes as you want up to the cut off time for round 2, 3, 4, etc. Brian
Q: Not a question just a thank you for the time you’ve given and service you’ve provided. It’s a nervous and anxious time for students (& parents) and what you’re doing is really appreciated. Thank you! Ruth
A: Many thanks for your kind comments. Brian
Q: My son got offered Politics in DCU, but wants arts UCD joint honours. The points have gone up for this, he got 398 in 2022 but did PLC as he didn’t know what to do then. He doesn’t want politics in DCU now, it’s his 4th choice does he have to accept to be considered for next round? Is there a chance he might get the joint hons course in UCD? If he doesn’t accept is he excluded from next rounds. Thank you. Aillish
A: He will automatically be included in future rounds regardless of accepting or declining yesterday’s offer. I would advise you to accept DCU. If your son recieves an offer for UCD in future rounds he can transfer across. I hope that this works out fo you. Deirdre
Q: My daughter got modern languages in ucd. It’s in the arts department. Is there any option to move to other subjects once you start? Susan
A: My sense is that one can add athird subject at registration. I am not sure about changing subjects. i would advise you to consult with Admissions at UCD on 01-7161555. Deirdre
Q: Can I use my CAO points from this year to apply for next year and if so,will the post marking adjustments also apply or will they be removed? Hei
A: Your CAO points will remain as they are. PMA is going down from 7.5% to 5.5% next year. You will have to make a new application to CAO 2025. Deirdre.
Q: Our lad got 230 points wants to defer and do doctors course when the points come down again. What do you think are his chances of getting in if points inflation going down?? Mam
A: He must combine his leaving cert points with his HPAT. Please view this link regarding entry into medicine. See here. Get back on if you need more guidance. Deirdre.
Q: Looking to do law with economics in ucd for 2025 and as I was looking at the points for all of the different law courses with other minor, I seen that they were all the same (556) , does this mean that those were the lowest points out of everyone doing law regardless of minor? If so I could hypothetically get the points advertised next year but not get in because the points for my minor are higher, and would there be any way to access what the points were for each minor? Thanks so much !! Aoibheann
A: There are 2 Law courses in UCD: DN600 and DN610. DN600 is the one you are referring to. This is where you can do Law on its own or combine it with other subjects. It only has one CAO course code, therefore there is only one set of points. This year the points are 556. So no matter which option you wish to take with Law the points remain the same – 556 this year. 556 is the points for all options. Brian
Q: What can I bring to the exam centre to view a manually marked script? Can I bring my phone/tablet, exam paper and marking scheme? How long can I view the script for? By what date and time should I get notified of which session I have assigned for Sat 01/09/24? Sharon.
A: Your school will contact you to give you a time and session. You will be assigned to one of the two sessions. Session one is from 9.30 am-12.30 PM and session 2 is from 2 PM-5 PM . You will be provided with online access to view online scripts on the same dates and given a 24 hour period between 9 am on Saturday, August 31st to 9 am on Sunday September 1st. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: I’ve been offered a place I’m not really keen on accepting. There is a course further down the options that wills suit me better. What are my chances of being offered that. Cillian
A: Once you are offered a place on your list of preferences then all courses below that disappear from your account essentially. So unfortunately you will not be offered anything further down the options. Brian
Q: If I defer my place. I got my second choice. Then I get my results rechecked. If I get an increase in my grades and then have enough points for my first course selection. Will I still be offered my first choice even though I have deferred my 2nd choice course I was offered? Jane
A: Yes. If you become entitled to a higher preference course (1st for you) then you must be offered it regardless of what you did with your lower preference offers. However, as we have mentioned here previously, the new offer may be for a start in October or it may be a deferred place the following year. Brian
Q: Is it posdible to get one paper re marked in English or do both have to be marked again? Una
A: If you apply to appeal English the whole paper will be rechecked.
Q: My daughter completed a QQI Level 5 course and was awarded the full award with distinctions. Yesterday and on round 0 she received no offers? I contacted CAO and they said her application was ineligible. It transpires QQI have her as only having a component certificate? We have contacted the PLC college and they have confirmed she should have received her full award. My question is, if this has been updated by QQI to full award can she be offered a course without waiting until September 9th as this was an internal issue with QQI not my daughters as she completed the application correctly. She would have never received any offers in any future rounds if I hadn’t made this call to CAO yesterday? Any advice would really be appreciated. Ruth
A: Any corrections of errors like this one are rectified in Round 2, if places on desired course or courses are still available. I am sorry to hear that you have had this experience. You have carried out all the necessary steps. But unfortunately have to wait for Round 2 out on September 9th.
Q: Hi Deirdre and Brian, I wanted to thank you for providing this service to parents and students over the past week. I learned a huge amount from other people’s questions and your replies. I have to congratulate you both on your in-depth knowledge, sound advice but most of all your kindness and patience. Your answers were clear with just the right amounts of positivity and realism. As a first-timer LC parent, I found your advice invaluable. Thank you for all your words of wisdom and for being there for us all during these nerve-wracking few days. Anna
A: You are very welcome. It is a very difficult time for students and indeed parents who are trying to advise their sons/daughters on how best to proceed in what can be a very tricky system. If we can relieve some of the stress involved and help applicants make good informed decisions then we are very happy. Many thanks for your kind remarks. Brian
Q: Hello I got given my first choice which is TR239 – classical/modern lanuages in Trinity today, which I had completely forgot about as I never thought I would get the points. I ended up getting the course but have no intention of doing classical languages only modern lanagues. Is it possible to transfer to TR670- modern lanuages as they are both the Same college and field (languages) as I have above the points for it. Thanks Emilia
A: At this stage, you cannot add a different course to your CAO application, no matter what college it is in. (exception being vacant place courses). What might be a possibility is when you start your current offer course in TCD, there may be scope to transfer later to TR670 internally at some stage. The best way to find out if this is a possibility is to contact the admissions office in TCD and put this to them. Best of luck.
Q: I was just wondering what happens if I got the points for my course but not the entry requirements. My course needs two h5s but I only got 1 h2. Can I still get an offer in round two since I didn’t get any in round one, and if I do a plc will that be able to make up for my missing h5 for next year. Alexandra
A: CAO will only make you an offer for the highest preference course that you meet cut off points and minimum entry requirements. This will apply for all CAO round offers. The PLC would offer you an alternative pathway into your course of preference. You would need to ensure that this course has a QQI (aplc) entry route. Your PLC results should override the Leaving Cert requirement. You could also repeat one subject with the hope of achieving a minimium of a H5. You would then meet minimum entry requirements and combine this with your CAO 2024 points. Please get back on if you need more information or guidance.
Q: Do points go down in second and subsequent round offers? My son is three points short of his first choice. He has accepted his second choice but curious as to his chance of being offered a second or third round place? Toby
A: Generally yes (random selection is the exception), if second or third round offers are made. Places will only be offered is people who were offered places in round one decide not to accept them. Places are offered to applicants further down the academic merit list so their points are less and so the cut off points of the last person to be offered a place in less. In some courses all places are accepted and so there will be no further offers in the next rounds. There is no way of knowing until the reply date for round one what the situation will be. Brian
Q: My son got 7 H1 ( 625) but was not offered his first choice course. I are reading today ot was one of those course that did lottery. How can we find out if there will be second round of offers on this course. What are the chances of getting it? Its a economics and finanace at UCD. Manda
A: There is no way of knowing how many people are in the random pool. You could try contacting UCD admissions and ask the question but I’m not sure they will share this information. So, unfortunately there is no way to advise on his chances of getting a second round offer. I would imagine it is a slim chance and would be making plans based on what he has currently and if a place becomes available treat it as a bonus. Brian
Q: When can i appeal my grades? Emer
A: Applications to appeal grades open on September 1st at 10am and closes the following day Monday at 5pm. Brian
Q: Should I appeal my maths test I am only 2% off from a h4? And when is the results of the appeal are gonna be determined. Fazlahmad
A: 2% might seem very close but be aware this may translate into a number of marks needed to get up to the H4. Having said this you are quite close and so have nothing to loose by getting the appeal and hopefully you will be sucessful. Brian
Q: My son was offered his level 8 course as it was a higher option on his list but would prefer to do a level 6/7 course but miss ed it by one point .nothing came up on the available place today either. What are his best options please. Elaine
A: Has he researched his offered course enough? Look at course structure, modules etc possible speak to someone who has done this course? He may get a higher preference course from his level 6/7 list in futire rounds. He could look at doing a PLC in his area of interest and apply again to CAO in 2025. He would be able to use his results from PLC as an alternative entry route. Please get back on if you need more guidance on PLC entry rotues.
Q: If a recheck results in an uplift and then points for a preferred course, will I get an offer for that course in October 2024? If not will I get an offer for the following year and if I start a different course now and then move to the preferred course next year will I have to pay higher fees? Kathy
A: There is no way of being able to tell you if you will get an offer to start in October or not. It depends on a lot of factors in individual colleges and individual courses. If the college cannot offer you a place in October then they must offer you a deferred place for the following year. If you are starting a course now and you get a deferred offer, then I would speak to the fees office of the college offering you the deferred place to find out what the fees situation would be if you continue in you existing course. My sense is that you would be using up your “free” 1st year this year and would have to pay the full economic cost of your new 1st year next year, but check this out if it arises. Brian
Q: I am from Norway and have applied as an EFTA applicant. According to my grades and the PDF document “Entry requirements criteria for EU/EFTA/UK Applicants” on page 66 and 67, I should have 588 points + potentially 25 extra since I have 3 in 3. grade math. Because average of my grades is around 5. If you choose the seven best it could be higher. Is it possible that they have misscalculated as I have not gotten a single offer. My top choice on level 8 had 430 points for the first round and my top choice on level 7/6 was 297. Veronika
A: I think Veronika, your best bet is to contact CAO who will definitely tell you your score in the CAO system and what you are entitled to. They are the people who calculate this on their system and are best placed to tell you what has been calculated for your grades. Brian
Q: Can you explain how DARE works in selecting who is offered a place on a course. I was told that FARE applicants are hand picked and are not random selected. eg. I got 600 points in LC, also have Dare. Applied to pharmacy. Rcsi lowest point was 601, how come I didn’t get an offer? I thought dare had seat assigned (around 4 seats) and you were only competing against other DARE applicants? No offers from UCC or trinity either, they were 613*. Ethan
A: Have you looked to see if you satisfy the entry requirements for all the courses (see here). A certain number of course places are kept for altrenative routes e.g. DARE. All DARE candidates compete against each for DARE places. DARE prioritise applicants with physical and or sensory disabilities. Candidates who qualify for HEAR and DARE also get priority.
Q: If I appeal my results and I get one grade up. I get my number three course. If I accept a possible 2nd round offer which comes out before the appeal results in October if the grade increase is given am I forced to take the course that bump gives me or can I still accept my possible 2nd round offer. Gerard
A: The choice will be yours. If this scenario odes arise, you can choose to stay on the course or move to the new offer, the higher preference course. The choice will be yours and there is no penalty doing either or. Deirdre
Q: I have Dare got first round offer of second choice in trinity (english and soc). Is Trinity likely to have a second round offer for psychology (which is my first choice) Helen
A: Unfortunately, there is no way of definitively knowing this as it all depends on what the people who were offered places yesterday decide to do with their offer. If they all accept their places then theoretically there are no places left and no more offers will be made. We will have to wait until the reply date to know what the situation is. Brian
Q: I missed out on an offer of a preferred course as I needed a h3 iin a subject where I got a h4. Do minimum entry requirements change in cao rounds as well as points? Leon
A: I missed out on an offer of a preferred course as I needed a h3 iin a subject where I got a h4. Do minimum entry requirements change in cao rounds as well as points? Deirdre
Q: I received an offer for my second choice which I don’t want, but am really confused about why I didn’t get my first choice as I have double the points required. I live in Munich so did the German equivalent to the leaving cert last year. I checked the minimum entry requirements for the course (US808) and just can’t seem to get what I’m missing. What can I do? If I accept my second choice offer, but don’t get my first choice in any of the next rounds will I still be able to pull out without paying the student contribution fee? Caoimhe
A: I think the best advice here is to send an email immediately to CAO through your CAO account and query this. They will get back to you in time for you to decide what you want to do with your current offer.
Q: I have completed 1 year of a college course and am now considering accepting a transfer into 2nd year of a similar course in a different college, but I am thinking about taking a year out to fully decide if this course is the area I want to continue studying. Would there be any implications for doing this. Sara
A: Neither SUSI or free tuition fee would be affected by taking a year out. You would lose both if you were to repeat a year twice e.g. do first year on one course and then change courses going into first year of that course. The government would only pay for you to do first year once as would SUSI. I hope that I have answered your question. Deirdre
Q: What are my chances of getting a higher grade if I appeal some subjects. I feel I was marked unfairly in some subjects. Aaron
A: I would advise you to view your scripts. You should ask your teacher if they would be availabe to view your script with you. You can then fill out an AP1 form to appeal. 23% of appeals in 2023 were successful (meaning that they recieved an upgrade). Deirdre
Q: Do those reviewing scripts under an appeal have visibility over the original grade and marks awarded? Ruth
A: Yes. The examiner will be able to see the original grade and marks awared throughout the paper. He/ She will be checking to ensure that the right make was given or amending this to a higher or lower mark. I hope that I have answered your question. Deirdre
Q: I put Engineering as my first choice and was offered it yesterday. However I recently decided I want to study Architecture and have sufficient points to qualify for this. How can I make it happen at this point? Do I have to defer? Hugh
A: Unfortunately, the only way you can gain access to Architecture is to reapply next year through the CAO system and apply for it in a new account. You could have a look at clearing in the uk to see if there are any places there, but unfortunately you can’t add Architecture to your CAO account at this stage. Brian
Q: Can I accept my level 8 offer and at the same time defer my level 7 offer? As an insurance for next year? Rosie
A: I am afraid not. You can only accept one offer or defer one offer. One or the other. I would recommend that you view the course structure and content. This might help you decide which one you might be more interested in. The best of luck with your decision. Here to help if you have anymore questions.
Q: Can scripts viewed online be downloaded? It would help in arranging teacher review to advise on appeal. John
A: Yes you can downloaded/ orint your scripts. The viewing timeline is tight. Online viewing will be available from 9 am on Saturday 31st August to 9 am on Sunday September 1st. The best of luck.
