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CAO process applications to undergraduate courses in 3rd level
colleges.
CAO issue course offers and record acceptances.
Assessment of applications and decisions on admissions are
made by the Admissions Officers in the colleges not by CAO.
In order to be fair to all applicants, closing dates are strict and
therefore action should be taken in good time.
Do not leave everything to the last minute
CAO Timetable
Early Nov – Mid January
Closing date for receipt of early online applications; normally
€25
1st February
Closing date for receipt of normal applications; normally €40
Early February to Early March
Courses may be changed online including ‘restricted’, normally
€10
Early March
Closing date for final completion of online HEAR/DARE forms
Early April
Latest date for HEAR/DARE supporting documents to arrive to
CAO
Early May to Early July
Online change of mind facility becomes available (free)
Mid August
First round of offers will commence
There are two course choice lists and applicants may make up to ten
course choices on each list.
Level 6 &/or 7 courses
Level 8 courses
Ordinary Degrees (7)
Higher Certificates (6)
Honours Degrees (8)
Up to 10 course choices
Up to 10 course choices
The courses are clearly labelled in the CAO Handbook.
N.B. – Care must be taken with courses marked ‘Restricted’.
These courses cannot normally be applied for after February 1st due to
early assessments.
It is possible that a student will receive an offer on both lists.
They may then decide to accept either the Level 7/6 or Level 8
offer.
Apply online www.cao.ie
It is a very straight forward application
Access Demo facility in Student Resources
Always keep proof of sending application: print or save screen
receipt
Fill out both course lists in
Genuine Order of Preference
Do not include courses on the basis of your predictions of next
years cut off points or your own points scores
These are the applicants for CK101 Arts in UCC
Students are placed in a queue for each course they applied for, their position in
the queue is determined by their points. The student with the highest points is
placed at the top of the queue. The points achieved by the student in red
determines his position in the queue for each course he applied to.
The students marked in green have enough points to be offered places.
The student marked in red has enough points for his second preference.
The student in red is offered his second preference, the highest preference
course that he has enough points for, and he will now disappear from the queue in
all his lower choices. Placing DN201 as his second preference meant that he would
prefer to receive an offer on DN201 than on any other course except CK101 which is his first preference.
Having been offered his second preference he must now decide to accept it or to
do nothing. If he does not accept the offer the place will be offered to another
applicant in the next round of offers.
Regardless of whether he accepts or not he will still be considered for an offer on
his first preference if a place becomes available. In the second round, one more
offer was made on CK101 and our applicant is now at the top of the queue.
In the third round of offers two more offers are made on CK101 and our applicant,
who was at the top of the queue, now receives an offer.
He may do nothing and remain in DN201 or he may accept the offer and begin
CK101.
 You do not need to guess what the points are going to be for the
courses you are interested in.
 Simply list your courses in genuine order of preference from
the highest preference 1, to the lowest preference 10.
 If you are entitled to an offer, you will be offered the highest
preference that you are entitled to.
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The easiest and most efficient way to communicate with CAO is
by using the 'Contact Us' facility on the CAO website
If you post something to CAO, always obtain a certificate of
posting at the post office.
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In the week following the release of the LC results CAO will
post a communication to all applicants.
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If you are entitled to an offer, you will be sent an offer notice.
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Offers will also be available on the CAO website.
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You may check for and accept offers on the website. In fact,
most applicants now record acceptances online.
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Your offer notice may contain an offer
for a Level 8 course or a Level 7/6 course or both.
If you receive two offers at the same time you may only accept
one of them.
If you wish to accept an offer of a place you must carry out the
instructions on the offer notice.
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If you want to defer your course place you must immediately
contact the admissions office of the college in question and
request permission to defer until the following year, outlining
your reasons.
You do not need to contact the CAO as the college will do that
on your behalf.
The most likely scenario is that the college will allow you to
defer.