What is the CAO?
The Central Applications Office (CAO) processes applications for undergraduate courses in Irish higher education institutions including universities (NUI Galway, UCD, UCC, Trinity, UL, DCU, Maynooth), Institutes of Technology, Technological Universities and colleges of education.
How the CAO Application Works
Students apply online at www.cao.ie. The process works as follows:
- You list up to 20 course choices in order of preference (Level 8 and Level 7/6 on separate lists)
- The CAO does not see your order — only you know
- When results come out, the CAO uses your points and your preference order to make offers
- You receive one offer per list (the highest preference you qualify for)
Application Fees (2025)
- Online application: €30 (by 1 February)
- Late application: €60 (by 1 May)
- Change of mind: Free (online up to 1 July)
- Paper application: €45
Points System
Your best six subjects are counted. You must include:
- English (or a specified language requirement)
- Mathematics (for most courses)
- A language (Irish or another modern European language) for some courses
Visit our Points Calculator for the full grade-to-points conversion.
Offer Rounds
- Round One: Usually mid-September — the main round of offers
- Round Zero: For mature students and certain categories (August)
- Subsequent rounds: September through October — places that become available as students accept or decline
- Each round, the CAO re-runs the algorithm and makes new offers
Change of Mind
You can change your course preferences for free online until 1 July. This is useful if you:
- Re-evaluate your choices based on predicted performance
- Discover a new course or career path
- Want to reorder based on new information about points requirements
Accepting an Offer
You accept your offer online through the CAO website. You can also defer for a year with most institutions. If you accept a course, your other offers are automatically withdrawn for that list.
HEAR and DARE Schemes
HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) — Reduced points entry for students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) — Reduced points for students with disabilities. Both require separate applications by 1 March.