Q: My daughter did her leaving cert two years ago, and wanted Arts in NUIG Galway. She did not get any offer yesterday. Could she get an offer in second round, or is she now out of all contention? Mark
A: She could still get offers in future rounds. Did she meet cut off points? Have you looked into minimium entry requirements? Please get back on if you need more support on this matter. Deirdre
Q: My son got 6H1s and one H2. As the H2 was in Maths, the points were 613, not 625. His course went to random selection at 613 and he didn’t get it. However, he was 1.2% off getting the H1 in Maths which would bring him up to 625 if successful on appeal. If he gets the 625 on appeal, can he be offered a place on the course this year? Or can he only be offered a place for next year as the course is probably full if it went to random selection? If the offer is only for next year, can he still do the No2 course in another college for the year or does he have to defer that? Concerned as he has accepted the No.2 offer now… Grace
A: Appeal results are out on Set 27th. CAO offers will be issued shortly after this date. Your son could opt to stay on his exisiting course or transfer to the new course ( assuming a successful appeal). Your son will either be able to transfer if places are still available on this course or will be offered a deferral fro Sept 2025 ( remember that there is a specific process when taking up a deferral This is on pg 32 of link provided. Doing first year on his second preference course followed by a transfer to first year of a new course in 2025 would bear a financial cost of approx €8,000. The governement will only pay teh tuition fees for a student to do first year once. I hope that I have answered your question. Please get back on if you need more support. Deirdre
Q: We have requested to view a PE script but it appears we will only see the written paper and not the marking for the project. How do we see how marks were awarded to the different sections of the project. Siobhán
A: The SEC state that all components of PE will be available to view online except the video which will not be available to view. Brian
Q: My daughter has 2 offers: 1st priority from level 7 (chemistry at MTU) and last priority from level 8 (cinema at UCC). She accepted the offer for chemistry level 7 as her interests are closer to chemistry, medicine (was her first priority). Will she get an offer, level 8 – her first priorities in the second round? Tatania
A: When you say priority, I assume you mean preference. As she has accepted her first preference on her level 7 list she will be made no more offers on this list, however she will still remain in the running for her higher preferences on her level 8 list, i.e. from 9th up to 1st. Brian
Q: Thanks for all your advice you have given thus far. Where can I access the Available Places information that will be published today? Brendan
A: No problem, delighted to help. Available Places will be published here. Brian
Q: My son is 10 points short of his first choice in UL he was offered his 2nd choice in first round but wants to wait and see if he can get his first choice in second round does he accept 2nd choice in first round and then wait to see what is offered in second round. Vanessa
A: Exactly. He should accept yesterday’s offer. He may still be offered higher pregference courses in future rounds.He can transfer to new course if and when he receives an offer. Deirdre
Q: I received 2 offers on level 8 and 7/6. Is it possible to accept 2 of them? If I would like to get higher offer for level 8, do I need to accept it? Yesniia
A: No you can only accept one. What level you accept in Round one will have no efffect on what you may or may not be offered in round 2. CAO will automatically offer you a higher preference course on both lists if you meet the cut off points and entry requirements. I would advise you to accept the course which has content that interests you the most. You can transfer if you get a higher preference course in future rounds. Deirdre
Q: I’ve missed out on physio in UL by one point is there any point in waiting for round 2 offers. Rosarie
A; Its a long shot ok but you just never know. It is at random selection at the moment which even makes it more unlikely. Probably best to make decisions based on what you have at the moment and if it happens, it is a bonus. Brian
Q: I got 16 points below the round 1 cut off points .Do you think it will still be possible for me to get the course in round 2? Howie
A: It would depend on the popularity of this course. Courses have dropped by this amount of points and more. Deirdre
Q: I accepted 1st round offer today DCU health & society…i am sorry now as i would like to do my next choice which is general nursing UCD or DCU. Joan
A: Accepting today’s offer will not affect future rounds. You will still be in the CAO offer system in round 2. You can only be offered courses that are higher preference than your course today. So if nursing is above today’s offer then you may still be offered it in future rounds. If this does happen you can transfer across to your new offer. All courses that are below today’s offer on your CAO are now obsolete. I hope that this answers your question. Get back on if you have any other concerns. Deirdre
Q: I had enough point for Carlow it was my 10th option but I did not get an offer today. Eoin
A: Maybe you did not meet the course entry requirements for your 10th preference course. Check the entry requirements for the course on the carlow website. If you did meet the entry requirements and you have enough points, then send a message to CAO through your CAO account and ask their advice. Brian
Q: Could I still get my first choice on the Round 2 offers even if I was short points, as the points went up a lot this year. Saoirse
A: In round 2, if some of the people who were offered places in round one do not accept their place, then these places will be offered to the next people down the points list for that course. So for example if 10 people do not accept their first round place the those places will be offered to the next 10 applicants down the points merit list. If you are one of those 10 people you will be offered a place in round two. This is why points go down in rounds two, three, etc. as they going down to lower points applicants to fill the places.
Q: Hi. My son is within 2% of a higher grade in multiple subjects and within 0.2% in one. Cost and viewing scripts aside, is there any reason mot to appeal them? John
A: Ask the teacher to view scripts with your son. They are experts in their subject area. The teacher will then help you make a more informed decision regarding appeals. There is no downside to appealing only the financial cost of €40 per appeal. One could be downgraded but very unlikely. I would advise you to view and appeal
Q: Realistically, what are the chances of my daughter being offered a place on a high-demand course on Sept 27 if she is upgraded through appeal? She missed her second preference by one point and is just 1.25% off a H1 in one subject. But the course is in DCU. Claire
A: DCU are not known for second round offers. I would advise you to contact Admissions at DCU to get confirmation on this. Deirdre
Q: My son is short just 1 point from his desired course. He made a successful DARE application but it was not considered or at least not yet. What can we do? John
A: DARE prioritises students with physical and or sensory disabilities. It also prioritises students who are eligible for both HEAR and DARE. Maybe that is what happened. I suggest you contact the Admissiosn Office of the college. I hope you get a positive outcome.
Q: My daughter received an offer communication regarding her level 7/6 list, but has not received a communication regarding an offer on her level 8 list. That is despite an offer there when logging into the cao portal. Can you explain why? Alison
A: This can happen, remember you are dealing with a bulk mailing and inevitably problems can arise with firewalls, anti-virus programs, etc. The main thing is that the offer is there in the account and this is where you will accept the place if this is what you want to do. The email is only a notification alerting you to the fact that the offer is in your account. Brian
Q: I didnt take up my offer last year, re applied this year for the same course but I’m out by 5 points as the course points increased
A: Oh so sorry to hear this but it unfortunately is a common enough event. As it is only 5 points there might be a chance it could drop 5 points in the next rounds and you might get an offer. I hope you had some other courses on the form and you have been offered something else as a plan B. Brian
Q: My student received the following even though she applied to 8 universities Unfortunately, we have not yet been authorised to offer you a place on any of your chosen courses. Soumya
A: There could be a variety of reasons for this. I would suggest contacting the CAO through your CAO account to find out what is going on. Brian
Q: I got medicine in Galway but really want to stay in Dublin. Can I defer Galway, repeat my Hpat and hopefully improve my score, and then if I do well in Hpat reapply through cao for RCSI or Trinity next year? Obviously if I don’t improve much on Hpat then can I keep Galway only on CAO and accept deferred place next year? I got 625 in LC and 164 in hpat. Ashley.
A: Yes, exactly as you lay it out in your question. You are covering all. S angles by proceeding this way. Brian
Q: Hi! When is the latest date to appeal an exam result? Louise
A: Applications to appeal subjects opens on Sunday (September 1) at 10am and closes on Monday (September 2) at 5pm.
Q: Just wondering my daughter got her 2nd choice offer but would now prefer her 3rd choice what should she do? Elaine
A: Unfortunately, this is not possible as once she was offered 2nd preference everything below this effectively disappeared, so her 3rd preference is now gone from her application. Brian
Q: Hi My son has been offered a place in Limerick LM094. We cant get accommodation in limerick but we do have accommodation in Letterfrack for the same course. Is there anything we can do at this stage? Caroline
A: Unfortunately not. You cannot add courses to your CAO at this stage. The only way to add courses to your CAO at this stage is if they are in the Available Places list which will be published tomorrow, but that course is unlikely to be in that list I’m afraid. There might be a possibility of transfering after 1st year from UL to Letterfrack. Contact the admissions office of ATU and see if there is a precedence for this. Brian
Q: My daughter applied for mt 857. She got 400 points. She got 03 maths, H4 english. She also got H2, 2x H3 ,H4 , H6 Lcvp merit why did she not receive an offer? She got a level 7 offer alright. But no level 8? Brendan
A: From looking at your daughter’s results, it appears that she has met the course entry requirements and has points above the cut off of 389 so she if elligible for an offer of a place on this course. You need to contact the CAO through your dughter’s CAO account and give them the details and seek their advice.
Q: Do you have to accept your 2nd choice to be eligible for 2nd round offer? Sinéad
A: No, but if you don’t accept your first round offer, you may not be made any further offers and could be left with nothing. However, regardless of whether you accept your 2nd choice in round one or not, you will remain in the running for a place on your first preference. Brian
Q: My daughter got enough points and had all requirements for a level 8 course but only received an email for a level 7
A: If she had the cut off points or above, met all the entry requirements including the appropriate number of H5s then she should have been offered a place. I would suggest contacting CAO through your daughter’s account and give them all the details and seek their guidance.
Q: What was the points for TR580 in Trinity
A: TR580 was 609.
Q: My daughter accepted her course. It’s not her first choice as she didn’t get that. Is there an option to defer this course, apply through CAO again next year for the course in a different college not on her current CAO form? Michelle
A: She can defer this course by contacting the Admissions Office. They’re are rules regarding a deferral. Taking up a deferral would involve you making a CAO application in 2025 and placing only your deferred course on the list. Placing a course at a different college would result in you losing your deferral. You would be then competing with all CAO applicants 2025 for places in all courses. Please view page 32 on this link.
Q: My daughter got her first choice course. However she made a mistake on her CAO form. She really wanted the same course in a different college with lower points. Can she refuse her first choice offer and hope for a second round offer in another course? Aidan
A: Unfortunately not. Because she was offered her first choice then as far as the CAO is concerned she now has the course she most wanted and is happy so no more offers will be made on this list. The only courses which your daughter can add into her CAO account are courses on the available place list which will be released on the CAO website tomorrow. Brian
Q: How do they decide the next round. My son was offered his 4th as his 1st and 2nd poi ts went up by a lot. Geraldine
A: CAO will make offers in round 2 for courses in colleges where places are still available. Points will drop until all places are full. Deirdre
Q: My son is within 2% of a higher grade in a number of subjects and within 0.2% in one. Cost and viewing scripts aside, is there any reason not to appeal? John
A: Ask the teacher to view scripts with your son. They will be experts in their subject area. The teacher will then help you make a more informed decision regarding appeals. Thete is no downside to appealing only the financial cost of €40 per appeal. One could eb downgraded but very unlikely. Deirdre
Q: My question is that I have got the points that I need with dare for my course but I just need to appeal my Irish and I’m off by two percent I need a H4 and I got a H5. I’m just wondering if I appeal and I get the H4 do I still have a chance of getting into my course this year as I know the appeals come out pretty late. Eimear
A: If you appeal and get your H5 in Irish and meet the entry requirement, you will then become elligible for a place on the course. Generally speaking the colleges do their best to accommodate people in this situation if they can at all, and offer them a place in late September. Some colleges are slower to make more offers after round one. The only way of getting a sense of how the college might handle this is to contact admissions and ask what is the likely outcome if your appeal is successful. They may be able to give you some idea or they may say they can’t say yet. It may be worth a try. Brian
Q: If my son accepts his place that was offered today and registers with the college and begins the course and subsequently finds his points upgraded on the 27th September due to appealing them, then if he has enough points for his higher choice course, should the college offer him a place for this year what happens to the fees already paid to the college that offered initially? Susan
A: The colleges will collaborate regarding fees. You will only have to pay the fees once. If your son gets an offer resulting from an upgraded appeal he can decide to stay on his original course or transfer over to the new offer. It is up to him. The very best of luck. Deirdre
Q: My son had DN430 as his first choice and he was 8 points below (477) the points level (485) but he was DARE eligible so we thought there was a good chance he would get it. There are 3 DARE spots and over last 3 yrs min DARE entry was 449. He was offered LM105. We were wondering is there reasonable chance he might get the course on the second round with DARE (he has high scores in Biol and PE) and if he accepted Limerick might there be a chance to transfer in 2nd year to UCD.
A: I am sorry to hear that. Well done on a great result. He may get offered a DARE place in round 2. This will depend on the action of successful DARE applicants. If one looks to defer then their place will become available to the next DARE candidate on the list. Each college has their own transfer policy. I suggest that you make contact with the Admissions Office at UCD and take up this query with them. Course modules and credits would need to be very similar. Deirdre
Q: If I’m 6 points down so you think I could get nursing second round or is they too big of a jump
A: I don’t see it as too big a jump. It depends on the demand for places and acceptance on today’s offer. Have you looked at alternative routes into Nursing e.g. plc in nursing studies.
Q: My son has been offered a Level 7 and a Level 8 course – neither of which are his preferred choice. If he accepts the Level 7 course is he precluded from any further Level 8 course offers in subsequent rounds? Roisin
A: No. He will be included in round 2 regardless. I would advise him to accept today’s offer. He can always swap courses if offered a higher preference in future rounds. Round 2 is out on Sept 9th.
Q: If you seek to defer a course, does the university have to offer you the course next year or should you ask to see their terms and conditions? C.
A: If you are granted a deferral by the college in writing then that means a place on the course will be held for you next year. All you need to do is reapply through the CAO and just put that one course down on the form. The place is being held for you regardless of what happens with points in 2025. Brian
Q: My score in the Irish oral was the worst I ever received. There was a major mix up in the school on the day of the orals where the times allocated to students were wrong and I was turned away. I was told I need to come back the following day only to be told an hour later that I was on in the afternoon. I’m worried I got wrong marks which may relate to a classmate. how to I check this? Billy
A: My advice would be to draft an email, putting in all the details and sending this to the State Exams Commission. They could then investigate this in conjunction with your school but at the very least advise on any other ways forward with this. Brian
Q: I’m an international student from Czech Republic and I had managed to secure 540 CAO points. My top choices were courses from DCU such as DC240 DC241 and DC111. All of these courses had their CAO cut off points at around 450-500 points. However I had not received an offer for any of those courses. Instead I got an offer from university of Galway (GY201) which was my 7th choice. How is it possible that I didn’t get an offer from any of the courses that I gave higher priority to even though I had significantly more CAO points than the required amount? Thank you for your time. David.
A: Have you met certain entry requirements for courses at DCU. Here is a link to minimum requirements for DC111. Points for DC111 for 2024 were 511. Please get back onto me if that doesn’t reslove the issue. Deirdre
Q: My son has been offered a Level 7 and Level 8 place but neither are his first preference. If he accepts the Level 7 course is he precluded from 2nd round offers for Level 8. Roisin
A: No. He will be included in round 2 regardless. I would advise him to accept today’s offer. He can always swap courses if offered a higher preference in future rounds. Round 2 is out on Sept 9th.
