Leaving Certificate

Next Tuesday at 3pm is the cut-off point for receipt of acceptance of CAO round-one offers

‘Almost 4,500 every year in Ireland do not progress from year one to year two … There’s a lot of unhappy students and parents’

If initially it can seem a bit hard to break into circles, clubs and societies are key to settling in to college life, says one fourth year

Rent, food, travel, books, laptops and the €2,500 contribution fee add up to a considerable amount for students and families

New horizon beckons for teenager who hails from DRC but has progressed from St Aidan’s Community School in Tallaght

Having been denied Dare, Grace McNamara is very excited to have secured an arts place

Many students find the change from learning at second level challenging, but there are a variety of supports in place

Applicants who receive no offer can check the CAO’s ‘available places’ facility, or wait for Round 2

For some, the good fortune of high points is countered by the misfortune of random selection

When the offer came through, Alex Murphy was unsure if he wanted to pursue the course

Danny Goff says moving to Maynooth will pose challenges, but he can’t wait to get started

Leaving Cert students to find out points requirements for third-level courses amid CAO first-round offers

Applications for veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and medicine all increased this year

How to accept or defer – and what happens if you get an upgrade in your Leaving Cert points

Businessman who runs his own gym says he ‘got 200 points in my Leaving Certificate, and still ended up with a Master’s degree’

Submit your queries to our education specialists

What are the outcomes for respective graduates, particularly on durability of skills and earning potential, in the age of AI?

College costs a lot of money, so start planning now

Grades may be down, but applications to college are up

Specialised disability support services are improving, but stigma still exists and transition to third level can be a challenge

A social media post planted the idea of an accounting technician’s apprenticeship in Lauren Hickey’s head

Students typically apply for restricted courses earlier in the CAO process

Further Education sector growing in popularity with school leavers

Good luck on Wednesday, and please do get in touch if you have any questions

Irish Times Help desk team continue to respond to readers’ questions

Entry to these programmes is not based on Leaving Cert points but instead looks at student drive, suitability, skills and ability

Our system of admissions to higher education is designed to sort students into colleges and courses starkly divided by class

Continuing enhancement of Leaving Cert results, even at a reduced level, means an ongoing distorting effect

Many school leavers are concerned about points requirements for courses. But there are also career pathways beyond the traditional route

Leaving Cert results have been delivered to more than 730 second-level schools, and are available online now

Being rejected from NCAD at 17 felt devastating, but more than two decades later Rachel knows one letter did not determine her future

She studied the Leaving Cert course through online grinds, which she worked to pay for, and through the use of free online teaching videos on YouTube

Timelines for fully removing pandemic-related post-marking adjustment will continue to be informed by the 2026 experience

First round college offers will be out on August 30th

Stay calm and ensure you are clear on how to interpret your grades as they relate to your college requirements

Students from the class of 2026 have more options than ever

Physics and chemistry are often perceived as difficult subjects, but they tend to have a high H1 rate

People possess distinct intelligences, not just one or two that can be captured by an IQ test or examination

Whatever results you have just received are a mark of your resilience over six uniquely challenging years

Friday’s results, in the aggregate, are close to those awarded in 2020