CAO move takes some of the pressure off students

LEAVING CERTIFICATE students face less of a nail-biting wait this summer as they can find out if they have been offered a college place a day earlier than usual.

First-round offers will be posted by the Central Applications Office (CAO) on the Monday after the exam results are issued, just like in other years.

But applicants will be able to check the CAO website that morning, August 23, to see if they have received an offer. In previous years, offers could not be accessed online until the Tuesday morning. Around 60,000 people have applied for college places through the CAO system, 2,500 fewer than last year.