Q: I would appreciate your advice – I was today offered a place to read JH Economics and Maths at Trinity Dublin but I have no accommodation in Halls so I am going to ask for a deferral until next year. Econ and Maths was my third choice – my top 2 choices were MSISS and Engineering with Management at Trinity Dublin. I have 617 CAO points, having achieved 43 in IB with HL Maths. Should I ask today for a deferral for Econ and Maths or do a new application next year as I might then be offered either of the my top 2 choices? I am also happy with the course I have been offered but marginally prefer the other two. Freya
A: My advice would be to seek a deferral of today’s offer so you have that held for you for next year. During the year if you feel you would still like to give the other two courses a shot again then you just include them in your 2025 application and you will go back into open competition for all three places. This way you get a few months to think about what you want to do.
Q: If you defer a course for a year, can you hold it and then also apply to other courses in 2025? i ask as the course offered is great but v costly relative to closer colleges. Ciara
A: Would you like to supply me with your subjects, levels and grade received? Otherwise you can use the points calculator on the careersportal website here.
Q. Where could I see the points and course codes for the Joint Hons BA in Trinity together? I have the points from an earlier answer you gave, but it doesn’t show the course code. For example, what is the course code for Sociology/Geography JH? Margaret
A: You must use the course code from the CAO or the CAO grid. This must be used in conjunction with the link that I sent you earlier. Deirdre
Q: My daughter has missed optometry in TUD by 2 points and Radiation therapy by 1 point. Is there anything she can do or what are her options now? Claire
A: Many applicants view theri scripts and appeal. Some get a successful appeal hence go up in CAO points. Others get offered their preferred course in future rounds if points fall. Your daughter could look to see alternative routes for this course e.g. a PLC course that offers entry into a level 8. Please get back on if you would like to more about this option or any of the options listed above.
Q: If a student appeals a grade that is borderline with PMA (78.9%) and if that grade declines but the student has accepted a CAO Round 1 offer based on the original grade, could this student potentially lose their place? This student wants to see if they can get their 2nd choice (they have accepted their third choice) – points difference between courses is marginal? Ita
A: It would be at the discretion of the college. I would assume that it would be highly unlikely that they would ask a student who is registered on a course to leave. Courses that are of a higher preference than today’s offer may be offered in round 2 on September 9th.
Q: First question i got no emails in relation to being offered a level 8 course from the cao but did find my offer when I logged into my cao. Secondly I got offered the level 7 course TU736 which had a minimum points requirement of 451 but wasnt offered the level 8 course MT906 which also had a minimum entry requirement of 451 how does this work thanks. Oscar
A: Not getting an email for some reason for you’re level 8 offer could be caused by a number of issues. The main thing is you have an offer. TU736 has different course entry requirements to MT906 in terms of number of H5s in honours subjects and also in Maths. Check these and your answer may lay there. Brian
Q: I cleared my 1st choice by 103 points but haven’t received any offers today. My CAO application has been done correctly, where do I go from here? Ben
A: Will you check the minimum entry requirements for this course. Please get back onto me once you have checked this. I can direct you further if it isn’t a minimum entry requirement issue. Deirdre
Q: My 1st choice I didn’t get enough points . Short by 18 . What should I do nxt or what can I do tks Cormac.
A: Did you get a lower preference offer? If you got a lower preference offer, you should consider accepting this and hope that you might become entitled to a higher preference offer (possibly your 1st preference) in the next rounds.
Q: How do I appeal my test to recheck my exams? Lughán
A: You can view the exams that were corrected online at home on the 31st August at 9am. Scripts marked online can be viewed for 24 hours. Compleet a AP 1 form for each subject. For scripts marked manually candidates will be invited to attend a session at your school. You must complete a seperate from for each subject, The school will provide you with a AP1 form for the subjects that were marked manually. It is advised for candisiates to view their scripts but an appeal can be made without doing this. The very best of luck. Deirdre
Q: Biotechnology TUD is a new course. What were the points for it offered in round 1 today
A: TU889 Biotechnology [Grangegorman] was 421 today.
Q: Not sure how to proceed, i have twins, one got his UL course , 1st choice, the 2nd twin got TUS his 2nd choice but wants UL, should he hold his Tus in case he does not get his UL 1st choice in the 2nd round as a back up plan.
A: Yes. I think that he should accept TUS. CAO will continue to make offers up to October 1st, round 5. The very best of luck. You could also look into alternative pathways into the course of preference at UL.
Q: A family member got a level 7 offer from CAO. She also got two level 8 offers. She did not get her first choice even though she had 20 points ahead of the points required and appears to meet the minimum entry requirements. Why would she get two level 8 offers? I thought she would only get the highest one she qualified for. Has something gone wrong? Aoife
A: It is very strange that she got 2 level 8 offers, the norm would very much be as you suggest, that an applicant would be offered the highest one that she is entitled to. Again, if she has met the entry requirements and is above the cut off points for a course then she is elligible for a place and should be offered it if it is her highest preferenc she is entitled to.
Q: My son was offered a place futher down his preference list than another course which he has the points for. What happened? Rosemary
A: I would advise you to look at the minimum entry requirements for courses higher on his kist. CAO will only make an offer when an applicant meets the cut off points and minimum entry rquirements. Minimum entry requirements can be found on the college website or here. Please get back to us if you need help with investigating this.
Q: I have been successful in getting into business in DCU but am appealing a number of subjects. If I got enough points for another course could I defer, continue my current offered course for the 1st and then transfer into the second year of a similar course in another college! William
A: Highly unlikely. I suggest that you contact admissions of the other college and ask about their external transfer policy. Course content would have to be very similar. You deferral would give you entry to first year on that course. Doing first year twice has a financial cost of approx €8,000. The government will only pay for you to do first year once.
Q: I have heard that there is an opportunity to reapply via CAO for courses that are referred to as “clearance courses” – where newer courses may not fill the places and therefore the universities allow late reapplication via CAO – is this the case, and how can I access the course list and apply. I have a first round offer for 2024 – but would like to explore other options. Cory
A: This facility is called Available Places. This list will be published tomorrow, 29th August at 12.00. If you have already applied to CAO this year, then you can add any of these course to your application free of charge. It works very like the change of mind process where you can add any of these courses above your current offer in order of preference. There is a video on the Available Place Facility at the bottom of the page at this link.
Q: Hi, my son applied for several portfolio courses in NCAD and has sufficient points from his portfolio results for at least two of them but hasn’t been offer any of those places. He has an exemption from Irish but it looks like he missed out on the requirement to register this with NUI. He’s very disppointed and wondering what his options are right now. Colm
A: He needs to contact the NUI and process his exemption immediately and make CAO aware of his exemption. Hopefully, whatever he would have been entitle to today will be offered to him in round two by the appropriate college. I would suggest moving quickly on this.
Q: My son was offered joint honours law in DCU. He has been admitted to the DARE scheme. How do we check he has been considered for DARE? He had hoped that with DARE he would be offered a choice higher on his list. How does he decide if he should accept or wait for Round 2? We have emailed DCU Dare already but are still waiting.
A: The only way to get information about this is with the Registry in DCU. If you was offered a place on Joint Honours Law with less than the published cut off points today then this indicates that he was offered a DARE place. He may get no further offer so he should accept his place today and hope he becomes elligible for a higher preference course in the next rounds. Brian
Q: I received my third choice offer as I missed my first choice by 2 points (argh). But I had more than 50 points to spare on my second choice. I cant understand why I wasn’t offered my second choice. I did my leaving Cert in 2023. Why would I have not been offered my second choice? What can I do at this point? Fionn
A: Did you meet the minimum entry requirements for your 2nd choice course? You need to check this and get back on to us. Feel free to send in course code if you need help with it. We are here until 8 pm this evening. Back again tomorrow and Friday. Deirdre
Q: My question is I have 600pts and I have DARE. I have chemistry H1. I applied for pharmacy but received no offers. Can you explain why please. Ava
A: Pharmacy in Cork is 613*, so not eligible there, RCSI is 601 so not entitled there and TCD is 613 to unfortunately as things stand at the moment you are not eligible for any of these courses based on your points. You are close in RCSI, so you may be lucky in the next rounds. There are very small places on these courses for DARE and even with your points and DARE elligibility you don’t seem to have had sufficient points to get one of these places. E.g. In RCSI there are only 3 places. Brian
Q: It’s Oscar again. I meet all of the min entry requirements for my courses, including points requirements. I have an NUI exemption however applied to Trinity and was told I did not need to do anything in terms of my Irish exemption for TCD. I got in contact with TCD admissions and they told me my record shows 0 CAO points. But my CAO application shows me my correct LC results.
A: Have you another language? Did you check that your examination number or CAO number was correct on your Statement of Application. CAO would have sent this to you in May 2024. I would advise you to check the corrseponce facility on your CAO account. Again, get back on if needs be. Deirdre
Q: Should I accept my 3rd choice today while I wait for the grade appeal process to complete? Andrew
A: I would suggest yes, you should accept this offer as there is no guarantee you will get any upgrade and any other offer, in which case you could be left with nothing. Brian
Q: My daughter got 495 points, she received a first round offer for her 6th preference , Arts – Psycology in Maynooth. She really wants the 5th preference which is 496 points , Psycology & distrupive technolgies in DCU. What is the likelyhood of her getting this in the 2nd round offers. Paul
A: Points fall in round 2 for courses that still have available places. Generally speaking DCU do not make second rounds offers. You could give admissions at DCU and get full clarity on this. The very best of luck. Please get back on if you need more support. Deirdre
Q: I’m unable to access my CAO account and their email services aren’t seemingly working at the moment. Should I call the CAO themselves or the applications office at my desired university to find out my results? Gianluca
A: Your results will be on your self portal. Try call CAO if their email isn’t accessible. Deirdre
Q: I received an offer for my third preference course, but I wish to defer for a year, which I understand I must do by contacting the college directly, and reapplying next year. If I do this, does this preclude me from getting a higher offer in the second round, or if i appeal some of my results and get a better result? Paschal
A: No. If you defer your 3rd preference you will stay in the running for a higher preference course, your first and second and then you decide which one you want to take, the deferred place or the 1st or 2nd preference offer if made. Likewise with rechecks, if you are upgraded then whatever would have been offered to you today with those increased points must be offered to you in September. You always remain in control as to which option you wish to take.
Q: My son has been offered Marketing in MTU (337) but had Intl Business with Language at UCC (456) as his preferred choice. He got 452 points in this years LC. Is there a realistic chance of a second round offer. Can you confirm that if he accepts his MTU offer he then just waits & sees if he gets a second round offer at UCC. Catherine
A: Accept today’s offer. CAO will still make him on offer in future rounds ig=f he meets cut off points and minimum entry requirements. Next round offer is September 9th at 2 pm. The very best of luck.
Q: My son is locked out of CAO as he got password wrong ? No reply from CAO email Brid
A: It may unlock itself after a period of time in which case he can reset his password and log in. CAO will respond but it will take time.
Q: Hi I got 498 points. I had Ancient History and Archaeology in Trinity down as one of my choices. I see online that the points for that course are between 400 and 556 so I would have thought that I would have been offered a place on that course but I wasn’t. Can you explain why that might be? Kay
A: Have you met the entry requirements for this course? The points were 485. Here are the entry requirements for TR021
Q: I got offered my third choice (don’t want to do it) do I still accept. If I accept does that mean I won’t get second/ third round offers for my first course? Or do I not accept in order to get second/third round offers?
A: If you do not accept your current offer you may not receive any further offers and may be left with nothing. If you accept this place, you will still remain in the running for a higher preference course even though you have already accepted a place. If you do not receive any further offers and decide you do not want to take up the initial offer you can withdraw from this course.
Q: I received 600 points in my leaving cert plus I have dare I also have H1 in chemistry. Are you applied to do pharmacy in Cork and two places in Dublin but yet I have received no offers. How come? Ava
A: Pharmacy in Cork is 613*, so not elligible there, RCSI is 601 so not entitled there and TCD is 613 to unfortunately as things stand at the moment you are not elligible for any of these courses based on your points. You are close in RCSI, so you may be lucky in the next rounds. Brian
Q: I received my 6th choice but my 5th choice was lower points and my 4th choice dropped to 316 points which I had more than enough points for I don’t understand why I have been offered my 6th choice when it’s higher points than my 5th and I’ve had enough for my 4th
A: Have you checked the minimum entry requirement for all your courses. CAO only make an offer once you satisfy cut off points and minimum entry requirements. Get back on if you need more guidance.
Q: My son got 567 points. first choice is Business & Law UCD: he was offered Law & Economics UCD, his second choice, but he says higher points. is this because of random selection due to high demand for his first choice? Dermot
A: Business and Law points 576. Economics and Law came in at 556. Your son didn’t meet the cut off points for Business and Law. CAO then made him the offer of his next highest preference in which he had the cut off points for. Deirdre
Q: I need 10 more points for my course, I was very disappointed with my English result, I went down in my Leaving Certs as opposed to mocks, I have asked to recheck , I am 2% off (20 points) I think, is it still worth a shot? In the meantime should I also contact the admissions team, stating that if successful I am keen to get my 1st choice place. Cathal
A: Yes it is worth viewing your script. Application for viewing of scripts closes this evening at 8 pm. You apply for viewing of scripts via the self portal. No reason to contct admissions office. It is CAO who make the offers.
Q: So I got 501, the round one offer in my course was 502. Now I got 88.7% in one subject so I have a good chance of getting it upgraded. If I do get it upgraded and it puts me on 512 will I be able to enter the course this year? Kyle
A: We cannot tell. Colleges have different policies about offering places after the appeals. Most colleges do their best to cater for people in the year of application but this depends on a series of factors, e.g. type of course, how many people accepted their initial offer, etc. There is no real way of knowing this soon. Deirdre
Q: My son’s no. 1 course went to random selection and he lost out. He got his number 2 offer which he’s not as happy with. He has accepted that.. Is there any way of knowing though, where he is on the waiting list for the course that has gone to random selection? Wondering if there’s any point holding out hope for a 2nd round offer (a small course of 50 students). The course was 655 – he had 613. Mary
A: Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing how many people are in the random pool for his first preference and how many people are between him on 613 and the points of the random group at the cut off. Brian
Q: I got 475 points. I got my third choice, but I wanted teaching. Do I still get an offer higher than my third choice? Jenna
A: Yes, if you become entltled to a place on a higher preference course on the basis of your points. Brian
Q: I got locked out of cao, can’t get in to accept my offer. Harry
A: You have until the 3rd of Sept to accept your offer. You must email CAO and inform them of this. Please see contact details in link
Q: No university offer did IB
A: Did you recieve a Statement of Application? Have you checked the minimum entry requirements for this course? Contact CAO if needs be. It is best to email CAO by using the correspondence section on your account.
