#CAO Offers

CAO Offers

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Women in Street Maintenance
CAO Choices 2026: Alternative routes to consider
Students who are not offered a place on their preferred CAO course should not panic; there are plenty of alternative paths towards rewarding careers

Thu, 15 Jan, 2026

Little patient at dentist office.
Dental outreach centre plan will deliver 'limited increases in domestic student places'
Discussions are ongoing to progress the proposal by University College Cork

Sat, 15 Nov, 2025

CAO Round Two offers over 1,200 students college places for first time
CAO Round Two offers over 1,200 students college places for first time
Students who received an offer in this round will have until 3pm on Wednesday, September 10, to accept

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

Stacked Coins And Piggy Bank
Your financial plan starts now: How to make most of your money when paying for college
Financial planner Karen Doyle offers valuable advice to students ahead of their entry to third-level education. She talks with Laurie O’Flynn

Fri, 29 Aug, 2025

Smiling dentist treating a patient
Irish Dental Association calls for cap on international dentistry students amid workforce crisis
The Irish Dental Association has warned that almost half of Irish dentistry places go to overseas students as waiting lists grow

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

ieExplains: How does the CAO's random selection process work?
ieExplains: How does the CAO's random selection process work?
Admission for the vast amount of college courses is based on exam results and CAO points that are awarded for different Leaving Cert grades.

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

A quick guide to navigating CAO offers
A quick guide to navigating CAO offers
Laurie O’Flynn offers answers to the most frequently asked questions by applicants to the Central Applications Office every year

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

eating apple
CAO: Important dates for offers, appeals and rechecks
Students are advised to note that there are only two days to accept offers from Round Two onwards

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Irish Examiner view: Rights of school secretaries and caretakers must be recognised 
Irish Examiner view: Rights of school secretaries and caretakers must be recognised 
A clear inequality has not been addressed

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Jess Casey: It goes without saying that the CAO process can be cruel
Jess Casey: It goes without saying that the CAO process can be cruel
Despite lower grade inflation, demand for college places pushed CAO points higher in 2025, leaving many students disappointed

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Students, take time to fully assess CAO round one offers 
Students, take time to fully assess CAO round one offers 
Career guidance experts outline the choices open to students in relation to this year’s CAO first round offers

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: Did the points for your course go up? See all the first-round cut-offs
CAO offers: Did the points for your course go up? See all the first-round cut-offs
Here, you can use the Irish Examiner's CAO interactive to find the latest points information for both Level 8 and Level 7/6 courses

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: Almost half of students miss out on first choice as course points rise
CAO offers: Almost half of students miss out on first choice as course points rise
CAO data shows that entry to 25 courses has been determined by random selection

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: What to do if you miss out on your top choice
CAO offers: What to do if you miss out on your top choice
Guidance counsellor David Drury advises students that now is the right time to stop and reflect on their choices. He talks to Jess Casey, Education Correspondent

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

CAO offers: Be ready to consider Plan B if things don’t go your way
CAO offers: Be ready to consider Plan B if things don’t go your way
Guidance counsellors advise that many people have enjoyed hugely success careers having taken up courses further down their CAO list of preferences  

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Group of cheerful students
Your CAO questions answered: What students and parents need to know
Over 83,000 students applied to the CAO this year as Leaving Cert results and college offers collide in a record-breaking admissions season

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Girl Pointing At Test Result While Standing With Students
'The Leaving Cert is one of those things that always works out'
Students urged to 'logically process' exam results

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Leaving Certificate results
CAO 2025: Key dates to remember for college applications
Applicants have until January 20 to apply online to the CAO

Fri, 17 Jan, 2025

CAO 2025: Stem careers key to global success
CAO 2025: Stem careers key to global success
Given its importance, one might imagine that the pathway to Stem would be obstacle-free. But it is not, writes Rita de BrĂşn

Fri, 17 Jan, 2025

Exam cheating rises
CAO offers: Did your course go up? See all the first-round cut-off points
Some 56,571 people have been issued with first-round Central Applications Office (CAO) offers on Wednesday

Wed, 28 Aug, 2024

CAO offers: points requirements fall for 44% of degree courses
CAO offers: points requirements fall for 44% of degree courses
The pandemic may be over but its impact still very much lingers over the Leaving Cert and its points race.

