Third-level college application procedures and entrance requirements

Entry requirements

Points

Students who have taken the Leaving Certificate examination are allocated points for the results they get in their 6 best subjects at a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate. The points awarded depend on the level of achievement in the subject. You can use the points calculator on qualifax.ie to work out what points are awarded for any particular set of results.

The number of entry-level points needed for any course depends on the number of places and the number of applicants for those places so the entry level varies from year to year. Higher points are awarded for Higher-Level papers than for Ordinary-Level papers.

Under a 4-year pilot scheme to be operated from Leaving Certificate 2012, the seven universities, Dublin Institute of Technology and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland will allocate extra bonus points for Higher-Level mathematics.

The CAO publishes the minimum points required for admission to courses as each round of offers is made. You can also check the points required in previous years.

A student must also have the particular academic entry requirements (also called matriculation requirements) for the course he or she wants to take. You can find detailed information on the websites of the universities, institutes of technology and colleges of education.

If you have a disability

You may qualify for the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) scheme, which aims to improve access to higher education for school-leavers with disabilities.

Higher Education Access Route (HEAR)

The HEAR admissions scheme allocates a number of third-level places on a reduced points basis to school-leavers from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. To be eligible for the scheme you must meet certain criteria related to your financial, social and cultural circumstances. Read more in our document on the HEAR scheme.

National University of Ireland: The minimum entry requirement for the universities that are part of the National University of Ireland (NUI) is 6 subjects, including English, Irish and a third language. In 2 of these subjects, students must have achieved grade C at Higher Level.

University of Limerick: The minimum entry requirement is 6 subjects, including English, Irish and a third language. In 2 of these subjects, students must have achieved grade C at Higher Level.

Trinity College Dublin: students need a minimum of 6 subjects, with grade C on 3 Higher-Level papers and a pass in English, maths and another language.

Dublin City University: all students applying for courses in Dublin City University must have 6 Leaving Certificate subjects, with a grade C on 2 Higher-Level papers and a pass in maths and either English or Irish.

Institutes of technology

Level 8 (Honours Degree) courses: students generally require a minimum of grade C in 2 subjects at Higher Level and grade D in 4 other subjects, including maths and Irish/English.

Levels 6 and 7 (Higher Certificate and Ordinary Degree): students require 5 grade Ds, including maths and Irish/English.

Colleges of education

Colleges of education require a minimum of 3 grade Cs on Higher-Level papers, including Irish, and three grade Ds, including maths and English.

PLC courses

Places on Post-Leaving Certificate courses are not allocated on the basis of points, but applicants must be of Leaving Certificate standard. Most colleges interview candidates to determine their suitability.