Q: My daughter got H2s on English and Geography(85 %). Is there any point in getting them checked? She is disappointed,but feels that she is too far away to get upgraded… Edel
A: I would advise you to apply for viewing of scripts. Having a teacher present for viewing at the school would be highly recommended. You can then view the script, the marking system and then make a decision regarding appeals. Applications for viewing of scripts closes tonight at 8 om. This can be done through the Candidate Self Portal. The best of luck. Get back of if you need more support. Deirdre
Q: Do I need to accept the first round course and then wait until the second round?
A: I would advise you to accept. You may still receive higher perference course in future rounds. Here is the date all CAO offers
Q: I got 625 points. My first choice (Economics and Finance UCD) went to random selection at 625 and I did not get it. Is there a possibility I may get it in round 2? Ross
A: Absolutely, CAO will make offers in round 2 if places on this course are still available. Round two offers are out on September 9th at 2 pm. It is hard to miss out on random selection. Best of luck with it. Deirdre
Q: I recieved an offer for my third choice, TR207, which came in around 601 points I think. I missed out on both DN230 and TR034 despite getting he required 613 but losing the lottery. Is it possible that someone can win both lotterys and therefore have to refuse one of the two and open up a space? Meaning a slight possibility of me getting a round 2 offer in one of them. Thanks in advance for helping!
A: For both those courses random selection was used. I would reccommend familiarising yourself with the description of how random selection works at this link. For you to become elligible for a place on either of these courses, people who have been offered places must turn them down and the next people on the order of merit will be offered these places. If you are in the next group of people on the order of merit list then yes you could become entitled to a place in the next rounds. Enough people would have to turn down the place to clear the random pool at 613* and drop down to 613.
Q: My daughter got high H2′s in Engligh and Geography. She off an H1by 5-6%. Is it wirth appealing? She thinks not but is disappointed, so im wondering if it is worth it. Edel
A: No harm in appealing. I would advise her to have her teacher with her. This is the best thing to do. Marking scheme and calculation can been done at the viewing session. You can then make a more informed decision regarding appeals. Deirdre
Q: I believe I got enough points from the Spanish Titulo de Bachillerato to get into DCU (my second choice) but I hae only been offered my 6th place. I do not understand what has happened. Can you please help? Jose Maria
A: I would suggest that you put all your details in an email to CAO and lay out your thoughts to them. You can contact them from your CAO application account.
Q: With cao points from last year and a level 6 course done this year, what will that give me in total?
A: They are both seperate pathways to a course. One cannot combine Leaving Cert points with grades received from a level 6. I would advise you to contact the admissions office of the college directly.
Q: Son has received CAO offer, and 3 points off the minimum entry requirement of 545 for Commerce in UCD. He will accept his second offer, and will appeal one leaving cert result. How likely is an offer in round 3 or 3 if his appeal is unsuccessful? Should he now just focus all energies on his place in DCU? Clara
A: Accept DCU if he is happy with the course content. Result of appeals are out on Sept 27. CAO will be making round 5 offers on October 1st at 10 am. 23% of candidtaes received successful appeals in 2023. Deirdre
Q: Absolutely devasted for our daughter, who had points above the minium requirement and the course points were increased by 60. It is so unfair. She is devastated, applied via DARE. Amelia
A: She may get offered it in future rounds. Have you looked at alternative routes into this course? PLC course, Level 6? Get back on if you need more support. It is devasting when this happens. Please do get back on if you need help finding other pathways.
Q: I did not get my preference but was offered another Level 8. I want to appeal 3 subjects. If I accept the current offer, will I then potentially be offered a higher up preference in round 2 or 3? Or should I not accept and then I may get an offer in a later round? Dave
A: You will still be included in future CAO rounds regardless of your action today. I suggest that you accept today’s offer. You can always swap over to higher preference courses on the back of a successful appeal. Deirdre
Q: My daughter, just got offered Medicine Galway (3rd choice) but she has enough points (733) for her second choice Surgeons. Áine
A: I’m not sure about this. The entry requirements for Galway and RCSI are broadly similar so if your daughter got 733 she should have been offered RCSI. I would double check all entry requirements have been met and if they have then send an email to CAO will all the details and see what they have to say.
Q: If I get my grades appealeed and the result comes back on Sept 27th, could I get a higher CAO preference choice? Danny
A: Yes. If you go up in grades/points on the 27th, then these new points will be backdated to round one and whatever you would have been entitled to back then must be offered to you in September or as a deferred place in the following year. Brian
Q: In the first round of offers, I got one offer – my first offer. Should I have got more offers in sequence? Claire.
A: No, the computer will first of all work to see which of your choices you are entitled to and will then offer you your highest choice you are entitled to. if you are offered your highest choice then you will not be offered any other choices.
Q: Sat my Leaving Cert in 2023, reapplied to CAO this year. I have NUI IRISH Exemption which I submitted and CAO received. I’m eligible for DARE, however I applied too late to the CAO to claim it and hence had no dare for this years round of offers. On the CAO form it still asks if you have a disibility which I ticked as I do. Today, I was offered no courses and sent an email claiming that the CAO have not been authorised to offer me a place on any of my chosen courses. I have no idea why? Oscar
A: I suggest that you check to see if you meet the minimum entry requirements for your courses on your CAO list. CAO will make you an offer once you meet the cut off points and minimum requiremenst. Here is the link for cut off point s2024. Please get back on if you need more support. Is your exemption stated on your CAO application?
Q: In the first round of offers, I got one offer – my first offer. Should I have got more offers in sequence? Claire
A: No, the computer will first of all work to see which of your choices you are entitled to and will then offer you your highest choice you are entitled to. if you are offered your highest choice then you will not be offered any other choices.
Q: I didn’t receive my first round offer. I have completed a year of college. If I go back to my original course am I precluded from an offer in a subsequent round should I have sufficient points?
A: No. You will still be included in future rounds regardless of what action you take. The very best of luck.
Q: My daughter is appealing higher level maths and needs 1.4% increase to achieve a H2 which would give her the required points for her first choice, pharmacy in Trinity. Do the colleges reserve a certain number of places for successful appeal?
A: Colleges vary in how they approach this. Some colleges do not offer any places after round one, others will will be more flexible. You could give TCD admissions a call and ask them what their policy is in this regard. I don’t think many colleges will go out of their way to reserve places for appeal students.
Q: Do you have to accept your first offer to get subsequent 2nd round offer for a higher point course
A: No, regardless of whether you accept a lower preference offer or not you will still remain in the running for a higher preference offer and will be offered it if you become entitled to it.
Q: I got a H5 in both maths and chemistry, just my script yesterday and in one exam I got 59.6 and the other one 59 , I know I’m going to not get my first choice offer because of these marks , is it fair that you can be given mark like 59.6 , now I’m not getting my first choice because of a .4 mark Kayleigh.
A: It happens. Apply to view your scripts and see if you wish to make an appeal. CAO make offers after the appeals if you now meet points and minimum entry requirements for higher preference courses. Deirdre
Q: I am having 2 papers rechecked (89.5% and 89% scores). This would increase my points tally by 24 points potentially if improved. This would give me 600 points overall but I wont find out until October. I have not been offered my 1st choice place in UCC. What happens if subsequently i actually got 600 points and not 576 but have accepted and started my second choice course?
A: Appeal results are out on Sept 27th. If your appeal is successful, CAO will make you an offer. You can choose to stay at your orginal course or swap over to your first preference ( providing that there is an available place on this course). CAO will make you a deferred offer for Sept 2025 if thiscourse is full. the choice will be yours, you can stay put, move to new course or defer round 2 offer until Sept 2025. The very best of luck.
Q: Brian and Deirdre, wishing you the best of luck over the coming days. A great service from both of you. Emma
A: Thank you very much. Keep tuned in. We are here until Friday 1 pm.
Q: When you have been offered a course in UCD, are you automatically guaranteed accomodation as a 1st year?
A: No. You are placed in a lottery system. You may have received a unique lottery number. Offers of UCD accommodation will be sent out in teh days following the CAO offers.
Q: I was approved for Dare and appears to have not been accepted on a higher course. Are all DARE offers made today? Eimear
A: Yes, all DARE offers are made today. If you were not offered a place on a course today it means you were not elligible, even with your DARE elligilibilty. You may become elligible in the next rounds to come.
Q: My son has received an offer of physiotherapy in RCSI, his third preference after physio in UCD and Trinity. If he accepts could he still get a offer from his first or second preference in later rounds? Debbie
A: Yes. Having accepted his RCSI course, he will still remain in the running for a higher preference course, i.e. UCD and TCD and if he becomes entitled to one of them he will be offered them in the next rounds. Brian
Q: If I get my second choice instead of my first choice in Round 1, is it possible to reject it and get my first choice instead on Round 2 offers?
A: Yes, this is possible, but there is no guarantee you will become entitled to a place on your first choice in round two and if you reject your second choice you may be left with nothing.
Q: Is the 7 percent added automatically or do you add it to your final results?
A: There is a seperate AP1 form for each subject except Maths. You will find this on your CSSP for subjects marked online. Subjects marked manually can be viewed at school. You can then fill out the AP1 form ( the school will have this for you). The completed form should be given to the Organising Superintendent at your school. The completed form must be returned to teh State Examinations Commission. Deirdre
Q: For the viewing of online scripts, is it necessary to go into school and view them with a teacher, or can you just look at them yourself online at home? Also, how do you fill out an API form online? Eivissa
A: You can view the exams that were corrected online at home on the 31st August at 9am. Scripts marked online can be viewed for 24 hours. For scripts marked manually candidates will be invited to attend a session at your school. You must complete a seperate from for each subject, with the exception of Maths. The school will provide you with a AP1 form for the subjects that were marked manually. It is advised for candidiates to view their scripts but an appeal can be made without doing this. Deirdre
Q: My daughter applied for biomed in UCD, but she is 11 points short. She is 2 marks away from a H1 in English. Is there a good possibility she will be bumped up, and if she is, would she still be offered a place that late? Isabella
A: If she is 2 marks away from a H1 (as oppposed to 2%) then she has a very good chance of being bumped up. If she does get bumped up and becomes entitled to a place, she may be offered a place at that stage in the final round of offers if they have any space left. If not she may just be given a deferred place for the following year.
Q: If an appeal is lodged for a subject which included project work ie Economics or PE or indeed a language with orals and aurals, can you confirm that all aspects of the examination are reviewed and not just the written component? Charles
A: In the Candidate Information Guide number 3, from the State Examinations Commission, it states that other than the performance test in Music, all practical work and oral tests are fully revisited as part of the appeal process. Brian
Q: Is there somewhere I can look up what courses last year were subject to random selection? Catherine
A: This is a link from the CAO website. You can review data from 2023. Deirdre
Q: I’m hoping to do Medicine in university and I have 724 points including HPAT. I understand I’m short 2 points but I got a score of 89.5 percent in Maths but I intend to get it recorrected. If I do come up the points I understand its too late as the offers are out. Is there anything I can do? Clodagh
A: If you get your Maths rechecked and you come up a grade, you are very close, then your new score is essentially backdated to today. Whatever you would be entitled to you today must be offered to you in the final round either as an offer to start immediately or as a deferred offer for the following year. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to circumvent this process.
Q: Hello. My son got 79.75% in one subject and a successful appeal to 80% would mean he would get his first preference. Can the appeal be issued on time? Ie before all places gone? Many thanks. Louise
A: The appeal date is set for September 27th. CAO will make an offer if places are still available on the course in Sept 2024. If the course is full then CAO will offer a deferred place for Sept 2025. There are steps that one must take up their deferral for Sept 2025. Please view this link and go to page 32 of the CAO handbook here. Deirdre
Q: How do they defer the course for next year? If they defer the course do they have to apply to the CAO again for that course? If you defer a course can you apply to the CAO for other courses next year and if you do, do you lose the spot that you have deferred? Tom.
A: The deferal proceedure is laid out in the CAO handbook on page 32. Essentially, when you receive your offer, do not accept your offer, you must contact immediately the admissions office of that college and seek a deferral. If the deferral is granted you don’t need to do anything at this stage, if it is not granted you can go ahead and accept your place. To take up the deferred place next year, you must reapply through the CAO again and apply only for that deferred course. If you put other courses down on the form you loose your deferred place and you are in open competition again. Brian
Q: Hello, my Son applied for Geography (TR332) at Trinity College. His points are above last year’s stated entry points (marginally), but the selection with Sociology raises the entry to beyond the points he has achieved. It’s not very clear, given that it’s a joint honours course.
A: Points for joint honours Geography and Sociology in 2022 were 474. This dropped to 408 in 2023. Please see this link.
Q: Hello, my friend’s son has 499 for LC and applied for Music in TCD. His Music is H2, will this course requires extra music performance result apart from LC exams? Yuxin
A: No extra music performance needed for entry on this course. Please see minimum entry requirements here.
Q: Hi, my daughter was approved for DARE. She got 419 points so now qualifies for tu922 and tu907 which are her 9th and 10th choices on the CAO level 8 list. My question is will she definitely get an offer for tu922 or tu907? She has the points but is it possible she gets a DARE offer for her 4th choice which was DC230 (440 points)? Mary
A: CAO will offer the highest preference course that your daughter meets minimum entry requirements and points for (albeit reduced points due to a successful DARE). This information will only be released at 2pm next Wednesday. Deirdre
Q: What are the highest points one can attain?
A: Highest points gained from six best subjects is 625. This includes bonus points for higher level Maths grade H6 or above. Higher points are gotten when combining leaving cert score with e.g. HPAT result, portfolio marks etc
Q: Our son was very disappointed with his results. He got 400+ points but was aiming for almost 500 in order to get Primary School Teaching in DCU. He made very little improvement in his results from his mocks despite putting in a lot of work from the time of his mocks to June. Unfortunately he was so focused on getting the points for teaching he has left himself with very little options on his CAO. He didn’t put Arts down which he could have done with a view to trying to go the Hibernia route after completing the degree. We are considering all options like repeating or PLC. Any suggestions for reaching a goal of Primary School Teaching should he just repeat with complete focus in getting the required points second time round? June
A: A breakdown of marks will be available on Tuesday August 27th. You can apply to view scripts . You can appeal. Your son can also do another level of 8 that he is interested in. One can then do a masters in Primary Education ( this is a two-year programme). Deirdre
Q: How do I access information on the number of PLC applicants to a course versus the number accepted? Rosie
A: You could look at the college website. For exampe, this link will provide you with information about the courses available at UCD.
Q: My son got 530 points and wants to do law plus at University of limerick which was 506 points. What are his chances of getting it? Marie
A: I would be very positive. CAO will make him an offer of the highest preference course in which he meets cut off points and minimum entry requirements. The very best of luck.
