May 6th: The CAO change-of- mind facility opened, enabling applicants to amend, or list for the first time, their course choices. Candidates get a statement of application record online in the correspondence section of their CAO account, before the end of May, listing all details supplied by applicants to date. Applicants must inform the CAO immediately if they do not receive this record, or if there are any errors.
June 4th: Leaving Certificate written examinations begin and will continue until late June. On the day of the final Leaving Cert written paper, applicants aged under 23 who sat the Hpat test in February receive their results to enable them to factor these marks into their final consideration of course choices before the July 1st CAO deadline.
July 1st (5pm): Change of Mind closes. This is the final date for any amendments to course choices and order of preference on all CAO applications for entry to college.
July 4th: The CAO makes about 6,000 offers to mature (over-23) applicants, and to applicants who accepted and then deferred college offers of places in 2024. These offers are made online only at cao.ie and remain open for about a week. Mature and deferred applicants who may be away from home should ensure any offer in early July is dealt with, as offers lapse if not accepted within the specified time.
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August 7th: Round 0 offers will be issued to graduate entry medicine applicants, additional mature applicants, deferred and Access applicants, and applicants presenting QQI FET/FETAC qualifications for consideration for entry to courses with a quota for applicants.
August 22nd: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) delivers 2025 Leaving Cert results to more than 730 second-level schools, and makes them available on examinations.ie from noon. A full analysis of the results will be provided in the supplement in The Irish Times. Immediately following the release of Leaving Cert results an application to view scripts can be made online only on the SEC Student Portal.
August 27th: The CAO releases round one offers online at 2pm. Minimum points required for entry to each course will be available on the CAO website. The Irish Times will provide extensive online and print coverage for the following number of days. Leaving Cert students who are unhappy with a grade they received and wish to view their marked exam scripts may do so online shortly afterwards. There is no charge for viewing your marked exam scripts. Students wishing to appeal the result in one or more Leaving Cert subjects can apply online through the SEC Student Portal between these dates.
September 2nd: Closing date for receipt of acceptance of CAO round one offers. Acceptances must be submitted by 3pm.
September 8th: The CAO makes round two offers available to applicants online. The minimum points required for entry to each course are released on the CAO website on that date.
September 10th: Closing date for receipt of acceptance of CAO round two offers.
Shortly afterwards, results of Leaving Cert appeals released by the SEC. Final offers of places by the CAO will be made in the days following.
NOTE: The arrival of a physical letter from the CAO in May outlining all details held by them relating to the applicant or an offer notice by post in July or August are now things of the past. All notices are sent directly to the applicant’s account within the CAO website cao.ie.
* The dates for entries marked with an asterisk have not yet been announced.
Leaving Certificate students and all other CAO applicants are advised to check both the State Examinations Commission (examinations.ie) and cao.ie websites for further updates.
