CAO Application

We’ve condensed some key information you need to know in advance of your CAO application. Key dates, important considerations and links to further information included.

CAO Application Basics

Applications open 6th November. Apply before 20th January for discounted fee of €30 (€45 normal fee). It is particularly important to apply before 1st February for those applying to restricted courses, mature students, and students applying for DARE (Disability Access Route) or HEAR (Higher Education Access Route). You can check if your course is restricted by filtering by “restricted” courses here: https://www.cao.ie/courses.php.

Restricted courses are those requiring additional assessments, portfolios, interviews or auditions and include Medicine (graduate & undergraduate entry), Veterinary (graduate & undergraduate entry), Religious education courses, Art/Design courses, Music/Drama courses and Architecture. You can check whether courses are restricted in the CAO handbook linked below.

To apply go to the CAO website and click apply now to register on the CAO system which will give you your CAO application number. You will then need to fill out your qualification and assessments information, indicate if you wish to be considered for a maintenance grant (SUSI), indicate whether you will be seeking exemption from minimum entry requirements (for which you will also need to contact the relevant HEI admissions office directly) and introduce your course choices.

You can choose up to 10 level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree) choices and up to 10 level 6/7 (Higher Certificate / Ordinary Bachelor Degree) choices.

You are responsible for checking you meet the minimum eligibility requirements for the courses you choose. You can find this information on the relevant HEI’s website.

Make sure you enter your courses in order of true preference. If you would prefer to do a course that has lower points than another course – make sure you put your preferred course first!

You get offered a maximum of 1 course from your level 8 list and a maximum of 1 course from your level 6/7 list. You may get offered a higher preference course at a later offer round if not all course spaces are filled – but you will never get offered a lower preference course.

CAO Change of course / change of mind

You can change your course until 1st February for free. It costs €10 to change it between 6th February and 1st March. If you have applied to the CAO by 1st February, you can introduce restricted courses on your CAO application until 1st March through the change of course application.

You can change your mind (with restrictions) for free between 7th May and 1st July. Individual HEIs may have restrictions on late applications – for example may not consider late applicants from mature students and qualifications other than recent EU school leaving exams – CAO recommends checking individual HEI application webpages for more information.

Note you must have applied to the CAO by 1st February if you want to apply for restricted courses before. (You can introduce additional restricted courses until 1st March through the change of course – but you must have applied to the CAO by the 1st February initially). Exception: if you want to introduce a restricted course that has the same additional application requirements with a course you had applied for before 1st February you may be able to include it in a change of mind. CAO handbook recommends consulting the relevant HEI before including such a course on your change of mind. Exception 2: you can introduce medicine / veterinary courses until through late applications / change of mind until 1st July, but you need to have completed the HPAT exam which typically takes place in February (with application deadline mid January).

CAO Late Applications & Exceptional Late Applications

Late applications can be made between 5th March and 1st May. Note applications for restricted courses, mature applications and students applying for DARE/HEAR should apply by 1st February.

Applicants already attending an undergraduate course at a participating HEI and who entered through the CAO application system can make an exceptional late application to the CAO for €60. Some institutions have special procedures in place for students applying for other courses at the same institution. See the CAO handbook for more information.

CAO Deferrals

You can apply directly to the HEI for deferring an offered place. For more details see the CAO handbook, linked below.

Additional information

CAO handbook: http://www.cao.ie/handbook.php

Examinations – Undergraduate

• HPAT (Health Professions Admission Test) – runs in February. Registration deadline is 19th Janurary 2024 (late applications until 29th Jan at 5.15pm). HPAT handbook

Examinations – Graduate Entry

• GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admission Test) – runs twice a year in March and September. Register between November and 30th January 2023 10am for March exam (late applications until 10th February 2023 at 10am). Indicate on appropriate GAMSAT registration you are an applicant to an Irish program. GAMSAT handbook. This is also required for Graduate Veterinary applications.
• MSAP (Mature Students Admissions Pathway) – required for certain courses in NUIG, UCC, UCD and UL – runs in March. You can check whether your course requires the MSAP here. Run in March. Register by 29th January 2023 (late applications until 24th February 2023). 2024 dates TBC.
• Mature Student Nursing/Midwifery (NMBI) Assessment Test. Mature students have to take the NMBI assessment test Registration for the assessment is usually March / April and the assessment window is in May (mature student CAO entries must be in by 1st February). How to apply. (Further information on the test can be found here).

Maintenance grant – https://susi.ie/

Mature students – check your HEI’s definition of mature student, but typically a mature student is one who is at least 23 years old on the 1st January in the year they are applying. Usually mature applications need to be in by 1st February. Mature applicants need to fill in additional information on their CAO application form including a statement of interest and names of 2 references. Check your HEI for any supplemental information or forms required as par of your mature application. Mature applicants for certain HEI’s must apply directly to those HEI’s (see list here). If you want to be considered also on the basis of school leaving exams you can apply directly to the HEI and also through the CAO for these institutes.

DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) – DARE offers reduced points places to school leavers with disabilities leading to additional educational challenges, who are aged under 23 on 1st January in the year they are applying to the CAO. DARE applicants should apply to the CAO by 1st February, indicating you want to be considered for DARE and completing the relevant sections of the supplementary information form. You must also return completed, signed and stamped a educational impact statement and evidence of disability by post by 15th March. DARE application handbook including a list of participating institutions available here. The reduction in points for DARE places can vary every year. The amount of points a particular course is reduced by is dependent on a number of factors, such as: The overall number of places on the course, The number of reserved DARE places on the course, The number of DARE eligible applicants competing for these reserved places. Colleges will all have their own policies around requirements, for example you can see UCD’s requirements for DARE applicants along with average points here.

HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) – HEAR offers reduced points places and extra college support to school leavers under the age of 23 on 1st January in the year they are applying to the CAO who meet a range of financial, social and cultural indicators. HEAR applicants should apply to the CAO by 1st February and complete the HEAR online application form by 1st March. Supporting documents must be sent to the CAO by 15th March. List of participating institutions and a list of HEAR indicators can be found in the HEAR application handbook here. Colleges will all have their own policies around requirements, for example you can see UCD’s requirements for HEAR applicants along with average points here.

You can apply for both DARE and HEAR if they apply to you.

CAO points previous years – available here

CAO points calculator – available here

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Note: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this web page, we assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and do not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions.