Applying to the Central Applications Office (CAO) can be a daunting task as students need to be prepared to navigate strict deadlines, keep track of important documentation, and carefully choose their course preferences.
We’ve broken down everything you need to know about applying to the CAO below.
What is the CAO?
The Central Applications Office processes applications for undergraduate courses in Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Decisions on admissions to undergraduate courses are made by the HEIs who instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates.
The CAO is based at Tower House, Eglinton Street, Galway, H91 X25V, Ireland. You can contact them directly via their website or via post. As the CAO Team deals with a high volume of queries, it is recommended that you do not leave any questions or queries until the last-minute before deadlines.
How do I apply to the CAO?
You can apply to the CAO through their Online Application Portal. There is an online discounted fee of €35 if you apply before 20th January, after the 20th January the fee rises to €50.
Before applying to the CAO, applicants should thoroughly read the CAO Handbook which contains all the necessary information needed for the entire application process.
To start your application, head to the Apply tab on the CAO website. From there, you will be prompted to fill in a number of details including your name, date of birth, current address, email, telephone number etc. It is very important that you double check your email address is correct before you head to the payment stage for your application as this will be your main form of communication with the CAO.
What documents do I need to apply?
If you are a current year Leaving Certificate candidate, you must tick box number one to indicate this which ensures you are marked as awaiting results on the CAO system and no documentation for these results is yet present.
You cannot enter your current year examination number at this time. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) will provide 2026 Leaving Certificate Examination candidate data to the CAO, and at a later date you will be asked to confirm your Leaving Certificate Examination number is correct.
When Leaving Certificate results are released at the end of August, this information will be sent to the CAO. From there, each institution will be able to see your results and ensure you meet the Minimum Entry Requirements for your chosen courses.
If you are applying to the CAO in the process of obtaining a degree or certificate or completed a course in PLC/Further Education/Higher Education, you will need to provide documentation from your course of study. This can be uploaded directly onto the CAO or posted.
What is HEAR/DARE?
The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a third-level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers resident in the Republic of Ireland, who are underrepresented in Higher Education due to their socio-economic background.
Before submitting a HEAR application you should read the HEAR Handbook on the CAO website and discuss this with your parents, guardians, or guidance counsellor as there are certain parameters you must meet in order to apply.
The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third-level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education. DARE offers reduced points places to school leavers, who, as a result of having a disability, have experienced additional educational challenges in second-level education.
Before submitting an application, you should read the DARE Handbook on the CAO website. Before applying, check out if your chosen HEI has a designated DARE representative who will be able to help you through the application process.
We have also prepared a short guide that breaks down applying the HEAR and DARE schemes into bitesize chunks, that you may find useful.
How do I choose what courses to apply for?
That's a great question! It can be hard to choose what you'd like to study from the many course options available on the CAO.
Here's a few things you can do to narrow down your choices:
- Chat to your school guidance counsellor about study areas you're interested in.
- Take an online aptitude test.
- Visit Open Days and get a feel for college life.
- Volunteer for work experience in areas you're interested in to see if you'd enjoy it.
You should also research the Minimum Entry Requirements for any course you wish to apply for.
How does the preference system work?
When entering your course choices, it is extremely important that you list your courses based on your
order of preference and not on assumptions about examination performance or what you think the points will be for a course. You should put down your preferred option (the course you most want to study) as number one.
Students can apply for Level 6/7 and Level 8 courses through the CAO. Level 6/7 and Level 8 courses are considered separately. This means that may receive an offer from each list.
National Framework of Qualifications.
At the offer stage, you will receive an offer of the course highest on your course choices list(s) that
you are deemed eligible for, if any. For example, if you receive your first preference Level 8 course in
Round One you will not receive an offer for a lower Level 8 preference in subsequent rounds.
What are the main CAO deadlines?
- 1st February, 17:00 - Normal closing date for applications.
- 5th February, 12:00 - Online facility to amend course choices becomes available (€10 Fee).
- 1st March, 17:00 - Closing date for amending course choices, closing date for completion of mature section of application form, closing date for final completion of online HEAR/DARE forms.
- 5th March, 12:00 - Late application facility opens.
- 1st May, 17:00 - Closing date for late applications.
- 5th May, 12:00 - Online Change of Mind facility becomes available (Free).
- 1st July, 17:00 - Change of Mind closes.
You can check out the full timetable of event deadlines on the CAO Timetable of Events page.
What is the CAO Change of Mind facility?
From the beginning of May until the 1st of July, the CAO Change of Mind facility is available.
This offers applicants the opportunity to change their course choices free of charge. If you change your course choices online, an acknowledgement will be sent to the email address you used at the application stage. If you use the Change of Mind facility, it supersedes all the previous course choices in any category in which changes are made.
What is the Statement of Application record email?
In May, you will receive a direct email from the CAO called the Statement of Application record email. It will ask you to log in to the CAO, double check your personal details, your documents, qualifications, and course choices. It is very important that you make sure everything is correct as it can impact your application if anything is wrong. Once you are happy you have double checked everything, you can press confirm.
Making a CAO application to NCI? Check out our CAO Hub or come visit us at our January Open Day and chat with staff and students, attend a sample class and get a guided tour of our campus buildings.
