CAO Offers FAQ

1. When will I receive my offer?
    
   The 2025 Offers and Acceptances Schedule has not been agreed. CAO will publish this information as soon as it becomes available.

2. Why didn’t I receive an offer?
    
   You should carefully check your account information for any errors or omissions. You should also check that you have met course minimum entry requirements and required points score. Consult HEI literature or contact HEIs directly for information on minimum entry requirements. For QQI FET/FETAC requirements, go to www.cao.ie/qqisearch
   
   You can view points charts at cao.ie/points.
   
   If corrections need to be made to your examination, exemption or account information, please inform CAO immediately.
   
   Leaving Certificate examination updates can be made from 03 August at 10am – 22 August at 12pm. You can edit your Leaving Certificate examination number from the Qualifications and Assessments section of your application. This data will be updated to your account by noon on 24 August.
   
   QQI updates can be made from 03 August at 10am - 14 August at 10am. You can edit your QQI examination details (i.e. PPSN) from the Qualifications and Assessments section of your application. This data will be updated to your account by noon on 24 August.
   
   For all other errors or omissions, we will take the information provided, process it, and then update it to your account. We will then ask the Admissions Officers if they will assess your application again in time for the next relevant round of offers.

3. Why am I ineligible?
    
   Usually because you have not met the minimum entry requirements e.g. 3 H5 grades. Consult the literature or the Admissions Office(s) of the relevant institution(s).
   
   If you are a QQI FET applicant, you can check the course requirements at www.cao.ie/qqisearch

4. My points are incorrect.
    
   Have you checked your CAO account information? Are the results correct? Are you counting more than six subjects? Have you checked the Applicant Scoring Section of the CAO website (in Applicants page)? With regard to the treatment of Foundation Level Irish and Maths, consult the literature or the Admissions Office(s) of the relevant institution(s). The points calculator for Leaving Certificate candidates can be found here:
   Points Calculator
   Remember, you may not combine LC results from different years for scoring purposes, but you may do so for minimum entry requirements purposes (with the exception of entry to Medicine).

5. There is a mistake in my application, what should I do?
    
   If some of your examination information is missing or incorrect, you must update this information in the Qualifications and Assessments section of your application.
   For more information see the following FAQs:
   Adding/editing personal or exam information

6. I have updated my examination information online but my account hasn’t been updated.
    
   When CAO is informed of examination data during the offer phase, we will take the information provided, check it, and then update it to applicant accounts. We will then ask the Admissions Officers if they will assess your application again in time for the next round of offers.

7. My QQI FET, FETAC, NCVA, VCE / other qualification / was not taken into account.
    
   Please check your CAO account to ensure that your examination information is complete and correct. If you are satisfied that all of your information is recorded correctly, you can then contact the appropriate Admissions Office(s) for more information on the assessment of your application.

8. My GCE/GCSE results are not recorded on my application.
    
   In order to record missing GCE/GCSE grades at this stage, you must supply by post a certified copy of your results. 
   Documents supplied must be produced by the Exam Board (i.e. they must show the exam board logo) and must be certified photocopies.
   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.

9. I have posted examination results to CAO, what now?
    
   When we receive evidence of your results we will update your application records and ask the HEIs if they will assess your application again. The Admissions Officer will make the decision on whether to offer in a later round.

10. If I accept my current offer, does this mean I won’t receive any offers in later rounds?
     
    You can accept your current offer and you will still be considered for your higher preference courses in later offer rounds (if a place becomes available and you are deemed eligible). Accepting or not accepting your current offer will not prevent you from receiving subsequent offers of higher preference courses.

11. I want a course lower in my preferences than my current offer, what can I do?
     
    You cannot move down in your order of preference and you cannot now change your order of preference (unless there are available places in one of your desired courses, see the Available Places section of the CAO website About Available Places).

12. I have accepted my offer, what happens next?
     
    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.