Q: Primary teaching Maynooth was 498 points in 2023. I have read that applications are up 52pc. Is there a possibility that 506 points will not secure me a place on this course? Ciaraa
A: I would remain confident. I was not aware of those statistics. CAO statistics post change of mind indicated a slight decrease for first perference courses in the education sector. Stay hopeful. CAO will release this data at 2pm on Wednesday. Deirdre
.
Q: My daughter got 543 and her choice is BES – if she doesn’t get accepted can she take another course and transfer to BES next year? Are there other options? Padraig
A: You would need to contact Admissions Office Trinity. Each HEI has their own rules and procedures regarding internal transfers. I would imagine that course modules would want to be very similar to support a transfer.
Q: My daughter has applied for a UK course and requires 120 tariff points do we count all 7 subjects? She received 6 honors at higher level ( H2/H3/ and 4 x H4 and1 O2 at ordinary level. Brian
A: You can only count your best six subjects. The best of luck.
Q: Do we get another certificate apart from the provisional results cert? Sophie
A: The State Examinations send a cert to your school. Please contact your school if you require this. Certs will not arrive at your school for another few months.
Q: I have DARE approval so how will I know if that has helped me get my course? Robert
A: You will get a DARE place if you get a CAO offer for a course in which you didn’t meet the cut off points. It means that you have gotten into the course on a reduced points basis. The best of luck. Deirdre
Q: If the course you are going for is 498 points and you got 488 is there a chance you could get offered this course in the first round if the course interest has recuced? Ciara.
A: Points fall when demand falls. CAO will release cut off points at 2 pm on Wednesday. Nobody will know for definite until then.
Q: I didn’t get enough points for any the courses that were put down in my CAO. How would I be able to get into a course in a college that wasn’t on my CAO?
A: The available place facility is an option. This opens on the CAO website at noon on August 29th. Please see this link for more information. Would you consider looking at PLC courses in a College of Further Education. This can offer an alternative way into CAO courses. Deirdre
Q: With 727 points is there any hope of getting a place in Medicine in any of the universities?
A: Yes there is a chance. It is a popular course but grade inflation hasn’t increased from last year. If you aren’t successful you could look at doing HPAT 2025 and add that score to your Leaving Cert 2024. You would have to make a CAO 2025 application. Stay hopeful. Deirdre
Q: My 1st choice is Mh404, Maynooth Business/Marketing, is was 401 points last year, i got 388 points in my leaving, do you know ehat the points are going to be this year?
A: I don’t. This will not be known until Wednesday at 2 pm when CAO release the cut off points for 2024. Many students use MH101 as a back up to this course. MH101 tends to be lower points. You might look at your CAO list and see if MH101 is on it. Deirdre
Q: When and where can we see the actual percentages received in each subject?
A: This can be found on your Candidate Self Portal at noon on Tuesday, August 27th. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: My son plans to request to review one of his papers on Tuesday. Having done this, on what bases should he decide whether to appeal? For example, should he only appeal if the mark he has received is very close to the next grade level? Should he ask his teacher to review the paper with him? How does he build a case for a higher grade if he believes there is one?
A: I would recommend that he ask his teacher to assist with the viewing of the script. Both him and his teacher can check that marks have been calculated correctly. His teacher will help with viewing the content and they together should be able to make a more informed decision regarding appeal. Deirdre
Q: PE teaching last year at UL was 543, will points drop on Wed?
A: This is a very popular course. It will depend on this years demand for that course and the points achieved by interested candidates. I don’t have that information. I am afraid that we will have to wait until CAO release 2024 cut off points at 2 pm on Wednesday. Deirdre
Q: If in 2023, the points for a course were 556. The CAO has published this year that is an 18% increase in first preference choice for the course. What number of points should we now expect that course to require? Many thanks.
A: No way of knowing until CAO release cut off ponts next Wednesday. My thoughts were that the interest in Business courses only rose by 1%. The best of luck. We hope that it works out for you. Deirdre
Q: Do you know with the additional 30 places added to primary teaching in Marino, if this will have an affect on the points or if the demand went up or down this year?
A: Statistics show that the interest for Education courses has fallen ever so slightly. If demand remained the same but supply rose it would or should indicate that points will remain the same or drop slightly. This will not be know for certain until CAO release course cut off points on Wednesday at 2 pm. Deirdre
Q: If I want to defer my course for one year, who do I contact and how do I show my deferral on the CAO first round offer? Also, can I apply through CAO again next year for a different course? And how would this affect my deferral?
A: Please read page 32/35 of the CAO handbook. It clearly states how to defer. It also states the procedure to retain your deferral in 2025 application. Get back on if you need more assistance. Deirdre
Q: I am a DARE applicant with 465 points and hoping it might be possible to be offered the undenominated engineering course in UL, which was 476 points last year – is there a chance this could happen? I don’t want to be over confident or get my hopes raised too much.
A: I would remain confident, It will depend on the number of reserved DARE places on this course and the points achieved by interested DARE applicants. Definitely stay positive. This cannot be known for certain until Wednesday at 2 pm. the very best of luck. Deirdre
Q: If I appeal some of my exam paper results and receive an upgrade, will this be taken into account by the CAO in further round offers? Might I get offered a higher optioned course if I now achieve the required points?
A: CAO will offer all successful appeal candidates the highest course on their list that they now (late Sept) meet the cut off and minimum requirements for. Result of appeals are out Sept 27th. CAO will be making offers if places are still available on courses or offering you a deferred offer for Sept 2025 ( in the case where courses are full for academic year 2024/25).
Q: Hi, I got 533 points in total this yearly and hoping to do architecture in UL (LM099), it says on the site that some people who reached the cutoff didn’t receive an offer, am I ok?
A: I would remain confident. Cut off points last year were 511. This did not come down to random selection. Hence all candidates who received 511 points and satisfied minimum entry requirements got offered a place on this course.
Q: When are the results of appeals scheduled for? Trish
A: 11 am on September 27th. One will access them through their self portal.
Q: My daughter got 308 points and wants to take mental health nursing. She met the general entry requirements at DCU. What are her options? Nilet
A: If the points for that course don’t drop then your daughter won’t get an offer on that course. Your daughter could do a PLC course. She could use teh results from her PLC as an alternative pathway into this course. This course reserve a certain number of places for QQI applicants ( students who have completed a PLC). You must ensure that your daughter does a PLC course code that is compatible for entry into Mental Health Nursing at DCU. Deirdre
Q: My daughter got 625 and doesnt have chemistry as a subject. She put down dentistry as her first choice will she automatically get her 2nd choice physiotherapy in U.L. as chemistry is not required? Brid
A: CAO will make you an offer of your highest preference course in which you meet the cut off points and minimum entry requirement for. Your daughter will not get her first choice if Chemistry is a subject requirement. Another option for your daughter would be to take Chemistry on for Leaving Cert 2025. She could use her 2024 CAO and use her result in Chemistry 2025 to satisfy minimum entry requirements. She would have to make a CAO application for 2025. It is important that she chooses the course that she is most interested in. An early exit from a course can have financial implications if taking up a different course at a later stage. I would advise that you look at course modules on the Dentistry and Physio course. Speak to the college if possilbe. Get back on if you need more support. Deirdre
Q: If I get offered my CAO second choice because it is lower points than my 3rd choice, what happens if I have the points for my 3rd choice too? Do I not accept my 2nd choice and wait for 2nd round to get my 3rd choice? Hannah
A: The first thing the CAO will do is work out which of your 10 choices you are entitled to a place on, based entirely on your points. When it has worked out which of your courses you are entitled to a place on, they will then offer you a place on the highest one on your list. Once you are offered that choice then everything below that choice is deleted from your list. So you can never move down your list only up. So if offered your 3rd choice, they only other courses that stay alive in your application are your 2nd and 1st choices.
Q: If I get offered my CAO second choice because it is lower points than my 3rd choice, what happens if I have the points for my 3rd choice too? Do I not accept my 2nd choice and wait for 2nd round to get my 3rd choice?
A: The first thing the CAO will do is work out which of your 10 choices you are entitled to a place on, based entirely on your points. When it has worked out which of your courses you are entitled to a place on, they will then offer you a place on the highest one on your list. Once you are offered that choice then everything below that choice is deleted from your list. So you can never move down your list only up. So if offered your 3rd choice, they only other courses that stay alive in your application are your 2nd and 1st choices.
Q: My son has a combined score of 731 for Medicine in University of Galway which was 729 last year – is he likely to get an offer?
A: Really hard to know for sure. Based on the stats issued by CAO earlier this summer after the July 1st deadline, the overall numbers of applicants for the medicine area dropped from 14,378 in 2023 to 13,829, a 4% drop. This could be an indicator that points will hold or maybe drop somewhat, but the effect on a particular college is hard to call. Deirdre
Q: Do you think the CAO points for either law at DCU or Maynooth will go up? Joshua
A: The number of applicants expressing an interest in Law related courses has increased ever so slightly in 2024. This increase shouldn’t effect points. Unknown factors such as points achieved by other interested candidates means that I cannot perdict. Nobody will know until 2pm on Wednesday when CAO release offers and cut off points are published. Deirdre.
Q: My daughter is hopeful of being offered a place for medicine through DARE. Does the order she put the colleges down on her CAO for medicine affect her chances of getting a place for a particular college?
A: No. She will be evaluated purely based on her points for each course on her list (including any reduction in points for the DARE scheme) and deemed elligible or not for each course. Then she will be offered the highest course on her list that she is entiltled to a place on.
Q: Please explain how I view marks on Tuesday and what the format will be. Then, how the online paper viewing works on Saturday if I apply to view them on Tuesday. Do I have to go into school either day to see the marking on Tuesday or the scripts on Saturday or will it all be online? Shirley
A: Yes you can. Applications to view your scripts is from the Student Self Service Portal where you recieved your results. Application to view your scripts will open on Tuesday 27th August at 5pm and closes the following day at 8pm. This is a very tight window to apply to view your scripts and late applications will not be accepted. You are right to view your scripts to decide whether to appeal or not. Deirdre.
Q: My Son will be offered a degree course but not sure if to do a plc course before committing to a degree when will he know if he is successful for the PLC course?
A: All Further Education courses have different time frames. I would advise you to contact the specific Further Ed college directly.
Q: Are the CAO points for medicine Galway likely to go up or down?
A: Really hard to know for sure. Based on the stats issued by CAO earlier this summer after the July 1st deadline, the overall numbers of applicants for the medicine area dropped from 14,378 in 2023 to 13,829, a 4% drop. This could be an indicator that points will hold or maybe drop somewhat, but the effect on a particular college is hard to call.
Q: My son achieved 433 points and the course he wants Economics and Communications was 444 in 2023. Is he in with a chance based on previous year decreases for this course?
A: DN700 in UCD has been fairly high in points for the past 2 years, up to 475. In 2020 it was 421. Will it drop to 433 this year is a difficult question to ask. The overall numbers applying for courses in the social science area have not changed dramatically from last year to this year so one might conclude the points for course will be broadly similar to last years, but how individual courses fair out is hard to predict. Will it drop again this year by another 11 is really hard to know for sure. There is a chance but I fear only a slim one.
Q: There are two subjects which I was sure I would get a h1 but instead I got h2′s. I’m afraid I won’t get my first CAO choice unless and until I successfully appeal. But the appeal results are at the end of September (the 28th), most universities start during the middle of September? Sam
A: Your CAO application will proceed with your results as they are at the moment and you will have to make decisions based on what you are offered with these results. If you appeal subjects, yes the results of the appeals will not be released until 27th September at 11am. If you are upgraded and your points increase, these increased points will be backdated to round one offers. Whatever you would have been offered in round one with those points must either be offered to you at that point or if they cannot offer you a place then, they must make you a defered offer for the following year. If you are offered a place, you can transfer over from any other course you may have started. Brian
Q: If the final points offered to a course in 2022 is 532 and then in 2023 that’s the points for the course however in 2023 the final points offered to a course is 548 is it likely that will be the starting point for the course in 2024. Liz
A: It’s too hard to call it. 2024 cut off points depends on a number of factors e.g. supply of places, demand for that course, points attained by competing applicants. It seems that this course maybe growing in popularity (given the increase in points from 2022-23). Location can influence points also. CAO will be releasing 2024 cut off points at 2 pm on Wednesday. Nobody will know for certain until then. The best of luck. Deirdre
Q: My daughter sat IB this year and got a score of 41 points. Her first choice is Geography and Political Science at TCD (TR328). Do you think that will be enough for her to get a place?
A: The Leaving Certificate points for the combination of Geography and Political Science for 2023 were 530 in TCD. A score of 41 in the International Baccalaureate is equivalent to 565 according to the applicant scoring section of the CAO, so if this is the case it looks like the 41 IB points should be sufficient, all other entry requirements having being met.
Q: If someone appeals a result and gets a lower grade do they get the original or the appealed mark? Johnny
A: If you get a downgrade in the appeals process, this new grade will be recorded on your final Leaving Certificate issued later on. The results of appeal results don’t arrive until the end of September. If you are applying to the CAO for a college place, they will work with your pre appeal results to issue offers of places to you.
Q: If my son accepts Sustainability With Business and Economics in UCD could he transfer to Commerce after first year if he scored well (commerce is his first choice on CAO but he is a couple of points short based on last year. What is the process for transferring courses within a college?
A: The transfer system within colleges varies enormously and depends on a number of factors, e.g. is there space in the desired course, is there sufficient overlap in content between the two courses available, is there competition for any places that may be available, how are suitable candidates ranked for these places, etc. My advice is to contact UCD, maybe start with the admissions office or the Quinn school of Business and seek their guidance on what is the procedure for Commerce transfers internally.
Q: I have seen a reference to an API form that can be used to make notes when viewing your script. This form can then be included if you decide to appeal. Is this form available online?
A: The API form is used if you wish to bring some issue to the attention of appeal process. For scripts viewed digitally, you will have the opportunity as part of the online appeal application to complete a Candidate Observation Report Form (API), one for each subject. For scripts viewed in school, you will be provided with an API by the school in which to record any matter that you want brought to the attention of the SEC’s examiners. Brian
Q: My daughter got 532 points but her course is 555 in biomed at UCD is it unlikely she will be offered the course in any of the rounds.
A: Given the points history over the past few years it is probably unlikely that the points for Science will drop to 532 this year. 555 is one of the lowest cut off points for this course over the last 3/4 years so dropping to 532 is probably a very long shot.
Q: Hi there. My son who has just started in 6th year was watching the coverage of the results this week. He wants to go to college but has no idea what he would like to study. He’s worried that he won’t find a course that he likes. How should he (and we, his parents) go about finding out what area would be the best fit for him? Mario
A: You could start with the subjects that he enjoys at school, what area within these subjects does he like and why? His plans for post leaving cert. He could make an appointment with his school guidance counsellor. Attending open days in collges of interest would be key. Work experience is another way of gathering more information to help aid a more informed decision regarding your interests. Getting to know your interests, values and aptitudes is essential when making a decision for post primary.
