Education Experts Answer Your Questions – The Irish Times

August 22, 2025 Victoria Sterling Business
News Context
At a glance
  • The Central Applications Office (CAO) processes applications and issues offers based on points achieved in the Leaving Cert and applicant preferences.
  • If yoru son received sufficient points for his 5th and 6th CAO choices, he will be offered his highest choice for which he is entitled.
  • Predicting points changes is difficult, but here's what's being said about specific courses:
Original source: irishtimes.com

Understanding CAO Offers and points

Table of Contents

The Central Applications Office (CAO) processes applications and issues offers based on points achieved in the Leaving Cert and applicant preferences. Here’s a breakdown of key questions and answers from recent queries:

How CAO Offers Work

If yoru son received sufficient points for his 5th and 6th CAO choices, he will be offered his highest choice for which he is entitled. The CAO doesn’t simply offer choices in order; it finds the highest-ranked course on your list that you’ve qualified for.

Course-Specific Points Predictions

Predicting points changes is difficult, but here’s what’s being said about specific courses:

Occupational Therapy (OT) in Galway

A critically important drop of 21 points in OT at the University of Galway is considered unlikely. Demand appears stable, and an increase in applicants (including deferred students) could maintain or even increase points requirements.

Speech Therapy in Galway

An 18-point reduction for Speech therapy in Galway is also considered improbable. there are no additional places available this year, and demand remains high.Applicants with higher post-marking adjustments from previous years may also compete for available places.

Primary Teaching

Points for Primary Teaching are unlikely to drop this year, as the extra places granted by the Department of Education last year are not being offered again.

Primary Teaching in DCU

with a score of 477 points, a student has a chance of getting into DCU’s Primary Teaching program, as the course finished at 478 points last year. Though, confirmation won’t be available until next Wednesday.

Important Dates and Processes

Here’s a timeline of key dates for results, appeals, and offers:

  • 2025 Points Publication: Wednesday (along with Round One offers).
  • Viewing Results & Post-Mark Adjustments: 12 noon, Tuesday, August 25th.
  • Script Viewing Submission Opens: 5pm, Tuesday, August 26th.
  • Appeal Application & Payment Opens: 10am, August 31st.
  • appeal Application & Payment Closes: 5pm, Monday, September 1st.
  • Appeals Results (provisional): 11am,September 16th (subject to change based on the number of appeals).

Additional Considerations

  • Scribe Accommodations: The same marking scheme is applied to scripts completed with a scribe.Grade inflation is not automatically applied. DARE eligibility may be a factor.
  • Post-Mark Adjustments: adjustments have already been applied to final grades. A detailed breakdown will be available at 12 noon on Tuesday, August 25th.
  • Accepting Offers: It’s advisable to accept your second choice offer next week, even if you’re hoping for your first choice in a later round. You can always upgrade if a better offer comes through.
  • Alternative routes: QQI PLC graduates may have a quota of places available for courses like Science Education in UCC. More data is available on the CAO website.
  • Appeals and Offers: colleges generally try to accommodate students whose grades increase after an appeal. If a place isn’t instantly available, a deferred place for the following year may be offered.
  • DCU primary Teaching Places: Contact DCU admissions directly to inquire about the possibility of additional places.

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