Welcome to The Irish Times CAO Helpdesk for 2026. Using the form below, you can submit any questions you have about this year’s process, from points and Leaving Cert results, to appeals, deferrals and more.
Our education experts Deirdre Garrett and Brian Howard will be answering your questions from 11am today to give you quick and clear feedback as you navigate college offers, choices and deciding your next steps over the coming days. You can read their answers below.
Cian O’Connell – 7 minutes ago
Can you accept a Level 7 course and subsequently be offered a place on a Level 8?
If my daughter only gets offered a Level 7 course in round 1 and she accepts it, can she still be offered a level 8 in subsequent rounds? Thank you! – Anon
Yes. An offer of a level 8 will be made if your daughter meets entry requirements and has the necessary points in future rounds, regardless of whether she accepts a course from her Level 6/7 list. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 36 minutes ago
How to proceed with a deferral
I didn’t get the results I wanted. I think I have enough for one Level 8 course that I have on my CAO. If I get that offer, can I defer it and do a PLC for the year? Also, if I defer and want to change to another course next year, will I be able to do that on the CAO? – Niamh
So, deferrals are not definite. You must contact the college when you get your offer and ask for a deferral. One of the conditions of the deferral is that you only apply for that course the following year, and you pick up the course. However, if you put any other course on the new CAO application, then you are in open competition again and you loose your deferred place, so be careful how you proceed with this. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 39 minutes ago
Hello, my son got 251 points. He will be doing a PLC course but he feels this is a very low point score. Are there courses that do take points at the lower end of the scale? – Lucy McCann
Yes. Level 6 and Level 7 courses tend to require lower cut off points for entry. Level 8 is the highest qualification level that one can enter after Leaving Cert. Level 6/7 tend to be shorter in duration, requiring less points. They are often used as a scenic route/back door into a level 8. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 44 minutes ago
Can you miss out on CAO offers altogether?
Hi, what if all the courses in the CAO list require higher points than I obtained? Will I still have offers? – Anissa
CAO will only make offers to candidates who meet the necessary entry requirements and CAO cut off points. One may not receive a level 8 offer but could receive an offer from their level 6/7 list. Many other options exist, such as a Post Leaving Cert course (PLC), apprenticeship, tertiary course, etc. Have a listen to this. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 46 minutes ago
I cleared my course in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) by two points based on last year’s CAO offers. Is there a good chance that I will get it this year? – Siobhan Murphy
Yes, I would say you are in with a good chance, but as you know, until you get that offer there is no way of knowing for definite. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 48 minutes ago
My son got an O6 in maths, but it says unsuccessful in the explanations code, but it is 40-49%. Did he pass Maths for the LC? – Colette Macken
An O6 in Maths is a pass grade. I don’t have enough information about this to know what the ‘unsuccessful’ is about. Did your son sit both papers? Could he have received all his marks from one paper? Ultimately, he has an O6 which is a pass grade in Maths. I would suggest next Tuesday logging into the student portal and looking at the breakdown of marks in his Maths and this might shed light on what is going on. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 50 minutes ago
How do you appeal a result? – Carol Ann
Applying to view a script is optional. Applications to appeal results open at 10am on Sunday 30th August. This can be done online through your CSSP. Applications to appeal results will close at 5pm on Monday August 31st.
Cian O’Connell – 52 minutes ago
I got 433 points today, but I want to do teaching in Mary Immaculate College which is 444. Will I get it? – Eleanor Lambe
My opinion would be that it won’t drop that much. However, we won’t know until CAO offers are made at 2pm on Wednesday. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 53 minutes ago
I got 601 points and want to do Pharmacy at University College Cork (UCC), which was 602 last year. Do you think I will get it? – Lucy
There is no way of knowing for sure, however there are a lot of new pharmacy courses in the system this year, so that might help alleviate the points required in the existing courses. Fingers crossed you’ll make it. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 56 minutes ago
Will CAO points for medicine go down? – Pal
There’s no way of knowing I’m afraid, it’s just wait and see next Wednesday. Best of luck. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 59 minutes ago
Accessing CAO points for students that completed their exams abroad
My daughter is waiting for CAO offers as a student who completed her exams in Italy. We submitted all necessary documentation, but we can’t seem to find out how many CAO points her results translate to. She has applied to IADT Dunlaoghaire for a portfolio combined points course. Can you give me an idea of where to find this information? – Geraldine Murphy
Would this be useful to you? International entry requirements guidelines. Get back in touch if you need more information. I would advise you to contact the college. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Amy Bracken (18), holds her Leaving Certificate with her mother Cheryl Bracken (right) and neighbour Elaine Hewitt (left). For the first time ever, students with special educational needs who have undertaken the L1 and L2 learning programme modules received their results on the same day as other Leaving Certificate students at St. Catherine’s Special School in Newcastle, County Wicklow. Photograph by Clodagh Kilcoyne/The Irish Times
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
I’m just slightly under the points for Business, Economics and Social Studies (BESS) in Trinity, and Commerce in UCD. Should I go to DCU or just get comfortable on the dole while I still have time? – Alastair Beckett
If you get offered a Business course in DCU, that is a very good offer and you should definitively carefully consider accepting this. Go online and do a bit of research into the course at this stage. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Lower points for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Galway?