13. I have already accepted an offer in an earlier round and now I have a new offer, what should I do?
     
    

    • Accept the new offer by the 'Reply Date' if you prefer this course to the one that you have already accepted - this action automatically cancels your previous acceptance.
    • If you do not wish to accept the new offer you can simply do nothing and your previous acceptance will still stand.
    • If you wish to defer your current offer do not accept it now, you must contact the Admissions Office of the offering institution immediately by email with the text 'Deferred Entry' in the subject line of the email. See CAO Handbook page 28 or the CAO website for more information.

14. I received an offer but I don’t want it, what do I do?
     
    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 your current offer.

15. Will there be more offers issued?
     
    For details of subsequent offer rounds please click here.

16. I have not received any offers, what can I do?
     
    Carefully check your account information (including examinations and exemptions if applicable) and inform us of any errors or omissions.
    You may wish to consider applying for an Available Places course, see the Available/Vacant Places section of our website which can be found at the following link: Available Places
    Some additional offers will issue in subsequent rounds - for further information click here: Offer Dates
    If you are a school leaving applicant, you should consult with your guidance counsellor. There are a number of further education and apprenticeship options that you also might want to consider. It is important to remember that there are many options available to you if you do not receive an offer, or the offer that you were hoping for.

17. I want to defer, what should I do?
     
    If you wish to defer an offer of a place you do not accept your offer.
    Instead, you must email the Admissions Office of the appropriate HEI immediately. You must 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.

18. I want to apply for an Available Places Course, what do I do?
     
    For a list of courses with available places and instructions on applying, please visit the Available Places section of the CAO website: Available Places

19. How do I list my courses when applying for Available Places?
     
    Always place your course choices in genuine order of preference. This means find the course you want most and place this as preference 1. Then find the course you would next want and place as preference 2 and so on until you have used all choices. To do anything else is a serious mistake. If you still wish to be considered for any of the courses on your existing list of choices you must insert Available Place courses below those course choices. For more information on Available Places watch the video here: Available Places Video

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. Can you tell me about accommodation and/or course content?
     
    Contact the Accommodation Office and/or the Admissions Office of the offering institution.

23. How do I appeal a Leaving Certificate grade(s)?
     
    For all queries about the Leaving Certificate, including appeals please click here: www.examinations.ie

24. What happens if a Leaving Certificate result is regraded on appeal ?
     
    If you receive an upgrade and your revised result places you higher on the order-of-merit list than the last person who actually got an offer, then the Higher Education Institution will usually instruct CAO to either offer you a place to begin immediately or offer you a place deferred to the next year. The decision is made by the Admissions Office.

25. I have appealed some of my results, what happens if I get an upgrade?
     
    If you receive an upgrade and your revised result places you higher on the order-of-merit list than the last person who actually got an offer, then the Higher Education Institution will usually instruct CAO to either offer you a place to begin immediately or offer you a place deferred to the next year. The decision is made by the Admissions Office.

26. I am eligible for DARE – why didn’t I receive an offer?
     
    Not all applicants that are deemed eligible for DARE receive offers of places. DARE eligibility means you can compete for places on reduced points but the number of places is limited. For further information ask the admissions offices in the HEIs you applied to.

27. I am eligible for HEAR – why didn’t I receive an offer?
     
    Not all applicants that are deemed eligible for HEAR receive offers of places. HEAR eligibility means you can compete for places on reduced points but the number of places is limited. For further information ask the admissions offices in the HEIs you applied to.

28. I had the points for a course, but the published points have an * beside them, does this mean random number was used?
     
    The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) determine how applicants are selected, not CAO, and the HEIs have decided to use random selection when there are more applicants on the same score than there are places to be offered. For more information on Random Selection, please read here:
    Random number - How it works

29. What is my position on the waiting list for a course?
     
    If you wish to ask about your position on the waiting list please contact admissions offices. You will find contact details on the CAO website. Click on 'HEI contact details' and then click on Admissions Officers.

30. Can you give me information about fees/grants/scholarships?
     
    CAO has no information about fees/grants/scholarships etc. You may find www.studentfinance.ie and www.susi.ie are useful resources. Otherwise, you should contact the fees office of the Higher Education Institution you wish to attend.