CAO Offers 2026: A Guide for Students and Parents
Receiving a CAO offer can bring excitement, relief, uncertainty or disappointment and sometimes all four. The most important thing is not to panic or make a rushed decision. Read the offer carefully, check the deadline and take time to consider the course itself, not simply its points or status.
For most students awaiting their 2026 Leaving Certificate results, the main offer date is Wednesday, 26 August 2026 at 2:00 p.m.
Some applicants receive earlier offers in Round A or Round Zero. These rounds mainly involve categories such as mature, deferred and Access applicants, graduate-entry medicine applicants and certain QQI FET applicants. Therefore, students awaiting 2026 Leaving Certificate results should not worry if they hear about other applicants receiving offers before Round One.
The full schedule is available on the official Central Applications Office and CAO A3 posters 2026_proof1.pdf.
Before offer day
Students should make sure they can log in to the My Application section of Central Applications Office and that their email address and mobile number are accessible. Check that examination details, exemptions and other information recorded on the CAO account are correct. Any error or omission should be reported to CAO immediately through its online contact facility.
It is also helpful to revisit likely course options before offers arrive. Look again at the course content, modules, placement opportunities, location, accommodation, travel, costs and progression routes. A course should be judged by whether it suits the student not by whether its points rise or fall.
How CAO decides which offer you receive
CAO first checks whether an applicant meets the minimum entry requirements for each course. It then calculates the applicant’s points and places eligible applicants in order of merit for each course.
Applicants receive an offer for the course highest on their preference list for which they are entitled to a place. For example, if a student qualifies for their third preference, they will not also be offered their fourth, fifth or lower preferences from that list.
The Level 8 list and the Level 7/6 list are treated separately. A student may receive one offer from each list in the same round, but may accept only one of them in that round.
The points shown for a course after an offer round are the points of the last applicant to receive an offer in that round. They are an outcome of supply and demand, not a mark awarded to the course or a judgement on the student. Where several applicants on identical points are competing for the final place, random selection may apply.
See the Central Applications Office Handbook for the full rules.
What to do when an offer arrives
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Go directly to Central Applications Office and log in through My Application. Students may receive an email and SMS notification, but the official account is the place to view and accept an offer.
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Check the course code, course title and institution carefully.
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Note the reply date and time. CAO deadlines are strict.
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Consider whether you genuinely want the course. Check practical matters such as travel, accommodation and finance.
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If accepting, record the acceptance online before the deadline.
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Check for the CAO acknowledgement email and log back into My Application to confirm that the acceptance has been recorded.
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Watch for registration information from the college. Once an offer is accepted, the higher education institution will contact the student about the next steps.
Three rules that prevent a great deal of confusion
1. Accepting an offer does not remove you from higher preferences.
If you accept an offer, you may still receive a later offer for a course placed higher on the same CAO list, provided a place becomes available and you are entitled to it.
2. A later, higher-preference offer is optional.
If you accept the new offer, your earlier acceptance is cancelled automatically. If you ignore the new offer, your original accepted place remains in place.
3. You cannot move down your preference list.
If you are offered your second preference, you will not later be offered your third or anything below it. Declining the second preference does not make a lower-preference offer possible. The exception is where a desired course appears separately through Available Places.
The official Central Applications Office answers these and other common questions.
If you do not receive an offer or not the offer you hoped for
First, pause. A disappointing screen on one day is not a final judgement on a student’s ability or future.
If no Round One offer is made, CAO will send a Statement of Application email. Check the CAO account carefully, including results, examination number, exemptions and qualifications, and notify CAO immediately if anything is missing or incorrect.
Students can still be considered for higher-preference courses in Round Two and later rounds if places become available and they are entitled to them. Later-round offers depend on vacancies arising after earlier acceptance deadlines.
The Central Applications Office Available Places Facitility opens on 27 August. It lists courses that still have vacancies. Existing CAO applicants may apply without an additional fee, but must meet the normal minimum entry requirements; applying does not guarantee an offer.
There are also excellent routes through further education and training, apprenticeships, traineeships, direct-entry opportunities, repeating or reapplying. Many FET courses provide progression routes into higher education while also developing practical skills and confidence.
If you want to defer an offer
Do not accept the offer first. Contact the Admissions Office of the college immediately and request a deferral, using DEFERRED ENTRY in the email subject line. Include the student’s name as it appears on the CAO application, CAO application number, course code and reason for the request.
The request must reach the college at least two days before the reply deadline. Deferrals are decided by the college and are not automatic. If the request is refused, the student may still accept the current offer provided the CAO reply deadline has not passed.
CAO Handbook - Deferring a Place
A note for parents and guardians
Offer day belongs to the student. Parents can help most by remaining calm, listening and giving the young person time to process the news. Avoid comparing points or offers with friends, cousins or classmates. Useful questions include:
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“How do you feel about the course itself?”
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“What would you like to check before deciding?”
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“Would it help to talk it through with your guidance counsellor?”
An offer is an opportunity, not an instruction. Equally, not receiving a hoped-for offer does not mean there is no route forward. There is nearly always more than one way to reach a career goal.
Official CAO information
Information correct on 6 August 2026. Students and parents should check cao.ie for any subsequent updates.
https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=video&l=102134759