Will Arts in University of Galway (UG) come down in points this year? – Louise Flannery
It is too hard to know. It is a popular course; for example, GY101 saw a big jump in 2025. We will have to be patient and wait until Wednesday at 2pm. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
My son is very keen on studying law. He had DCU on his list which is about 496 points, and he has received 476 points. He is eligible for DARE because of ADHD and dyspraxia- how much does DARE generally compensate? – Meadhbh Quinn
DCU reserves 5 per cent of places on programmes for eligible DARE applicants. Some programmes with *Restricted Entry are excluded from DARE. DARE operates on a priority system, generally giving priority to those with sensory or physical needs. Available places are offered to those students ranked highest by the points scale and points reduction is impacted by a demand for a programme and also by how many DARE places they have on a course. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
My son got lower grades in Classics and Business than expected. As a result, his points are lower than he needed. He got 520 points but needed 555 to do actuarial maths in DCU. – Clare O’Flynn
I would suggest he should apply to view his papers to see if there are any discrepancies in the marking of both of these papers. If there is any sign of an issue in them, he should carefully consider getting them rechecked. Also, he should research carefully his lower preferences as there is a chance he will be offered one of them in round one and it may be his only offer. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
How likely is a significant rise in points requirements?
Hi, my son got about 25 points more than last year’s requirement for his first choice course. How likely do you think he is to get it? Would points rise by more than 25 points? It seems like it would be a very large increase. – Fiadh
I cannot say for definite as CAO course points will not be known until 2pm on Wednesday. Stay confident. I would be confident. A rise of 25 points could happen, but it is more unlikely than likely. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Is it worthwhile appealing results?
How does the appeals process work? I want to appeal some results but I’m not sure if it’s worth going through all that trouble… – Joshua
View your script first. This will help you make your mind up regarding as to whether to appeal or not. Please make yourself aware of important dates for viewing of scripts and appeals here – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Difficulty accessing PLC website
The plc website is down. How can I sign up for some courses? – Oscar
Search colleges of further education that are near you. You should be able to make an online application to one that interests you. Try look to see what the PLC requirement is for your desired third level course. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Hi, my son was 10 points short of the predicted points for architecture. What can he do? – Fiona
Architecture is on offer at six colleges of higher education. Some of these take students from PLC/QQI courses. I would advise you to review CAO Architectural level 8 courses and PLC options. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Will 489 points get me marketing in DCU? – Brid
2025 final round points for this course were 487. We have no indication of points for CAO courses in 2026. We won’t know until 2pm on Wednesday. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
I know it’s hard to tell, but do you think points for primary school teaching will fall even a small bit? – Karen
Unfortunately not, we have no indication that primary points are going to change one way or the other, it’s just a waiting game until next Wednesday. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
I got 414 points and applied for DN520 Arts in UCD. What are the chances of getting this course? Last year it was 420 points.
This course saw a one-point increase in 2025. It is a popular course and UCD is a demanded location. Points can fall. Nobody will know CAO 2026 points until 2pm on Wednesday. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Will points for Veterinary Medicine drop?
I am hoping to study Veterinary Medicine and have applied to the available programmes at UCD, ATU and SETU. Considering the lower overall Leaving Certificate results this year, and the introduction of new veterinary programmes, do you have any indication of the likely 2026 CAO points for these courses?
