What have we actually learned from five decades of the CAO?

The CAO 'change of mind' opened on Tuesday — part of a set schedule by which parents and teenagers have marked the anxious year of the Leaving Cert for five decades

In situations where admission to a course can hinge on a handful of points, the system can encourage strategic subject choice and exam-focused learning rather than broader intellectual exploration. Picture: iStock

This year marks a significant anniversary of the creation of the Central Applications Office (CAO), the system through which applications are processed for undergraduate courses in Irish education. 

Introduced in 1976, the CAO was established to simplify the application and admissions process by allowing students to apply for a number of courses through a singular application. 

Fifty years on, this system has become a defining feature of the Irish education landscape. But the question is: What have we actually learned from five decades of the CAO?

Upon creation, the CAO was designed to provide a practical solution. Before its introduction, students had to apply separately to each university or college they wished to attend, often resulting in offers being made at different times and under different criteria. 

The CAO established a centralised, transparent system based on Leaving Certificate points. This approach streamlined admissions and reduced the administration burden on institutions. For the most part, it worked well: the process was now more transparent and predictable; it was easily understandable and relatively efficient.

However, the CAO also altered how schools, students and their families think about education. Over time, the points systems became more than a means for admission — it became a cultural reference point. Course points are discussed in kitchens, classrooms and the headlines every August. The yearly release of Leaving Certificate results has become something of an “end of summer” marker.

Research suggests this intense focus on points can influence how students approach their learning. A 2021 study highlighted that students experience significant pressure owing to the perceived high stakes of the ‘points race’. 

In situations where admission to a course can hinge on a handful of points, the system can encourage strategic subject choice and exam-focused learning rather than broader intellectual exploration.

Research has highlighted that students from more advantageous backgrounds are more likely to access high-point courses and ‘prestigious’ institutions. Factors such as school resources, parental education and access to guidance all play crucial roles.

Something else we have learned from 50 years of the CAO is that even systems that are designed to be fair can still lead to unequal outcomes. While on the surface, the points system treats applicants in a formally equal way, social and educational advantages can still influence who gets the highest results. 

Research has highlighted that students from more advantageous backgrounds are more likely to access high-point courses and ‘prestigious’ institutions. Factors such as school resources, parental education, and access to guidance all play crucial roles.

As a response, policymakers introduced measures to broaden access. The Higher Education Access Route (Hear) and the Disability Access Route to Education (Dare) were designed to recognise that academic points alone did not capture the entire picture of a student’s achievements. The introduction of Hear and Dare represented an important shift in thinking: acknowledging equality of opportunity sometimes requires more than identical rules for all.

A final lesson from the CAO’s long history is the importance of flexibility. The Irish higher education landscape has expanded significantly since the 1970s. New universities, the advent of technological universities and institutes of technology have broadened their offerings for students. 

Alongside such growth, the CAO has adapted to include new pathways such as further education progression routes and mature student entry.

Still, debates about reform continue. Critics have argued the system places too much emphasis on a single set of exams taken around the age of 17 or 18. Others have argued the CAO itself is not the real issue — it simply allocates places based on the criteria set by the institutions and policy makers. 

In a 2011 analysis of the Irish admissions system, it was noted the CAO is often blamed for problems that originate in the broader system of assessment and selection.

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Looking back over 50 years, we are reminded the CAO is not just a technical tool for admissions. It has shaped behaviour, expectations, and perceptions of fairness. The CAO succeeded in creating a transparent and efficient process for allocation of scarce places in higher education. Alongside this though, it also revealed how strongly incentives can influence a culture of schooling.

Perhaps the most important lesson is that no single admissions system can perfectly balance fairness, simplicity and flexibility. While each reform solves some problems, it often creates new tensions in the process. 

As Ireland continues to think about assessment, access and pathways to higher education, the next 50 years will likely involve further adaptation. What the last 50 years have shown is that systems endure not because they are perfect but because they evolve.

• Simon Clancy was a secondary school teacher in Ireland for nine years before joining the School of Education at the University of Limerick in 2023. His research is focused on initial teacher education and school placement.