Q: Hello, does grade H5 in English meet entry requirements for Trinity College? Tom
A: Majority of courses at Trinity have a minimum of O6/H7. Please send me the course or course code and I can confirm. Deirdre
Q: I got 346 points and want to do architecture. What are my best options?
A: You could look into doing a PLC and use this as a pathway into a Level 8 in Architecture. Not all level 8 courses accept PLC applicants. Please do research this before you commit. Could you look at courses with some similar content e.g. courses under the Construction industry e.g. Architectual Technology, Civil Engineering etc. Please get back on if you would like more support.
Q: If I do appeal, would the examiner able to bring down my result? Angela
A: That is possible albeit less likely. 23% of appeals in 2023 were deemed successful appeals.
Q: Can I look at my leaving Cert marks to see if it is worth appealing a subject if vv close to next grade up? Beryl
A: Yes you can. Applications to view your scripts is from the Student Self Service Portal where you recieved your results. Application to view your scripts will open on Tuesday 27th August at 5pm and closes the following day at 8pm. This is a very tight window to apply to view your scripts and late applications will not be accepted. You are right to view your scripts to decide whether to appeal or not. Deirdre
Q: What is the process of being able to see your scripts online ? Do I have to apply ? And where how . I thought I could view one script and then decide whether worth appealing. Cathal
A: Application for viewing of scripts will open up on your CSSP from 5 pm on Tuesday until 8 pm on Wednesday, August 28th. Log on and apply via your Candidate Self portal. Deirdre
Q: When do incoming first years start University? Is it directly after orientation which is the first week of September in many places? Aodhan
A: College starting dates vary. It should be after orientation week. Successful applicants should receive a welcome pack/info a few days after they accept their offer. Here is an example of UCD calendar.
Q: What do you do if you get offered a course that you’ve decided you don’t want any more. If you don’t accept that choice, will you be left with no course? Maeve.
A: If you don’t accept what you have been offered in round one you could be left with no other offers. If what you have been offered is your 1st preference and you don’t accept it then you will definitely not receive any more offers on that list. If the course you were offered was for example your 4th preference and you do not accept it, then it and all courses below this on your list will be gone. The system will continue to try to get you into one of your higher preferences, i.e. your 1st, 2nd or 3rd preference courses. If you become entitled to one of these courses you will be offered the place, but is you do not become entitled to one of these courses no other offer will be made. Remember you have 2 lists, so if you don’t get an offer on one list you may get an offer on the other. Deirdre
Q: Your article says the CAO publishes statistics in July showing the demand for particular disciplines. Can’t seem to find this on the CAO Website. Vernon
A: Click on this link and go to data sheets. Choose 2024. You will see the table of content on the bottom of the spreadsheet. Choose table 3. Here you will find the statistics from after change of mind date. I hope that this helps. Deirdre
Q: What date are the appeals result given to students? Trish
A: The appeal results will be available at 11am on Friday 27th September.
Q: What can be done about the widespread misunderstanding of how points work? Lots of people wanting to change first preference because of having higher points than expected but that’s never been the correct way of filling out the CAO form. Pete
A: All students are advised to fill out their CAO in order of preference. Listing your dream courses should be top of the list regardless of points. Deirdre
Q: Reading IT coverage yesterday while also listening to RTE News there was a clear discrepancy about when the grade inflation will be wound down. IT cited Leaving 25 while the news bulletins announced 26. This is really important and needs clarification for this years LC class of 24/25?
A: The wind down commences from next year for the LC class of 2025. According to the Minister the rate of grade inflation will drop from 7.5 to 5.5% for the group who are currently commencing 6th year. The trajectory of the wind down after that has not been laid out yet definitively, but the glide will take place over a few years until the inflation is no more. Brian
Q: If you appeal some results and are subsequently upgraded will you be offered a place in 2024 or 2025? Eoin
A: You will be offered a place if places on course are still available. If the course is full you will be offered a deferred place for Sept 2025. The college will do their best to accommodate you. You may have both choices to choose from. Result of appeals are out on September 27th. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: What bonus does student get for doing exam through the Irish language? Joe
A: Full details of the bonus marks for Irish system are here.
Q: If you receive an offer from the cao and decide not too accept, will you be offered a second place up or down your choice list? Michael
A: If you receive an offer of for example your 4th preference, but you do not accept it, then it and all courses below this onl your list will be gone. The system will continue to try to get you into one of your higher preferences, i.e. your 1st, 2nd or 3rd preference courses. If you become entitled to one of these courses you will be offered the place.
Q: If I get upgraded following appeal/recheck and am offered B Comm UCD (which I’m slightly short for) and I get offered it but it’s full for this year 2024 my questions are: 1) can I do the first year in the course I was offered and start BComm 2025? 2) I pay extra €8k tuition for BComm in first year – is it only in first year the extra tuition charge applies or for all years of the BComm course? 3) Do I automatically have the BComm for 2025? I see you mentioned somewhere in a previous answer that you have to apply through the CAO again so is it a completely new CAO application for 2025? I don’t understand why I’d have to apply to CAO again if I’ve been offered the BComm place for 2025 and had to defer it due to lack of places following appeal. Aisling
A: 1) Yes you can, 2) you may be asked by UCD to pay the full economic cost of your first year in Commerce because you have used up your “free” fees for a first year already. This will only be for 1st year. After this you will go back into the free fees system. 3) If they cannot give you a place this year they must offer you a deferred place for next year (meaning you have a definite place on hold for you). To take up this place you must apply for it again through the CAO. This is the only way the system can allocate the place to you, but you are not in open competition for the place again. Brian
Q: I got 327 points and hoping to do arts in ucc. It was 300 last year but I’m worried that it will go up because of the grade inflation. What do you think? Katie
A: I don’t think you have to worry about grade inflation pushing the points up above what they were last year, as the same grade inflation took place last year and led to those points (300). I think you are safe enough with 327 unless something drastic happens which is unlikely. Brian
Q: I got 488 points and looking to do ah science and biology teaching in UL. It was 498 last year. What are my chances of the points dropping in this area. Emma
A: Looking at the points over the last few years for this course, 498 has been the lowest. In fact for the past 3 years the points have been up above 500, up to 521. Based on this it seems unlikely that the points will drop to 488. Of course we won’t know for sure until Wednesday but it does seem unlikely.
Q: If my results are upgraded on appeal, and I now meet the points requirement for Medicine, but I was not included in the random selection (which some colleges have to use for Medicine), what happens then? I will have missed out on the lottery that occurs when a course has more applicants that meet the points criteria than there are places. Lynn
A: Really good question and there is a very good logical answer to this question. Go to this link and you will see how the system caters for this situation. It basically boils down to the fact that you get your random number at the start of the whole process rather than names being pulled out of a hat at the offer stage. Have a read here and it will become clear. A worked example is also given. Brian
Q: My son achieved 601 points & wants veterinary med in UCD. It was 589 last year. Are we ok? Tara
A: For the past four years the points for Veterinary Medicine have climbed to a maximum of 601 for 2 years and 589 for 2 years. Based on this you would hope that your son will be ok on 601, unless there is a complete surge in applications which does not look to be the case. Fingers crossed. Brian
Q: My son got 430 points but all his listed college places on his list were for 450 and above where does this leave him? Maggie
A: So if the points for those listed courses don’t drop from last year, unfortunately it looks like your son will not be elligible and made an offer for any of his courses. I am assuming you are talking about his level 8 list. Did he have courses on his level 6/7 list? He may receive an offer from one of these. Remember many level 6/7 courses have add on level 8 honours degree qualifications, so he should look carefully at these if he has been offered one. Brian
Q: I achieved 543 points could I still be able to get an offer for pharmacy at RCSI. Sedra
A: I would be surprised if this popular course dropped by that much. You could research other routes into Pharmacy such as graduate pharmacy courses? Applying to UCAS etc. Deirdre
Q: My daughter is thinking of appealing 1 or 2 of her papers once she has them viewed. I just want to double-check if her grade could stay same, go up if successful, but also go down if not..is that true? Ide
A: Yes that is correct. The percentage of upgrades far exceeds the downgrades. Viewing your exact marks on Tuesday, August 27th will help you make a more informed decision as to whether an appeal may be worthwhile. Deirdre.
Q: After I accept an offer and go on to study the first year of my undergraduate Level 8 course, can I apply for CAO in 2025 with the 2024 LC points and a fresh 2025 HPAT score? what are the pros and cons in this scenario? Molly
A: You can apply for medicine via CAO in 2025 using your leaving cert points 2024 plus HPAT scoring in 2025. If you do a first year in another level 8 this year, swapping over to do first year medicine in Sept 2025 will have a financial cost of approx €8,000. You should speak with the fees office of the colleges of interest and get your figures before you make a decision. The very best of luck. You should look into graduate medicine routes and options as well. Deirdre
Q: How many subjects can be used to calculate UCAS points? Is it your top 6 or can you use 7?
A: Your top 6 subjects. The best of luck.
Q: How many points is required to study medicine?
A: In order for school leavers to be eligible for undergraduate medicine, they must achieve a minimum of 480 points, meet the course entry requirements and complete the required HPAT in year of entry. Please view this link for more details on scoring for medicine via the CAO.
Q: I have received 443 points in Leaving Cert. Could I qualify for a level 8 degree in Science?
A: Yes it is possible. How your filled out your CAO order of preference will be the deciding factor on making this possible.
Q: I have BESS (TR081) as my 1st choice on CAO. The highest the points for the course has ever been is 566 and I got 567 in my results. Do I have a good chance of getting into this course? Reece
A: I would be confident. Cut off points depend on demand for course, points achieved by interested candidates and supply of places. Cut off points will not be know until 2 pm on Wednesday. My advice to you would be to enjoy the success and stay positive. Deirdre
Q: I’m 15 points short for business course in DCU what will happen? Ella
A: You will get your highest preference course on your CAO list in which you meet the cut off points and minimum entry requirements. All courses that lie below Wednesday off (on your CAO order of preference) will become obsolete. You may be offered courses that lie above Wednesdays offer in future rounds. Deirdre
Q: We’re an Irish family living in Portugal. Our son graduated from a Portuguese school and applied to Irish Universities via CAO. His points are calculated using an equivalency. I see that the “Exam results artificially increased by average of 7.5% this year” which seems to bias Irish students over other EU students who don’t receive the same “artificial inflation”. Is there anything we can do about this? How is this grade inflation even legal from an EU-wide admissions perspective? John
A: This is a big question John, which is beyond the scope of this helpline. It is a very valid point but I don’t think you have many avenues to go with it. Other countries also inflated grades due to Covid and are winding this down now also. Maybe an email into the SEC or Department of Education is something to consider, if nothing else but to highlight the issue from your perspective. Brian.
Q: I went through the Leaving Cert last year. How will my points from last year compare to this year? Max
A: I don’t expect to see a huge change in points. This is mainly due to the fact that point inflation has remained at around 7.5% for the last three years.
Q: When you apply to review your scripts, how do you know which ones you need to go to the school to view and which ones you download? Also, for the scripts that will also have a project/aural/oral element how do you view those marks? Thanks! Aisling
A: Candidiates will get access to their marks for each subject including each component- written papers, orals, practicals etc. This should leave you better informed regarding your need or want to view scripts before deciding on an appeal. Online viewing commences at 9 am on Saturday August 31st to 9am on Sunday, September 1st. Geography, German, Ag Science, Classical Studies, LCVP, PE, Business, Economics, Home Ec and Technology scripts can be viewed online. All other subject scripts can be viewed at your school. One must make an application to view scripts. The best of luck. Deirdre.
Q; I am very close to qualifying for my first choice, however I may be offered my 4th choice. If this happens I would prefer my 5th choice for which I have more than enough points. Can I change my preference? Anton
A: Unfortunately not. Once CAO makes you an offer all courses that lie below this offer on your CAO list become obsolete. This means that if you get your fourth offer then only courses above your 4th choice may be offered to you in future rounds. All offers that lie below your 4th choice will become obsolete. Deirdre
Q: What is the range of points required to qualify for a course? Charles
A: The points of the last person to be granted an offer on that course to the points of the highest scoring candidate who has also been offered a plavce on that same course. Deirdre
Q: My son wants to study medicine at UCD, and after todays results he has a combined score of 752 points with HPAT and Leaving Cert. Is it possible that points might skyrocket from last year and he could miss it? John
A: Grade inflation has remained steady for the last three years. I would perdict that points shouldn’t skyrocket. I would be confident that your son wil get an offer for Medicine at UCD. However, nobody can be certain until CAO releases offers and cut off points on Wednesday at 2 pm. Deirdre
Q: If I appeal my results and get higher than the points cut off, but places are already full, will I have to take a deferred seat? Maryam
A: You will be offered a deferred seat if places are full. But the choice will be yours. You can choose to stay on your original course either. But please remember that there would be a finacial cost of approx €8,000 if you were to do first year of your original course and then swap over to first year of your deferred course in Sept 2025. I hope that I have answered your question. Please get back on if needs be. Deirdre.
Q: Hi, The course my son is looking need 540 points, will CAO reduce the required points in the second round if they fill full class capacity? Please advise. Arvind
A: Points are determined by many factors such as the supply of places and the demand for courses. Points are also influenced by the points that other interested candidates present with. Course cut off points in round 2 will fall if all seats/ places on this course are not full from Round 1. The best of luck. Deirdre
Q: Can you defer your CAO offer for one year? Karen
A: You need to contact the admission office of the college in question to request a referral. Please view page 32 of the CAO handbook giving instructions on how to defer a college place.
Q: If I choose to use this years points to apply for next years CAO, would I still be eligible through SUSI to cover my tuition? Andrew
A: Please view point eleven on this link. I would advise you to contact SUSI to get clarification on this matter and advice on steps that may need to be taken to secure your grant for 2025. Deirdre
Q: Hello. My LC points turned out to be much higher than I initially expected, and as a result, I no longer wish to pursue any of the courses I originally listed. I would like to inquire if it is possible to retain my LC points from 2024 and use them to apply for better courses in 2025 using the same exam number and CAO number. Additionally, I would appreciate some clarification on whether I need to decline all offers from the first round in order to preserve my score for next year. Lastly, would my situation be considered as that of a deferred student when filling out the CAO form next year? Thank you very much for your assistance.
A: Yes you can use your points from 2024 when making a CAO application for 2025. Declining offers this year will not result in you being considered a deferred student. You should take a look at the courses that become available on ‘available places’ on the CAO. The available place’ facility will open at noon on August 29th. The best of luck. Please get back on if you need more information.
Q: I should get my preferred biology choice in Trinity based on my LC points. But I won’t get into Medicine as I got low HPAT scores. Can I move to medicine if I repeat and succeed in HPAT next year? Could you describe the steps to take please? Ciara
A: Yes, this is possible. If you repeat your LC, remember you must do 6 subjects, including all the entry requirement subjects for medicine in the repeat year. You must then apply again to sit the HPAT test and hope your score improves. It might be worth your while doing a preparatory course if you haven’t already done so, to improve your score.