Unfortunately not. We are all anxiously waiting to see the effect of the two new veterinary courses on Veterinary Medicine in general this year, what the points will be in the new courses, and whether will this have an effect on the existing UCD course. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Kendra Hopkins (18) hugs her friend Leon McKenny (18), as they hold their Leaving Certificates. For the first time ever, students with special educational needs who have undertaken the L1 and L2 learning programme modules will get their results on the same day as other Leaving Certificate students at St. Catherine’s Special School in Newcastle, County Wicklow. Photograph by Clodagh Kilcoyne/The Irish Times
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
My son got 544 points, and is Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) eligible. Realistically, could he get a place on the Business, Economics and Social Studies (BESS) course in Trinity College Dublin? – Rachel O’Farrell
Trinity College Dublin reserves 25 per cent of places on every course for students with disabilities (DARE), students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds (HEAR), and mature students. On courses with a quota of more than 40 places, approximately 8 per cent are DARE places, on smaller courses there may be only one or two places. Your son will be competing with other DARE students for these places. It will very much depend on the demand for DARE places and the points obtained by other DARE candidates. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
How do I know which papers are going to be available online and which ones in original format? Does it vary per subject? – Sara
All subjects that were marked online will generally be available to view online in the CSSP. A list of these subjects is available in Appendix 2 at the back of the Candidate Information Guide 2 on www.examinations.ie. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
On average, what is the highest that points for any particular course could rise by? – Jessie
There is no way of knowing this really. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
Leaving Cert appeals process explained
My daughter would like to have two subjects rechecked. If she gets upgraded, how does this work in terms of CAO offers? – Elaine
The CAO will make an offer once the candidate satisfies the minimum entry requirements and the necessary cut off points. The State Examinations Commission will liaise with the CAO on appeal results. The CAO will then update offers, if eligible, via CAO account. This will be in round 5. Round 5 offers will be available from 10am on Tuesday, 29th Sept. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
How can I see my results? – Philip Dunne
You can log into the Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP) – 2026 using your exam number and password on www.examinations.ie. Or, if you were in a school last year, you can go into your school to pick up a provisional copy of your results there. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
What happens if grades are upgraded on appeal?
If grades are upgraded on appeal and the student then reaches the points criteria for a course, will they automatically be offered the place for the current year post appeal? – Claire Foley
CAO will make an offer if places are still available on the course in question. The candidate can choose to enter into this course subject to availability or defer their place to September 2027. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 1 hour ago
How and when can I review my marked paper and see how it was graded? – Adam Gavin
The breakdown of results of oral/aural/practical components and exact marks are available from 12 noon on Tuesday Aug 25th. One can access this using their Candidate Self Service Portal (CSSP). – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago
Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago
My son has Primary School Teaching down for St Pat’s in DCU, and is four points over last years requirements. Do you feel points are likely to go up, and if so, by how much? – Joanne Heaney
The overall sense is that points should maybe drop a little since the Post-Marking Adjustment (PMA) has dropped from 5.8 per cent last year to 4 per cent this year, so that is positive. However, the overall numbers sitting the LC this year are up considerably, and there are 20,000 CAO applicants this year who sat their LC in a previous year, so there is a lot of competition. Unfortunately, there is no way of saying definitively what courses will go up or down, but having four points over last year is a good position to be in, so fingers crossed. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago
Hi, my child got way lower points than expected. He got much higher in mocks and all of his exams – how can this happen? – Jan
Your child may still get offered a course of interest on Wednesday. Breakdown of results and exact marks are available at 12 noon on Tuesday, Aug 25th. I reccommend that you apply to view your scripts. You can appeal results if you are still not happy. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago
Is it too late to apply for an apprenticeship?
Looks like my daughter has missed out on most of her CAO course choices; is it too late to apply for a PLC or apprenticeship?
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. The good news is it is certainly not too late to apply for other options such as PLC courses, Tertiary Courses and Apprenticeships. Not all will still be available, so if you have an idea of what you want to apply for, make contact with the institution or apprenticeship.ie as soon as possible to find out if they still have vacancies. – Brian
Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago
Primary school teaching points query
Hello, I received 488 points in my Leaving Certificate today and I want to do primary school teaching in Mary Immaculate College (MIC). This is only two points over the minimum from last year. How likely am I to secure a place? Please, I am so worried. – Christina Guiry
Congratulations on doing so well. Points won’t be made public until after 2pm on Wed 26th August. MIC was 484 pts last year. Points can continue fluctuate from round 1 right until the final round 5. Round 5 happens after appeal results have been released. The best of luck. – Deirdre
Cian O’Connell – 2 hours ago
Percentage breakdown of Leaving Cert results
When do percentages become available? – Barry
At 12 noon on Tuesday August 25th, you will be able to access a full percentage breakdown of your results. – Deirdre