Frequently Asked Questions

IMPORTANT: Please read this FAQ before sending an e-mail to CAO.

Please Note: Office contact hours are 09:30 to 17:00, Monday to Friday.

1. My points are incorrect.
   Are you counting more than six subjects? Try using the points calculator on the CAO website. With regard to the treatment of Foundation Level Irish and Maths, consult the literature or the Admissions Office(s) of the relevant institution(s).
    
2. Why am I ineligible?
   Usually because you have not met the minimum entry requirements e.g. 2 x Higher Level grade 5. Check your Offer Notice/Statement of Application Record to confirm all of your details are recorded completely and correctly, including your qualifications and examination details. Consult the literature or the Admissions Office(s) of the relevant institution(s).
    
3. How do I apply for deferral?
   See page 20 of the CAO Handbook . Send a request for a deferral to the Admissions Office of the institution, NOT to CAO. Do not accept your offer if you wish to defer.
    
4. I have forgotten my password/I am locked out of my account.
   If you have forgotten your password, please click the forgotten your password link on the My Application page. You must use the registered email address on your account. If your account is locked, it will be automatically reset at 7am the following morning.
    
5. Will I disqualify myself from other offers if I accept / refuse this one?
   No, not at all. See CAO Handbook page 17. Accepting or not accepting an offer will not prevent you from receiving an offer of a course higher up on your course choices if you are deemed eligible.
    
6. I do not want the course I have been offered. Can I get a place in another course which is lower in my order of preference than the one offered, or in a course for which I have not applied at all?
   Only if vacancies are advertised in those course(s) on the CAO website, www.cao.ie. See CAO Handbook page 20 or visit the ‘Available Places’ page on the CAO website.
    
7. My QQI FET, FETAC, NCVA, VCE / other qualification / was not taken into account.
   Contact the appropriate Admissions Office(s).
    
8. I have noticed an error in the information that CAO holds on file for me, what should I do?
   Please email us immediately via the Contact facility with details of the error/omission. Your account will be updated and considered for the next round of offers (depending on when the information is received by CAO).
    
9. Some or all of my A level results are missing.
   If you have received any further A level results you must supply certified copies of these to CAO by post. Documents must be produced by the examination boards (i.e. they must show the exam board logo) and must be certified. A certified photocopy means that you photocopy the documents and then bring both the originals and the photocopies to an acceptable person or body (School, University, Police Station, Admissions Office, Notary) where they will stamp the photocopy as being a true copy of the original.
    
10. My GCE/GCSE results are not recorded on my application.
    If any of your results are not recorded on your application you must supply certified copies of these to CAO by post. Documents must be produced by the examination boards (i.e. they must show the exam board logo) and must be certified. A certified photocopy means that you photocopy the documents and then bring both the originals and the photocopies to an acceptable person or body (School, University, Police Station, Admissions Office, Notary) where they will stamp the photocopy as being a true copy of the original.
     
11. I do not wish to accept the offer which I have been made.
    Thank you. You need take no further action. Your name will remain on the waiting list for any course(s) higher in your order of preference than the one not required.
     
12. What are my chances of a further offer?
    This is impossible to predict. You should consider the current offer as the last one which you will receive.
     
13. How do I get a Leaving Certificate grade rechecked ?
    Consult your school principal.
     
14. What happens if a Leaving Certificate result is regraded on appeal ?
    CAO would be notified automatically by the State Examinations Commission and you would be contacted about any new entitlement to a course.
     
15. Will there be more offers issued?
    Rounds of offers issue on 5 July, 2 August, 20 August, 29 August and weekly thereafter until places are filled. Offers will be available on the CAO website from 6am on the above dates, offer notices will be posted and an email will be sent to those being offered a place (exception - Round Two on 29 August - offers will be available from 10am and notices will NOT be posted in this round).
     
16. When are Available Place offers issued?
    Available Place offers will be issued from Round Three. Round Three offers will be available to view from 06:00 on Friday, 7th September. The Available Place facility operates on a weekly schedule of applications, offers and acceptances. Applications that arrive in CAO before 11:00 on a Monday will be processed and considered for offers on the following Thursday. Offers will be available to view on the CAO website from 6am on the Friday.
     
17. Do I have to pay a fee when returning my acceptance to CAO ?
    No payment is required when returning the acceptance for a place. Accounts for tuition fees, etc. will be sent separately. All enquiries about such fees should be directed to the Fees Office of the institution offering the place – not to CAO.
     
18. Can you give me information about grants?
    CAO does not deal with grants. Refer to www.susi.ie, your local authority or VEC, or the Fees Office of the institution making the offer. See also the website www.studentfinance.ie.
     
19. Can you tell me about accommodation and/or course content?
    Contact the Accommodation Office and/or the Admissions Office of the offering institution.
     
20. I have not received all my e-mails from CAO.
    You should check the e-mail address on your CAO account is correct. Also check the "Junk" or "Spam" folder in your e-mail account and mark CAO e-mails as "not junk" or "not spam".
     
21. I cannot add my exam number to my application.
    Applicants cannot add exam number details to their online account after the application closing date. However, you may e-mail your exam number or post your exam number to CAO and CAO will record it for you. Please include the year of exam and the correct exam number.
     
22. I have e-mailed to CAO my exam number but my online account was not updated.
    Online accounts are not immediately updated with exam number amendments that are e-mailed or posted to CAO. You should check your account at a later stage to check that the amendment is made.
     
23. I sat my Leaving Certificate before 2017, how will the changes to the grading scale and Common Points Scale affect me?
    For more information on the new Common Points Scale and how it applies to pre-2017 Leaving Certificate candidates, please click here.
    For answers to frequently asked questions about the new grading scale and Common Points Scale visit the FAQ section of www.transition.ie.