Wed, 28 Aug, 2024

IE Explains: First-round CAO offers released — what now?
IE Explains: First-round CAO offers released — what now?
The acceptance date for round-one offers is no later than September 3, at 3pm

Wed, 28 Aug, 2024

Student who fled Ukraine offered college course after achieving 625 points in Leaving Certificate
Student who fled Ukraine offered college course after achieving 625 points in Leaving Certificate
Taisiia Korenska now speaks fluent English but said she was 'actually bad at English' while she lived in Ukraine

Wed, 28 Aug, 2024

Frustrated sad woman feeling tired
Colman Noctor: What about the Leaving Cert students who fall short? Six tips for parents
If your child fails to get the points or CAO offer they had hoped to achieve, parental support is vital 

Wed, 28 Aug, 2024

CAO offers: Slight fall in number of students receiving first-round preference
CAO offers: Slight fall in number of students receiving first-round preference
After the Leaving Cert results were issued last week, today is another big day for tens of thousands of students who were waiting to hear if they got their college course of choice

Wed, 28 Aug, 2024

Guy Waiting for the Bus
Colman Noctor: Adjusting to a new role when your child heads off to college
As the adult child becomes more independent, parents need to redefine their role from caretakers to mentors or supporters

Tue, 27 Aug, 2024

Jennifer Horgan: Little systemic change in Leaving Cert but there have been some positive steps
Jennifer Horgan: Little systemic change in Leaving Cert but there have been some positive steps
Among the positives is a shift in emphasis away from the bottleneck mindset that tended to funnel all students towards university

Fri, 23 Aug, 2024

School exam stock
Leaving Cert class of 2024 had over two-thirds of their grades bumped up this year
Move is thanks to the Government's 'post-marking adjustments' to ensure they fared as well as last year’s students

Fri, 23 Aug, 2024

Leaving Certificate results
Q&A: Leaving Certificate results are out today. What happens next?
A covid hangover looms large over Irish State examinations and  figures out today show that 68% of all grades were increased, compared to 71% in 2023 and 50% in 2022

Fri, 23 Aug, 2024

Diary of a Gen Z student: Leaving Cert is just one of the ways of getting to where you want to go
Diary of a Gen Z student: Leaving Cert is just one of the ways of getting to where you want to go
"There’s a back door, side door, and about 75 windows into every career. If tomorrow won't be what you hoped for, you’ll figure it out."

Thu, 22 Aug, 2024

More than 7,000 college place offers as part of latest round of CAO applications
More than 7,000 college place offers as part of latest round of CAO applications
Round Zero offers go to mature, deferred, graduate entry medicine, and access applicants

Thu, 08 Aug, 2024

Diary of a Gen Z Student: It may be hard to see it now, but the Leaving Cert isn't that important
Diary of a Gen Z Student: It may be hard to see it now, but the Leaving Cert isn't that important
In a few months, your life will look totally different. You’ll be finding the independence you’re craving.

Fri, 07 Jun, 2024

Business studies, health, nursing, and medicine most popular first preference choices for students
Business studies, health, nursing, and medicine most popular first preference choices for students
CAO received 76,899 applications by the February 1 closing date

Sat, 09 Mar, 2024

Leaving Certificate results
Students urged to apply for CAO before reduced fee deadline
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris said applying early 'does not require you to have course choices finalised'

Wed, 17 Jan, 2024

Jess Casey: CAO points fall in more courses than they increase across Munster
S Jess Casey: CAO points fall in more courses than they increase across Munster
Entry points fell in almost 60% of Level 8 courses, although the majority decreased by small margins

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

College place numbers
CAO: Harris welcomes reduction in number of courses offered by 'cruel' random selection
Last year, 47 courses went to random selection which sees entry to a course determined by a lottery. The number fell significantly to 17 courses this year

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

The student grant scheme has had some changes; here's what you need to know
The student grant scheme has had some changes; here's what you need to know
Applications have been open since April, but there is still time to apply if you think you may be eligible

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

CAO offers: 59% of students receive first preference degree course
CAO offers: 59% of students receive first preference degree course
Despite another year of record Leaving Cert results, which were boosted after initial marking to keep in line with the Class of 2022, points have dropped for more than half (52.4%) of Level 8 college courses

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

Shocked young woman reading unexpected bad news, sitting at desk
If you didn't get the CAO offer you wanted, you may opt to appeal a Leaving Cert grade
There are a few important factors to keep in mind about the process, and it's not a decision to be made lightly

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

CAO offers: Did your course go up? See all the first-round cut-off points
CAO offers: Did your course go up? See all the first-round cut-off points
Here, you can use the Irish Examiner's interactive CAO calculator to find the latest points information for both Level 8 and Level 7/6 courses

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

Leaving Certificate results
Q&A: Everything you need to know about CAO offers and what to do next
Today, almost 84,300 people who applied for college places through the Central Applications Office (CAO) will find out if they have received an offer when the first round of cut-off points is published.

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

Returning students face six-hour commutes or dropping out as housing crisis bites
Returning students face six-hour commutes or dropping out as housing crisis bites
'I’ll have to wake up at around 4 am to get the bus from Waterford at five to be in campus for eight in the morning'

Mon, 28 Aug, 2023

File photo An online petition calling for the Leaving Cert to be cancelled has been signed by over 26,000 people. The current pl
Leaving Cert reform, teacher training costs, hidden funding cuts: The year ahead in schools
Principal warns that lessons must be learned from junior cycle reform in the handling of Leaving Certificate changes

Mon, 28 Aug, 2023

SITTING LEAVING CERT
S Jennifer Horgan: Students pushed into shameful points lottery that defines who they become
I’m an educator with a passion for education. The Leaving Cert has little to do with education

Fri, 25 Aug, 2023

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