A Parent’s Guide to CAO Offers – August 2025

A Parent’s Guide to CAO Offers – August 2025

By CBS High School Career Guidance Department

In preparation for the issuing of CAO Round 1 offers on Wednesday, 27th August, we’ve put together a short guide to help parents support their sons through this important time.

The guide explains:

• How CAO offers work
  
  
• What to do if the offer isn’t what was expected
  
  
• The next steps and other options available

What You Need to Know About CAO Round 1 Offers

🗓 Key Date:
Wednesday, August 27 at 2 p.m. – Round 1 offers are released via the CAO website (www.cao.ie).

📱 How to Access Offers:

• Go to the CAO website
• online - also issued by e-mail and SMS text.
• Applicants who have not received an offer will receive a `Statement of Application` e-mail.

🎯 Understanding Offers:

• Your son may receive:
• One Level 8 offer (Honours Degree)
• One Level 6/7 offer (Ordinary Degree or Higher Certificate)
  
  
• He can only accept one offer
  
  

How CAO Offers Work

Your son will be offered the highest listed course on his CAO list (from choices 1–10) for which he meets all of the following:

• ✅ The required points
  
  
• ✅ The minimum entry requirements for the course and college
  
  
• ✅ Any specific subject grades needed (common in Science, Engineering, and Health courses)
  
  

⚠️ Important:
Your son won’t be offered a course lower down his list—even if he meets the requirements for it.
However, he will remain in consideration for higher preferences in future offer rounds if places become available.

❓ Why Didn’t My Son Get the Offer he Expected?

Even if your son met the points, he may not receive an offer due to:

1. Missed subject/grade requirements
   – e.g. a H4 in Maths needed for Engineering
   
   
2. Random selection
   – In very competitive courses, not all students with the required points get a place.
   
   
3. He didn’t list the course high enough on the CAO Form
   
   
   

🧮 Didn't Pass Maths? There May Be Another Way

Some colleges offer a Maths Entry Exam as a second chance to meet entry requirements.
✅ Usually held before the start of term.
📞 Contact the college’s admissions office directly to check availability and register.

🤝 How to Support Your Son When Offers Arrive

Your reaction matters—your calm presence can shape how they respond.

1. Pause and Listen First

Even if you’re feeling anxious, give space for his emotions. Let him talk first. Whether he is thrilled or deflated, listening is more powerful than advice in the first moment.

2. Review the Offer Together

• Look at the course content, location, supports, and career pathways.
• Let him lead the conversation
• Ask questions like:
  
  “Does this course feel like a good fit for what you enjoy or are good at?”
  “Can you imagine yourself doing this for 3-4 years?”
  
  
  

😞 If he is Disappointed

It’s normal. Reactions vary—some teens will brush it off, others may shut down.

👂 Validate the Feeling

“It’s okay to feel upset. This matters to you.”

🔁 Reframe the Moment

Many successful paths start from Plan B. Remind them:
📌 This isn’t the end—just the next step in figuring it out.

🔄 Understanding Second and Subsequent Rounds

💡 If your son accepts an offer, he still remains eligible for higher preferences in later rounds.

📅 Round 2 offers become available on the 8th September.

⚠️ If he’s offered a higher preference in Round 2, he can choose to accept it or keep his original offer—accepting the new offer will replace the first one.

📚 Other Options Worth Exploring

Not getting the course he wanted in a Round 1 offer (or getting one they don’t want) doesn’t mean the end of the road.

1. Available Places – What Parents Need to Know

The Available Places facility is run by the CAO to fill college courses that still have spaces after Round 1 offers are made.

📅 When it Opens

• Thursday, 28th August at 12 p.m.

• Updated regularly as more courses become available.

🔍 Who Can Apply?

• Anyone—you don’t need to have applied to CAO before.

• If your son already has a CAO application, he can add Available Place courses to it at no extra cost.

• If he didn’t apply to CAO at all, he can still apply by paying the late fee.

How It Works

1. Check the list of Available Places on www.cao.ie

2. Most courses are not points-based—entry is usually based on minimum entry requirements (e.g. Leaving Cert passes in certain subjects).

3. Add the course to the CAO application form

4. If offered an Available Place, he can choose to accept or decline.

Why Consider It?

• Opens the door to new courses he might not have thought of.

• Many Available Place courses still lead to strong career pathways.

Important Notes

• Places can disappear quickly—check the list daily.

• Even if he accepts an Available Place, he could still be offered a higher preference in later CAO rounds.

• Read the course description carefully—location, fees, and entry requirements still matter.

2. Deferring a Place

• Your son must immediately contact the college’s admissions office
• Not all courses allow deferral, but many do
• If approved, the college notifies CAO
  
  

3. PLC Courses (Post-Leaving Cert)

• Practical, skills-based courses
• Often lead to:
  
  
• Direct employment
• Entry to higher education via QQI Level 5 progression routes
  
  

4. Apprenticeships & Employment

• Learn on the job while getting paid
• Suits hands-on learners
• Options include: electrical, IT, accounting, engineering, and more
  
  

5. Reapplying Next Year

• Consider taking a year to work/volunteer and apply again with more clarity
  
  

🧠 When to Step In More Actively as a Parent

You might consider seeking guidance support or outside help if:

• Your son won’t discuss their offer at all
• They’re deeply distressed or feeling lost
• You’re unsure what’s best and want a second opinion
  
  

📞Contact Ms Leahy or Ms Coles, the school guidance counsellors for support.

✅ Quick Checklist for Parents

Final Thoughts

Whether your son is excited, uncertain, or disappointed, remind them: there are always options, and it’s okay to take time to find the right path.

You don’t have to have all the answers. Stay calm, stay curious, and stay connected.

Reference sources: CAO.ie, CareersPortal.ie, Department of Education