Making an application to CAO on the basis of GCE A/AS Levels and GCSEs
You must tick category 3 in the Qualifications and Assessment summary and supply your examination details in the relevant tables in the CAO application.
What information is required in relation to current year examinations?
In the section headed GCE A/AS Level examinations TO BE TAKEN, you must provide the Exam Board, Centre Number, Candidate Number, Subject(s) and Level in the spaces provided.
How do I record prior year examination details?
In the section headed 2006-2026 GCE A/AS and/or GCSE Examination Details, you are required to enter the details of your prior year examinations (GCE/GCSEs taken prior to 2006 should be included under Other School Leaving Examinations category 4).
A list of subjects recognised by higher education institutions is available here: NUI list of recognised subjects.
This list is linked to the Subject drop-down menu for the section headed “2006-2026 GCE A/AS and/or GCSE Examination Details”. An explanation for “*” appearing next to some subjects in the dropdown menu can be found in the NUI list of recognised subjects.
Please ensure that you enter the correct year, sitting, level, subject and grade for all of your previously taken examination results including GCSEs as these are required in order to meet course minimum entry requirements.
You may only select a subject once per sitting.
The higher education institutions do not take account of the A-level subject ‘General Studies’ so you are not required to enter this subject in the table.
At GCSE level, Double Award Science should be entered in the table only once. You should include the higher of the two grades you have been awarded.
If you have completed an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) please select AS as the level and select EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) as the subject.
If you have completed an examination in a subject that appears on the NUI list of recognised subjects but for which there is no corresponding subject in the drop-down menu, please select Other.
Applicants completing examinations in Winter/Spring – January/March 27 sitting should supply copies of their results to CAO. CAO will arrange to add these results to the prior year examinations table for applicants.
Supporting documents and examination results
What documents do I need to supply?
You MUST submit copies of certificates/statements of results for examinations (other than summer 2027) to CAO immediately. Certificates or statements of results must be issued by the exam boards (containing the Exam Board logo). Documents produced by schools will not be sufficient.
You must retain original copies of your transcripts or certificates as you may be required to present these to HEIs in advance of registration. Failure to present the required documents upon request of a HEI may result in a HEI withdrawing an offer of a place or declining to register you as a student.
What happens if I send an incorrect document or forget to send a document?
When we are in receipt of your supporting documents, these will be checked against the information you have provided in your online application. If documents are not supplied to support your application then the results you have entered will not be considered for assessment purposes. You, the applicant, are responsible for sending the correct documents.
What happens when I get my summer 2027 examination results?
We expect to collect the results of summer 2027 ‘A’ and ‘AS’ level British and Northern Ireland examinations electronically from examining authorities in August. In order to do this, we must have your correct Centre and Candidate Number.
When the examination results are released in August we will send you an email with instructions to check your account for the results of ‘GCSE’, ‘A’ and ‘AS’ examination results on file in CAO. Copies of any certified examination results not appearing on your account should be sent to CAO without delay.
If you are completing A levels outside of the UK, you are advised to make arrangements to send results to CAO as soon as they are available. CAO cannot guarantee that we will have access to these results.
When will I be notified of an offer?
Applicants applying on the basis of GCE/GCSE qualifications are considered in Round One and subsequent rounds.
Notes
- Boards other than CCEA, CAIE (Cambridge), AQA, Pearson (Edexcel), OCR, WJEC, EDUQAS must be entered under Other School Leaving Examinations.
- Candidates for Extended Project Qualifications are required to enter the board, centre and candidate numbers under GCE/GCSE.
- BTEC/T Levels/Cambridge Technical Awards should be recorded under Other School Leaving Examinations (category 4).
- Prior year Cambridge Pre-U should be recorded under Other School Leaving Examinations (category 4).
For more information on qualifications and assessments for GCE applicants, visit CAO GCE information.