The CAO is an independent, non-profit private company. Its function is to process applications for undergraduate courses and some postgraduate courses on behalf of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). CAO points are determined by the Leaving Certificate grades of applicants, the number of available places, and the number of applicants and can, therefore, go up or down in any given year as a result of these factors. Data on CAO points is made available publicly on the CAO website. Enquiries regarding the CAO process and CAO statistics should be directed towards the CAO directly.
Changes to the conversion criteria for A-Level applicants to Irish higher education, via the CAO, were announced in December 2023, following a review led by Universities Ireland, representing universities on both sides of the border, and adoption of the resulting recommendations by all individual universities, for new entrants in 2025.
These changes will make it easier for students from Northern Ireland to study in this jurisdiction. Previously it was necessary for students from Northern Ireland to take 4 A-Levels – including one in mathematics – to achieve the maximum points of 625. However, most students sit only 3 A-Levels, with approximately 3% taking a fourth A-Level. From 2025 onwards students from Northern Ireland will be able to combine 3 A-Levels with an AS Level and, with top grades, attain 600 points in the CAO or 625 if one of the A-Levels is maths.
The new conversion criteria were widely publicised at the time and have been published on the CAO’s and individual universities’ websites since then. The full details are available on p88 of the CAO list of Entry requirements criteria for EU/EFTA/UK Applicants.