Q: My son is eligible for DARE and HEAR. He is 20 points short of his first choice course in UL. What is the chance he will get the course? Will he be given priority over students who get either DARE or HEAR but not both. Sandra
A: If he has met all the entry requirements and is only 20 points short, then generally one would think his chances are quite good. In the DARE merit list for the course, priority is given to those who have qualified under HEAR and DARE, above those who have just qualified under the DARE scheme, so again this improves his chances. Brian.
Q: Can you defer your CAO offer for one year? Karen
A: You need to contact the admission office of the college in question to request a referral. Please view page 32 of the CAO handbook giving instructions on how to defer a college place.
Q: If I chose to use this years points to apply for next years CAO, would I still be eligible through SUSI to cover my tuition?
A: Please view point eleven on this link. I would advise you to contact SUSI to get clarification on this matter and advice on steps that may need to be taken to secure your grant for 2025. Susi info here.
Q: Could I retake an exam if I dont achieve my desired grades?
A: You can repeat an exam in a subject next year, however, remember that you cannot combine Leaving Certificates for points purposes. You can combine Leaving Certificates for the purpose of meeting course entry requirements but not points. Hence if you are repeating one subject you need to ask why you are doing this? Brian
Q: My daughter achieved 602 points, is she likely to get Global business at Trinity? Tom
A: Grade inflation has been at 7.5% for the last three years. I feel that points could remain similar to last years. Remain confident. I hope that you get that offer on Wednesday. Best of luck.
Q: What exactly do we see if we apply to see the exam scripts? Does this include the marking done by the examiner or just the actual written script?
A: When you are viewing the script you will see a digital image of the script which will include a report of the marks assigned to each question according to the marking scheme. You will see the annotations that the examiner applied to the students work.
Q: My daughter has been deemed eligible for a DARE offer. Do DARE offers come out next Wednesday also?
A: Yes, DARE offers will be made along with all other offers next Wednesday in round one.
Q: I want to study Medicine, but I didn’t do well in the HPAT. Can I do the HPAT again in 2025 and combine the new HPAT score with my original 2024 CAO points in order to apply for Medicine course in 2025? Jack
A: Yes. You must sit the HPAT in the year of application, (i.e. 2025) so you could reapply and sit this next year. You can use your LC scores from this year (2024) to meet the LC requirement. Brian
Q: When will the outcome of the appeals be known? Trish
A: They will be known at 11 am, Sept 27th. You can access this via CSSP. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: My son unexpectedly got 578 points. His first choice course was for 300 points. Can he change his course this year or next year? Clare
A: Unfortunately the 1st of July was the last time he could change his courses on the CAO, no further changes are permitted after July 1st (except Vacant Place courses). He can reapply next year with a new account and use this year’s exam number / results and put down whatever courses he wishes. Brian
Q: If I wish to retain my 2024 CAO points for reapplication in 2025, could you please advise on the correct process for declining the offers that I would receive next week? Should I respond directly to the CAO or the specific college to decline the offer, or will the offer be automatically canceled if I do not take any action? Harry
A: There is no need to do anything. The offer will lapse if nothing is done by the closing date.
Q: Hi, my daughter did very well and should be offered her 2nd choice on her CAO which she is delighted with. She would like to have one paper rechecked though. If her grade goes up in that paper she would be eligible for her 1st choice on her CAO. Does she then have to take the offer or can she stick with her 2nd choice? Mary
A: She can take up this late offer. Results from appeals are due out September 27th.She can choose to defer a late offer. The choice will be hers. Hope that I have answered your question. Best of luck. Deirdre.
Q: If I am successful in getting my college place deferred until 2025 and do a PLC in the hope of getting my first choice, can I apply also for another course through the PLC system? Mary
A: The end of the question was clipped so not sure of exact question but just to remind you that if you defer a college place then to take up that defered place the following year you must apply throught the CAO again and only put down that one course to take it up. If you put down any other course on the CAO form you loose your deferred place and are in open competition again. Brian
Q: My child received results but wants to defer and apply to Harvard or Cambridge next year instead. Do many Irish students with leaving cert results manage to apply to top global universities successfully, or should she take up her place in Trinity this year as originally planned? MumiG
A: I would suggest that she follows her gut. Would she look at starting in Trinity now and moving to Harvard or Cambridge if successful? Deferring is also an option. Deirdre
Q: My son recieved 85 points in his portfolio test and 75 points in his suitability test and has acheived 477 points in the Leaving certificate. Is Architecture in TUD likely to be offerred? Paolo
A: Architecture in TUD has had a cut off of 645/644 for the past 3 years so your son’s combined score of 637 might be a little short for an offer based on previous points. Brian
Q: If my grade changes on appeal, how will this affect my CAO offers? Carol
A: CAO will make you an offer in late September (providing that there is an available place on the course of choice). The candidate can choose to remain on their course, move to this new offer or defer the offer for entry in Sept 2025. The decision is up to the candidate. The best of luck. Deirdre.
Q: Hello. My LC points turned out to be much higher than I initially expected, and as a result, I no longer wish to pursue any of the courses I originally listed. I would like to inquire if it is possible to retain my LC points from 2024 and use them to apply for better courses in 2025 using the same exam number and CAO number. Additionally, I would appreciate some clarification on whether I need to decline all offers from the first round in order to preserve my score for next year. Lastly, would my situation be considered as that of a deferred student when filling out the CAO form next year? Thank you very much for your assistance. Harry
A: Yes you can use your points from 2024 when making a CAO application for 2025. Declining offers this year will not result in you being considered a deferred student. You should take a look at the courses that become available on ‘available places’ on the CAO. The available places’ facility will open at noon on August 29th. The best of luck. Please get back on if you need more information. Deirdre.
Q: I should get my preferred biology choice in Trinity based on my LC points. But I won’t get into Medicine as I got low HPAT scores. Can I move to medicine if I repeat and succeed in HPAT next year? Could you describe the steps to take please? Ciara
A: Yes, this is possible. If you repeat your LC, remember you must do 6 subjects, including all the entry requirement subjects for medicine in the repeat year. You must then apply again to sit the HPAT test and hope your score improves. It might be worth your while doing a preparatory course if you haven’t already done so, to improve your score. Brian
Q: My son is eligible for DARE and HEAR. He is 20 points short of his first choice course in UL. What is the chance he will get the course? Will he be given priority over students who get either DARE or HARE but not both. Sandra
A: If he has met all the entry requirements and is only 20 points short, then generally one would think his chances are quite good. In the DARE merit list for the course, priority is given to those who have qualified under HEAR and DARE, above those who have just qualified under the DARE scheme, so again this improves his chances. Brian.
Q: l am 5 points short of the 2023 points threshold for my 1st choice course. If I am offered and accept a place on one of my lower choice courses, can I reapply to the 2025 CAO using my 2024 LC in the hope that points for my preferred course may reduce (Per a recent report, The minister announced plans to increase the number of places in my preferred course (speech & language therapy) in 2025. Elaine
A: I suggest that you hold off until Wednesday. CAO points 2024 will bbe released at 2 pm on Wednesday. This information will allow you to make a more informed decision. If you don’t get accepted you can reapply to CAO in 2025. Be careful though as there is a finacial cost of approx €8,000 if you do first year twice. Please get in contact with us here. We are happy to advise. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: l am 5 points short of the 2023 points threshold for my 1st choice course. If I am offered and accept a place on one of my lower choice courses, can I reapply to the 2025 CAO using my 2024 LC in the hope that points for my preferred course may reduce (Per a recent report, the minister announced plans to increase the number of places in my preferred course (speech & language therapy) in 2025. Elaine
A: I suggest that you hold off until Wednesday. CAO points 2024 will be released at 2 pm on Wednesday. This information will allow you to make a more informed decision. If you don’t get accepted you can reapply to CAO in 2025. Be careful though as there is a financial cost of approx €8,000 if you do first year twice. Please get in contact with us here. We are happy to advise. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: Hi, the CAO minimum for Commerce International at UCD (DN 660) was 544 in 2023 and I got 543 today. Do you think I’m likely to get an offer for it in round 2 or round 3? Mark
A: It is really hard to call this. It has been 544 for the last 2 years and 555 in 2021 and 517 in 2020, so a mixed bag of cut off points. I would like to think you are in with a good shot at it but it is difficult if it will drop by that single point. It might be worth your while looking at the Open Learning programme in UCD. This could provide you with another route into Commerce. Have a look at this link. Brian
Q: Is 325 too low for college? Am I better off doing a PLC? John
A: I would say no, 325 is not too low for college. However, it all depends on your motivation. You could go to a level 6, 7 or 8 programme with these points and do very well if you work hard and graduate with a great qualification. These programmes, especially the level 8 degrees are quite academic and would need quite a lot of study. A PLC course is not as academic as a CAO course. It is a little more hands on and could eventually lead on to a course in Higher Education. If it was a major struggle to get your 325 points then it might be an indicator that the more practical orientation in the PLC course might suit better. Otherwise, 325 could get you into some very good Higher Ed. programmes. Brian
Q: Which scripts are available on line and which are not? Specifically are classical studies, history, biology, English and maths online? Marcus
A: Classical Studies, History, Biology, English and Maths were all marked online and hence scripts will be viewed online. Brian
Q: Hello, if I decline my 6th choice and want my eighth and I have enough points for both can I just take my eighth choice? Cormac
A: Unfortunately not. If you are offered your 6th choice, then whether you accept this place or not, everything below this will disappear from your CAO listing, including your 8th preference. So you can always move up your list of preferences but never down. Brian
Q: If I do a FETQQI course aimed at a specific university for next year, can I also add other courses to be based on this years LC results? Rosemary?
A: Yes you can. PLC courses offer great opprotunities for work experience. This will help you when choosing CAO courses fro next year. Best of luck.
Q: Hello I have already qualified for DARE but I am wondering if there is a number of places allocated to DARE students is it organised by severity of disability how do they distinguish between DARE candidates? Do they pick the person with the most severe disability? Catherine
A: DARE has agreed to prioritise students with sensory or physical disabilities e.g.visual impairment, deaf/hard of hearing
Q: Hi there. My son did a first draft of CAO and applied only level 8 courses of 380 plus points. We forgot do change of mind and did not fill in any level 7 courses. He got 358 points today. The good news is he commences the aer lingus aircraft maintenance engineer apprenticeship in Shannon soon and he did very well getting one of the 24 places on offer for that. However if he does not like the apprenticeship and decides to go to full time college can he next year submit a new cao form using this years lc results and choose different list of courses? Deirdre B.
A: Congratulations on a great apprenticeship opportunity. Yes, he can make a CAO application for 2025 using points obtained from Leaving Cert in 2024. Best of luck.
Q: I have applied for 10 courses but my CAO points shows eligibility only for the 9th and the 10th course in the list. What other options are available to get a NFQ level 8 course? Dharshini
A: There may be some level 8 courses in the vacant places facility of the CAO. These go live on 29th August at noon. You can add these to your CAO account listing if you are interested in any of them. You could also look at the private independent colleges who have level 8 programmes that are direct entry. If you are happy to do a PLC first as part of the level 8 programme you could look at the National Tertiary Office courses. Have a look at the nto website. Brian
Q: Hello, if I receive my second choice course offer on Wednesday and decide to appeal one subject hoping for an upgrade to qualify for my first choice but am downgraded to below my second choice points – am I correct that the offer I received will be cancelled? Anne
A: Technically, it could be withdrawn from you but it is unlikely that this would happen. I’ve never heard of a place being taken off an applicant. The best way to approach this is to view the script first and if it is near the lower grade then don’t appeal. If it is near the higher grade then go ahead and appeal. Brian
Q: If an appeal gives me enough points for my 1st choice course but it’s full and I am offered a place for 2025, can I still start the course I was offered for 2024 and decide later if I want the deferred place?
A: You can start with your first offer. You will be charged tuition fees of approx €8,000 by doing first year again if you were to change courses in 2025. You would also have to make a CAO application for 2025. Deirdre
Q: Can a place at UCD be deferred for a year while doing a PLC course? Rosemary
A: Yes. You must look for an appeal by contacting the admissions college. You will need to make a CAO application in 2025. Please read pg 32 on this link. Deirdre.
Q: If I am offered my no. 2 choice on CAO but wish to accept another course further down my list of choices and I have enough points for it what should I do? Meg
A: If you are offered your 2nd choice preference on your CAO, then everthing below this disappears from your CAO listing. So you can never move down. If you accept your 2nd preference (or not) you will remain in the running for your 1st preference and will be offered it if you become entitled to it. So in essence, you can move up but you can never move down. Brian
Q: How many points would DARE reduce for medicine? I’m on 699 and have DARE approval. Please advise. Dan
A: The number of reduced points will depend on the number of places on the course, the number of reserved DARE places and the points of other DARE eligible applicants. This varies from courses to course. Here is a link to DARE places in Trinity and Galway.
Q: I am DARE approved and put my 1st option 3 in line, when will I know if got it?
A: You will get an offer on Wednesday at 2 pm. It will not say DARE. A DARE offer is when you get an offer for the course but you did not get the required points. This means that you received a DARE place on this course.
Q: What is the lilely point increase for Humanities in DCU and Maynooth, UCD etc
A: Grades have been inflated by 7.5% for the last three years, I am hoping that we won’t see much fluctation on points for courses that can accommodate a large volume of students. CAO offers and cut-off points will be known at 2pm next Wednesday. Best wishes from all in here. Deirdre
Q: I have DARE approval and got approx 334, will I qualify for Business or Marketing courses in MTU Cork? Oisin
A: From looking at the MTU procedure it looks like you have a good chance of being made an offer. It states: MTU will consider applicants up to 50 points below the CAO cut-off points for the relevant programme. For a Level 8 programmes the applicant must achieve a minimum of 200 CAO points. It will ultimately depend on the number of DARE qualified applicants for these courses and their points. Brian
Q: What percentage of appeals are successful? Anne
A: In 2023, approx 23% received a succesful appeal and received an upgraded result.
Q: Is it likely that arts at Maynooth will increase in points significantly? Yusra
A: I would hope to see the points remain similiar to 2023. This course has the ability to accommodate a large number of students. Best of luck. We are here again in Wednesday. Get back on if you need more help. Deirdre
Q: My daughter sat the IB this year and got a score of 41. She also sat the HPAT and got results that put her in the 98th percentile. Converting these results to points indicates that her score is 745 – our concern is now that she will be at a disadvantage because she did not do the Irish leaving cert and I will not have had her grades inflated like other students despite applying as an Irish student. She ought in principle to have enough points to get her first choices – medicine – since her points are higher than the points requirements over the past few years – but she might miss out because of the Irish points inflation. Do you have any idea if there is any recourse regarding her results given the unusual circumstances of this years’ awarding of inflated points to Irish students? Cáit
A: The results in Ireland have been inflated to the same extent for the past 3 years at approximately 7.5%. So the cut off points you see for the last 3 years for courses has taken these inflated grades into account. With a points score of 745 it is highly likely that your daughter will be offered a place given Medicine was 733*, 738*, 735* in some of the Dublin universities last year, with the same inflated grades.
