CAO Applicant News

This page contains up-to-date news items for CAO Applicants. Always remember to read the CAO Handbook and any important correspondence sent to you by CAO throughout the application process.

23/04/2018
CAO Late Application facility closes on 1 May at 5:15pm   The CAO Late Application facility will close on Tuesday, 1 May at 5:15pm

You do not need to enter course choices at this point, if you wish, as you will have an opportunity to add course choices, free-of-charge, using the ‘Change of Mind’ facility from 5 May until 1 July at 5:15pm. [more...]

The following steps are provided by CAO as a guide for first-time applicants:

1. Read the CAO Handbook, then go to www.cao.ie and click on ‘Apply’.
2. Enter your personal information carefully in the spaces provided.
3. Select the ‘Qualifications and Assessments’ section that is relevant to you. You should select every section that is relevant to you.
4. Enter your payment details.
5. Create a password for your CAO account – you will need this password and your date of birth to log in to your account in future, so keep the details safe.
6. Click on ‘Proceed with Application’. Wait for your application to be processed. If successful, your CAO application number and personal information will appear on the screen – you will also receive an email and an SMS text if you have selected this option.
7. After this process has been completed, you can log in to your CAO account using the ‘My Application’ facility to provide additional information in support of your application, and to add, remove or re-order course choices, free-of-charge, using the ‘Change of Mind’ facility available from 4 May until 1 July at 5:15pm.

Please note, however, that restrictions do apply for both the Late Applications facility and the Change of Mind facility – in the case of restricted-category applicants and restricted courses. Details of all restrictions are listed in the CAO Handbook and on the CAO website.

23/04/2018
CAO Change of Mind facility opens Friday, 4 May   The CAO Change of Mind facility opens this Friday, 4 May at noon. [more...]

The Change of Mind facility allows registered applicants to add, remove or edit their course choices, as many times as they like, until 1 July at 5:15pm. This facility is free of charge and applicants can log in to their CAO account using the 'My Application' facility on the CAO website. Some restrictions do apply and applicants can find details of these in the CAO Handbook (pages 3 and 14).

For a guide on how to use the Change of Mind facility, you can watch the CAO Change of Mind Video Guide.

Please note the Change of Mind facility closes on 1 July at 5:15pm.

27/03/2018
HEAR/DARE Document Deadline - 1st April at 5:15pm   All applicants who have applied under the HEAR and DARE schemes are required to submit the relevant documentation to CAO by 1st April 2018 at 5:15pm. [more...]

Details of the documents required to support your application can be found at www.accesscollege.ie or on pages 9-12 of the CAO Handbook.

Please ensure that you include your CAO application number on each document.

19/01/2018
Apply online by 5:15 pm on 20th January to avail of the discounted application fee   Applicants who apply online to CAO by 5:15pm on 20th January will avail of a discounted application fee of €30 - the normal application fee of €45 applies if you apply between 20th January (after 5:15 pm) and 1st February at 5:15 pm. [more...]

Once registered on the system, you can log in to your account (via 'My Application') to update some of your information and add, remove or change the order of your courses choices free of charge up to 31st January.

You can also practise your application by using the Demo Application facility which is available in the Student Resources section of our website.  All applicants should read the CAO Handbook in its entirety before submitting a CAO application, and watch the video guides available here. 

09/08/2017
Closing date for Round Zero acceptances - Thursday, 10th August at 5:15 pm   Applicants who received an offer in Round 0 have until 5:15 pm on Thursday, 10th August to register an acceptance. Failure to accept an offer by the reply date will result in the offer being cancelled. [more...]

When you accept an offer, you will receive formal notification from CAO by post within three working days of the reply date. If you do not receive this correspondence, you must contact CAO immediately through www.cao.ie. If you accept your offer online, you will also receive an acknowledgement email, and you can check that your acceptance has been recorded online at www.cao.ie via the My Application facility.

All remaining applicants should note that Round 1 offers will be available online from 6am on Monday, 21st August.

02/08/2017
Round Zero offers available online from 6am on 3rd August   Round 0 offers will be available tomorrow, Thursday, 3rd August from 6am online. You can log in to the 'My Application' facility on the CAO website to check if you have received an offer. [more...] Successful applicants will also receive a paper offer notice by post, as well as an email and a text message (if you have selected this option) with details of your offer.

Round Zero offers concerns the following applicants - graduate entry medicine applicants, additional mature applicants, deferred and Access applicants, and applicants presenting QQI FET/FETAC qualifications for consideration for entry to courses with a quota for QQI FET applicants.

The reply date by which applicants must accept their offer is Thursday, 10th August at 5:15 pm.

12/07/2017
Closing date for Round A acceptances - Thursday, 13th July at 5:15 pm   Applicants who received an offer in Round A have until 5:15 pm on Thursday, 13th July to register an acceptance. Failure to accept an offer by the reply date will result in the offer being cancelled. [more...]

When you accept an offer, you will receive formal notification from CAO by post within three working days of the reply date. If you do not receive this correspondence, you must contact CAO immediately through www.cao.ie. If you accept your offer online, you will also receive an acknowledgement email, and you can check that your acceptance has been recorded online at www.cao.ie via the My Application facility.

A further offer round (Round Zero) will take place on August 4 for additional mature applicants, deferred and Access applicants, graduate entry medicine applicants, and applicants presenting QQI FET/FETAC qualifications for entry to courses with a quota for QQI FET/FETAC applicants.

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