CAO Points Explained for International Applicants
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Irish universities admit most school leavers on one number: CAO points. A course does not set its points in advance. It fills its places from the top of the list down, and the score of the last person admitted becomes that year's "points". This guide explains the scale, how foreign results are fitted onto it and how to read the published figures. The application itself is covered in how to get into a university in Ireland.
The 625-point scale
Irish students sit the Leaving Certificate. Their six best subjects from one sitting count, with these points:
| Higher Level | Points | Ordinary Level | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | 100 | ||
| H2 | 88 | ||
| H3 | 77 | ||
| H4 | 66 | ||
| H5 | 56 | O1 | 56 |
| H6 | 46 | O2 | 46 |
| H7 | 37 | O3 | 37 |
| H8 | 0 | O4 | 28 |
| O5 | 20 | ||
| O6 | 12 |
Higher Level mathematics at H6 or above earns 25 bonus points, counted only if mathematics is then among your best six. Six H1s give 600; with the bonus, the maximum is 625.
Points are not the only hurdle. Each course has minimum entry requirements, such as a pass in English or mathematics or a grade in a science. If you miss one, your points do not count for that course.
How your result is converted
- EU, EFTA and UK school-leaving certificates are turned into an Indicative Points Score using tables the universities agree each year and publish on the CAO website. Each country has its own page, with a minimum result, a minimum English grade and a conversion table.
- IB Diploma: 24 points give 350 CAO points, 38 give 520, and 44 or 45 give 600. Grade 4 or better in Higher Level mathematics adds 25. Details are in IB Diploma admission in Ireland.
- European Baccalaureate: 50% gives 350 points and 95% or more gives 600. Grade 6 or better in five-hour mathematics adds 25.
These figures are from the edition for 2026 entry; the universities revise it every year. Results from one sitting are converted. Predicted grades are not accepted. If you live, or have lived, outside the EU, the CAO handbook warns that some universities may ask you to apply to them directly. Ask each admissions office before 1 February 2027.
How offers are made
- After results are out, applicants for each course are placed in order of merit, highest points first.
- Each university tells the CAO how many offers to make; if a course makes 25 offers and you are 20th, you get an offer.
- You get the highest course on your list that you qualify for, and no offer for anything lower. So list courses in your real order of preference, not by your chances.
- Places declined in round one go to the next applicants in round two, and the points can fall.
Courses with a test, interview, portfolio or audition, and undergraduate medicine, rank applicants on a combined score on a different scale. For medicine, points above 550 are scaled down and added to an HPAT score out of 300, for a maximum of 865.
Random selection
Before ranking, every applicant gets a random number for each course. It matters only when people tie on the last places. If five applicants on the same points compete for three places, the three with the highest random numbers get offers and the other two go to the top of the waiting list. The number has nothing to do with when you applied.
How to read a points list
The CAO's 2026 list for honours degrees uses these signs:
| Sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A number, such as 540 | Points of the last applicant offered a place |
| * after the number | Not everyone on this score got a place: random selection was used |
| # before the number | Test, interview, portfolio or audition; the score is on a different scale |
| AQA | All qualified applicants got an offer |
| v | New competition for the available places |
Examples from the 2026 list: University College Dublin's Science course needed 540 in round one and 533 in round two. Its Commerce course showed 554*, so some applicants on 554 missed out. Its undergraduate Medicine showed #738*, a combined score with HPAT that cannot be compared with ordinary points.
Using last year's points
- Treat them as a guide. They depend on how many people applied and how many places there were. A course can rise or fall from one year to the next.
- Look at more than one year. Our Ireland entry scores page shows round-one points for 2024 to 2026 on the 0 to 625 scale. We leave out courses with tests or portfolios.
- Watch for the asterisk. If a course you need showed an asterisk at your likely score, you may be in a lottery for the last places.
- Keep a safer choice. Add courses below your expected score further down your list. The free Change of Mind facility lets you reorder choices until 1 July 2027.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in Ireland
- IB Diploma: university admission in Ireland
- Document recognition for Ireland
- How much it costs to study in Ireland
- All 1,049 programmes in Ireland
Official sources
- CAO: Leaving Certificate points grid
- CAO: random number, how it works
- CAO: points required for entry to 2026 level 8 courses
- CAO: entry requirements for EU/EFTA/UK applicants (2026 edition)
- CAO Handbook 2027
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.