Q: If I accept a course and also apply for a recheck of a script and the result is downgraded, can the offer of the course I accepted be withdrawn? Aisling.
A: In theory yes. If you are no longer entitled to the place you accepted it could be withdrawn, however this is unlikely to happen. To prevent this scenario from occuring it is a good idea to view your script first. If you are borderline dropping to a lower grade then maybe it is best not to appeal. If you are borderline going up to the next higher grade then it would be a good idea to appeal. Brian
Q: Is 143 points bad? Keanna
A: There are lots of opportunities out there. CAO is one but not the only one. I recommend that you explore the PLC or the apprenticeship route. Visit these sites for information on apprenticeships ans PLC courses. Deirdre
Q: When do the points change for courses and if I’m one point off the course points am I still eligible?
A: Points may change in round 1, 2 and 3. Points can go up or down depending on the demand for the course and the supply of places. I hope that I have answered your question. 2024 points in round on ewill be known at 2 pm, Wednesday August 28th.
Q: Hi, I have 699 points altogether including HPAT. I have DARE. Would I get into Medicine this year?
A: It is really hard to know really. In TCD there are 9 DARE places in Medicine. Competition for these places will be high. It all depends on the number of DARE qualified applicants for these places and the points that they got. In UCD there are 5 places and the lowest points that places were offered over the 2021-23 period was 721. It is a waiting game I’m afraid. Brian
Q: How likely is it that BESS in Trinity will increase on last years points with the artificial boost to grades again this year? John
A: This will depend on the demand for this course. The points achieved by interested candidates will also influence the 2024 points. Nobody will know 2024 points until Wednesday, Aug 28th at 2 pm. Deirdre
Q: If you accept your second choice in the first round of CAO offers but then are offered your first choice in the 2nd round of offers, are you able to accept your first choice now or no?
A: Yes, regardless of whether you accept a round one offer of a place or not, you will still remain in the running for a higher preference offer in the next rounds if you become entitled to one. So accepting something in round one does not mean it is all over. Brian
Q: What’s the appeal process like? Can we look at the exams before deciding to appeal? Celina
A: It is possible to appeal. I would advise you to view your script first. Candidates can view their marks for each subject and component on Tuesday August 27th. Application for viewing of scripts must be in by Wednesday August 28th by 8 pm. There is no charge for viewing of scripts. Deirdre
Q: I am accepted as a HEAR applicant. I got 325 points. Is that likely to be enough for law or law and business in TCD? Lisa
A: This looks unlikely unfortunately. In TCD they refer to a reduction of points in the order of 10 to 15% for places on courses. Given Law was 566 last year it is unlikely 325 would be sufficient.
Q: Do we get physical copies of our results anymore or is it only online? Nick
A: You can print out a physical copy of your provisional results from the online Student Portal today. Your final results are generally sent to your school in hard copy format but that won’t be for a long time after the whole process is finished. Brian
Q: When can I view my script to appeal? Tara
A: The application to view scripts opens at 5pm on Tuesday 27th August through the Student Self Service Portal. Brian
Q: Will it be clear on Monday if the points for certain courses have gone up? Kathy
A: We won’t know for sure what will happen to the points of courses until Wednesday 28th when first round offers are published at 2pm. Brian
Q: Hi, If I didn’t receive enough points for my number 1 course but I am eligible for HEAR but I also got 2 less points than I need to be considered for HEAR, is there still a chance I can get HEAR? Elizabeth
A: You must meet the minimum HEAR requirements in order to be considered for HEAR places. Please see the link and look at question 12 here.
Q: Can my daughter get offered a level 8 and a level 7 course? Anita
A: Yes. She can only accept one of the offers. The best of luck. Deirdre
Q: Can I apply for a course that I did not put on my CAO after receiving my Leaving Cert results? Sharon
A: The only courses that can be added to your CAO application at this stage are courses that appear on the Vacant Place list on the CAO website. This list will go live on the 29th August at noon. Brian
Q: My daughter has qualified for the DARE scheme . Can you tell me what this means for her as she didn’t receive the points for the courses she has applied do on her CAO. Avril
A: The majority of Higher Education colleges participate in DARE. Many reserve a number of course places for DARE applicants. All DARE applicants then compete for the reserved places. Please click on link for more information on DARE here. Deirdre
Q: My daughter is short 16 points for her course, just wondering are the points going to go down this year? Sharon
A: Points are determined by supply and demand for the course and course places. A change in either factors affects points. Unfortunately, I have no way of accessing this information. CAO will release 2024 points at 2 pm next Wednesday. I hope that things work out. Deirdre
Q: Can I still apply for higher education? Abdul
A: With the CAO applications are closed now. However, there is a facility where left over places on courses will be filled called Vacant Places. If you see a course in the vacant place list that you would like to apply for you can make an application for it. Vacant place courses are the only courses you can apply for at this stage. The Vacant Place facility opens on 29th August at 12 noon. Brian
Q: My daughter is hoping to do veterinary science in ucd. She attained 590 points. Do you think this will be enough for her to gain a place. She is probably going to have 2 subjects rechecked. Niamh
A: The cut off points for last year in Veterinary Medicine were 589 so I think she stands a good chance of being offered a place. Unfortunately it is a waiting game until next Wednesday to know for sure. It is a good idea to get the rechecks if you think there is any chance of an upgrade. Brian
Q: What happens if you appeal a subject which ends up increasing your grades that would meet the requirements for a course but the course is already full. Aoife
A: If the course is full and the college in question cannot offer you a place then they must offer you a deferred place for the following year.
Q: If I appeal a subject and it upgrades my results and gives me the required points for my course will I still be allowed enter that course. The estimated date for appeal results is the end of September whereas college courses start early September. Aaron
A: You will be offered this course when and if you meet the points and minimum requirements. You can choose to accept and start this course in late September. You could also defer your place and start in early Sept 2025. The choice will be yours. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: Can I ask for my paper to be recorrected, and where I can ask? Janet
A: You can ask for an appeal of your grade in your subjects. This is done through your Student Self Service Portal. Applications for appeals open on Sunday 1st at 10am and closes on Monday 2nd at 5pm. You can also apply to view your paper first if you wish, this opens on Tuesday 27th at 5pm. Brian
Q: Do I have enough points to submit UCC Arts (CK101) I got 409 in the Leaving Cert.
A: I am confident that you will receive an offer for CK101 in round one on Wednesday. The final round points in 2023 for this course was 300. It is unlikely that this course will increase by 100 points. The best of luck. Round 1 cut off points 2024 will be released on Wednesday August 25th at 2pm. Deirdre
Q: My daughter has applied for DN430 in UCD where the points range 2024 was 484-602. Will 508 be sufficient to gain access this year? Orla
A: The cut off points for this course last year in 2023 entry was 484. With 508 points it is very likely that your daughter will be eligible for an offer of a place on this course. Brian
Q: There is an asterisk next to one of my results in home ec what does this mean? Piotr
A: I would advise you to contact your school. The asterisk indicates that you were absent on exam day of one component. Please click on this link for more details. Deirdre
Q: Hi, when can students view their exam scripts to assess same before deciding on an exam appeal? Dan
A: The application to view scripts opens at 5pm on Tuesday 27th August through the Student Self Service Portal. Brian
Q: Three of the scores are crazy off. If my son wins the appeal, what is the process if he’s already in another course? Tara
A: Very briefly, if your son appeals and3 of the scores are crazy off. If my son wins the appeal, what is the process if he’s already in another course? gets some upgrades then essentially his new points score is backdated to round one offers day and the question is asked what would she have been entitled to with the increased points. If that course can offer a place to start at that time it will be offered in the final round, regardless of whether he has accepted and started another course. Brian
Q: I got 349 points in my leaving cert but needed 350 to get into my course, though the points are changing I just want to be sure, How would I be able to get 1 point.
A: Your points will only change if you appeal and your appeal is successful. Please look at other pathwyas into this course. Points may fall but nobocy will know until next Wednesday when CAO publish the points for 2024. I wish you the best of luck. Deirdre.
Q: What time does the leaving cert results online close at?
A: My understanding is it doesn’t close, it remains open for you to log in.
Q: My daughter is just 2 points short off her first choice , what is her best option here?
A: This course may or may not come down in round 2. In the meantime you could look at the possibility of doing a PLC that gives one the opportunity to enter into the course of your first choice. Doing a PLC would allow your daughter gain work experience and get a general feel of subjects/ modules within that particular area. This would ensure that she likes the subject area before entering into a four year programme.
Q: Is there anything that can be done with 310 points or is it best to repeat? Sam
A: Yes. You have many options. Colleges of Further Education are a great place to start learning in your area of interest. You can use the grades you receive on this course to apply to college in 2025. You apply directly to a college of further education. They offer a variety of different courses and many offer you the opportunity to gain work experience as part of the course. PLC students are also eligible for SUSI grant. Apprenticeships have also become very popular. Tertiary degrees, the number of tertiary programmes have also expanded. Please look at the following link. Please get back on if you would like more information.
Q: Does the CAO points calculator include additional points you receive for sitting you LC as Gaeilge and bonus points for Higher Maths? Michelle
A: Yes. The grade you get in Irish takes into account you sat the LC through Irish and the CAO will work with this grade. In relation to Maths, if you get over 40% in Higher Level Maths (H6 or above) and maths is in your top 6 subjects then the CAO will award the 25 bonus points.
Q: Do you think 577 points will be enough for TR035 course? Is there any risk the points can go up to 2021-2022 levels which is 590-593? Anne.
A: This course was 554 pts in final round last year. I would be confident that your 577 points will secure you entry given that you meet subject requirement etc. However, I cannot be certain until Wednesday 25th when CAO release offers for 2024. Deirdre
Q: If a course requires specific subjects for entry, do you have to count them for points or just meet the requirements? Mum
A: The CAO firstly checks to see if an applicant meets the course entry requirements. If the applicant meets the requirements, then the computer will calculate the applicant’s points from their 6 best subjects. These don’t necessarily have to be the subjects that met the entry requirements. Brian
Q: My Daughter is eligible for the DARE scheme. She got 521 points vs. 541 points in 2023 for her first choice course in Trinity. Are the allocated DARE spaces on any given course allocated based on the next highest points of the DARE eligible applicants? Barry.
A: Yes. DARE applicants are competing against other DARE applicants for the qouta of DARE places. Please view this link regarding Trinity and DARE allocation.
Q: Sat the Leaving Cert in 2022 and achieved 555 points. Have reapplied to CAO this year in order to change course. Will my points be adjusted by 7.5% (on average). Brendan
A: No. I am afraid not. Deirdre
Q: If I receive and accept an offer in Round 1 and get a higher preference offer in Round 2 in a different college can I accept it instead of Round 1? Liz
A: Yes and this can be done in any furtehr rounds. Best of luck. Deirdre
Q: I did better than expected and I regret not putting another course as my top choice. Is there anything I can do now to change my first choice? Claire
A: The CAO’s Available Places are vacanies on courses for which there were insufficient applicants before Round 1 offers. Available Places will be published on the CAO’s website. The facility opens at noon on August 29th and you can apply for a course free of charge. You could also look at Further Education (PLC) and choose one that has potential for you to enter into year one of your first choice course next year. Please do get back on if you need more support. Glad to help. Deirdre
Q: When and how can I get my exact exam result score per subject?
A: Exact exam results will be made avaialble to you through your self portal on Tuesday 27th August at 12 noon.
Q: If I didn’t get enough points for my number one course can my HEAR application still help me get it because i was told by the CAO that I am eligible. Elizabeth
A: If you have qualified for HEAR then that will be factored into each of your course choices and a determination will be made on your elligibility for those courses. Each college has its own procedures for dealing with HEAR applications. If you are deemed eligible for your first preference you will be offered this course. Remember the points required for a course by a HEAR elligible candidate are often less than the normal cut off points for a course.
Q: When are the appeal results out? Is it on one day? Norma
A: Friday, September 27th at 11 am.
Q: Two subjects said I was absent for components but I attended. Kian
A: Please contact the State Examinations Commission on 0906 442700. Deirdre
Q: If I am offered my 2nd preference but decline it because I no longer want to study that course, could I be offered my 1st preference in Round 2 – will I receive anything because I don’t accept in Round 1?
A: Yes you could be offered your first choice in Round 2 regardless of what you do with today’s offer. You will receive an offer in Round 2 if you meet the points and course requirements for your first choice. Best of luck.
Q: What happens to the leaving cert student in 2025? Will they get bumper grades? Tiffany.
A: Grade inflation is likely to be in the region of 5.5 per cent for the class of 2025. The grade inflation given this year was 7.5 per cent. Deirdre
Q: If I fail 2 subjects in the leaving cert (and I am not interested in college) do I have to rsit all the exams to pass Leaving Certificate? Caroline
A: No you did not fail the Leaving Certificate. You only need to pass six/five subjects for college matriculation requirements and course specific requirements. Best of look on your new journey. Please get back on if you would like more support. Deirdre
Q: I’m looking at studying at University in Ireland next year. Currently I reside in Perth Australia. How should I apply and go about looking at my options? Ruairi
A: A non EU student should contact the admissions office of the college of interest. They will advise you on whether you should apply directly to them or via the CAO. EU students apply directly to the CAO system. Please see the link to useful resources where you can look up colleges and courses.
Q: How does UCAS know if I’ve met the grades to meet my conditional offer? Do I need to phone admissions of the relevant university to let them know as an ROI applicant? Dara.
A: The State Exams Commission sent a copy of the LC results to UCAS. The British colleges can then get the results for applicants from UCAS. There is nothing stopping you from emailing admissions in the college you are hoping to enter and giving them your grades but it is not necessary. Brian
Q: I sat A levels and got A*AA. These grades would be considered excellent, and I am not aware of any course which would require higher grades in the UK. Grades in the North went down significantly this year as there was a return to 2019 grade thresholds. On the UCD website, grades for courses are given but when I emailed them, they said that places would be allocated on the basis of points. Do you know which system will be used (grades or converted points) and whether there will be any recognition of the reduction in grades in the North? I am a “*”/4 points short of the grade asked for the Economics and Finance course. I also have an accepted DARE application. Diarmuid
A: Information relating to UK grades and resulting points can be found at this location In relation to recognition of the reduction in grades in NI, I am not sure, it would be best to speak to admissions in UCD. Brian