CAO offers: Answers to students' most frequently asked questions

If you don’t accept the round one offer, it will be assumed you did not want the course. You will not be offered any more courses from the list that this course is on.

I got offered my first choice – what now?

This is the best outcome if you filled your CAO lists correctly and put the courses you most want at the top.

Next step is to log in and accept it before the reply date on your offer notice.

If you don’t accept the offer, it will be assumed you did not want the course. You will not be offered any more courses from the list that this course is on.

If I accept an offer, will I get any more offers?

Yes, except if the course being offered is your number one choice.

Accepting an offer of a course that is lower on the list than your number one course choice still allows you to receive further offers.

I want a course lower on my list

It’s too late to change the order of preference on the CAO lists and if the desired course is lower than your top 3, the chances are slim of getting an offer because according to 2025 figures, 51% of Level 8 applicants were offered their first choice, while 90% were offered a course in their top 3.

At Level 7/6 the figures are higher with 90% being offered their first preference and 99% being offered one of their top 3 courses.

One possibility is to check if there are unfilled places on the desired course listed in the Available Places section of the CAO website. 

I have accepted my offer. What now?

When you accept an offer, you will receive an e-mail from CAO. The offering institution will contact you about registration. Any further enquiries should be addressed to the Admissions Office of the offering institution.

I have already accepted an offer and received a new offer. What to do?

-If you prefer this course to the one you have previously accepted, act fast and accept it by the “Reply Date”. This automatically cancels your previous acceptance.

-If you do not want to accept the new offer - do nothing. Your previous acceptance still stands.

I received an offer but don’t want it. What should I do?

No action is required to refuse an offer. Your name will remain on the waiting list for any course(s) higher in your order of preference than your current offer. If the offer was for the course highest on your list of preferences, no further offers will be made from this list.

How do I defer?

If you wish to defer an offer of a place, do not accept your offer through the CAO.

Instead, you must immediately email the Admissions Office of the appropriate HEI. Give your name as it appears on your CAO application, quote your CAO application number and the course code of the offer you wish to defer, and set out the reason(s) for the request.

Applicants must mark “DEFERRED ENTRY” clearly in the subject line of the email.

You can also check the website of the relevant HEI to see if they have a deferral policy available online that you can refer to.

The email must arrive in the Admissions Office of the institution at least two days before the ‘Reply Date’ shown on the Offer Notice.

The HEI will communicate their decision to you directly.

If the deferral is not granted you may then accept the offer for the current year providing you accept the offer by the ‘Reply Date’.

You must send all communications about deferrals to the appropriate Admissions Office and not to CAO.

I want to defer my offer but I might change my mind before I start next year 

Students can change their mind about a deferred course place. If they do not want to take up the place, they can list the courses they are interested in into their next CAO application. By doing this they are foregoing their deferred place.

I received No Offer 

The main reasons for this may be minimum points or entry requirements haven’t been met, or applicant information has been left out or entered incorrectly into the CAO system.

Inform CAO of any incorrect application information so the account can be updated and Admissions Officers will be asked assess your application again in time for the next relevant round of offers.

Should I Accept My 2nd or 3rd Choice Went I Won’t Get a Higher Offer?

Research the course fully so you understand what it entails and what it can lead to before making a decision.

If I appeal a paper and get the points I need, will I get a place on my first course?

The college will give you a late offer if they still have places on the course. They may have to hold a place for you on this course for the next academic year.

If I defer my place, can I still apply for Available Places?

Yes, as long as you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Helplines: For free professional help from fully qualified guidance counsellors, call the IGC Helpline 1800 265 165 or text GUIDANCE to 086 1800 685. 

The Central Applications Office (CAO) processes applications; see cao.ie for more information.

Important dates for CAO offers, appeals, rechecks

On August 26th, the CAO sent out their first round offers online, via e-mail and SMS text. Applicants who didn’t receive an offer should have received a Statement of Application.

NOTE: There is plenty of time allowed to accept first round offers. However, offers made in subsequent rounds must be accepted within 2 days, specifically by 3pm on the second day after receiving the offer. 

Key dates for offers

27th August: Available Place facility opens. This is where newly available courses or unfilled course places are listed. Available Places are open to CAO applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements whether they have registered with the CAO or not. Application is through the CAO website. There is a fee of €50 for applicants who haven’t previously registered with CAO.

1st September, 3pm: Deadline for accepting first round offers.

7th September: Round 2 Offers available.

9th September: Deadline for accepting Round 2 offers.

15th September: Round 3 offers available.

17th September: Deadline for accepting Round 3 offers.

22nd September: Round 4 offers available.

24th September: Deadline to accept Round 4 offers.

29th September: Round 5 offers available.

1st October: Deadline to accept Round 5 offers. No further offers are made after this date.

Rechecks and appeals 

Dates for viewing exam scripts and applying for rechecks. 

Requesting to view exam scripts and submitting an appeal is done through the Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP) account.

29th August: The deadline to apply to view scripts has passed and students querying their results will be able to review their manually marked scripts in person for three hours on August 29th , and their online marked scripts for 24 hours from 9am on August 29th . There is no cost for this facility.

30th August: Students seeking to appeal an exam result can do so online from 10am on August 30th until 5pm on August 31st.

25th September: This is the estimated date Appeal Results will be available.

Cost: It costs €40 to appeal the result of each Leaving Cert subject. Leaving Cert Applied students pay €15.50 per subject being appealed. That money is refunded if the appeal is successful.