CAO System opened on Thursday, 3rd November at 12:00 noon

The CAO opened on Thursday 3rd November at 12.00 noon for applications and will remain open for online applications until 5.15 pm on the 20th January 2012 next.  Below is a detailed explanation of how the CAO application system operates.  It is important that all applicants be familiar with this before making an application.

CAO - How it works
The Central Applications Office administers admissions to entry into most third level institutes throughout the country. The system uses the National Framework Qualifications scale. This framework works from levels 1 to 10. If a student has completed the Junior Certificate he is deemed to have reached level 3. If a student completes the Leaving Certificate he is deemed to have reached level 5. Level 6 is a Higher Certificate (normally 2 years), level 7 is an Ordinary Degree, and level 8 is an Honours Degree (normally 3 /4 years). Level 9 is a masters and level 10 is a PhD. When using the C.A.O. application system it deals with levels 6, 7 and 8. Look at the interactive National Framework of Qualifications diagram to get a visual representation of the National Framework Qualifications scale.

CAO - Mock Application Form
Here is a mock-up of a C.A.O. application form.  Applicants can choose up to 10 level 8 Honours Degree courses and 10 level 7 Ordinary degrees and/or 10 level 6 Higher Certificate courses. (Click on thumbnail to enlarge the image). 

Leaving Certificate Points
When sitting the Leaving Certificate, points are awarded on the basis on the results obtained in the best six subjects. These points are as follows (click on thumbnail to enlarge the image):

Honours Maths
From the Leaving Certificate 2012 bonus points will be awarded for honours Maths.

All students achieving a HD3 or higher will have 25 points added to their total score for honours Maths. The Maths grade itself does not change. Ordinary level Maths remains unchanged. This is a standard 25 points regardless of the grade achieved. The same points are awarded for an A1 as a D3. If Maths is not included in the top six subjects counted, the bonus points are not included. This will have a proportional affect over 550 points for Medicine.
 

Explanation of how the System Works
Here is an explanation as to how the system operates. This candidate has applied for Arts in U.C.C. (CK 101) as his first preference. The candidate is then grouped with all other students who have applied for this course. They are in no particular order until the Leaving Certificate results of these students are published.

Round 1
Once the results are published, the students’ results are scanned to see who has all the minimum requirements. For example, one student failed Maths and another failed Irish. These students are now excluded from the rest of the process. 

These minimum requirements are very important. Generally, as most students will do Irish, English, Mathematics, and a third language this will cover the general entry requirements for N.U.I colleges. However, there are exceptions. T.C.D. only require English, Maths, and Irish or a third language, Most of the I.T’s require Irish or English, and Maths.  Some engineering and science courses do not require a third language. However, some courses have additional requirements. For example, all engineering courses in T.C.D. and U.C.D. require HC3 in honours Maths. Honours Irish is a requirement for primary teaching. Chemistry is a requirement for Veterinary in U.C.D., Human Nutrition & Dietetics in D.I.T., Pharmacy in T.C.D., Medicine and Dentistry in U.C.C. Physics is a requirement for Theoretical Physics in U.C.D. and T.C.D. One laboratory science(Chemistry/Biology/Physics) is required for many science courses. Architecture in D.I.T. does not require a science subject but does have an aptitude test.  Two science subjects are required for Physiotherapy and Human Genetics in T.C.D. Commerce in U.C.D. requires a HD3 or OB3 in Maths. Most U.C.D. courses require 2HC3 and 4OD3 while most T.C.D. courses require 3HC3 and 3OD3. Other courses require a portfolio and/or aptitude test and/or an interview. These examples illustrate how complicated this application process is. Without these minimum requirements, a candidate is excluded from the selection process regardless of how many point obtained.

Those students who have all the minimum requirements and who applied for Arts in U.C.C. (CK 101) are then ranked in order of points obtained. The student who obtained the highest number of points is placed at the top of the queue and the students who obtained the second highest number of points is placed second in the queue, and so on. This process is carried out for all the candidates’ choices. His position in the queue for each of his courses is indicated above. 

The colleges where each course takes place is then asked how many students will be taken into each course. This is then deemed to be the cut-off point as indicated below. For example, in U.C.C. Arts there are 6 places for 15 students in the queue. The points obtained by the 6th student in the queue are then the points published. Our candidate is 8th in the queue and will not gain admission. For his second choice, the college (DN 201), have indicated they will take the 7th student and above. Our candidate is 6th in the queue. For his third choice, the college has indicated they will take the 5th student and above. Our candidate is 4th in the queue. This process is carried out for all of the courses applied for. For his 10th preference, our candidate is 12th in the queue for PD 101 where there are only 10 places on the course.
 

The computer will then scan and select the highest preference course the candidate is eligible for. In this case, it is the second choice, DN 201. Even though the candidate is eligible for the third choice, he will not be offered a place as he has indicated that he would prefer DN 201 above AL 033 by placing DN201 above AL 033 on his application. Indeed, all preferences from 3rd down are now wiped from the system. These courses from 3rd choice down will never be considered again. The student will now receive an offer of a place on DN 201 in round one. If eligible, he will receive two separate offers, one Level 8 (Honours Degree) and one level 7/6 (ordinary degree/certificate). Both offers are independent of each other but he can only accept one. If he receives, for example, his 3rd preference on level 8 in round one, all preferences below this will be deleted from the system and you will never be offered any course from 4th preference down. If he accepts this offer you can still be offered his 2nd /1st preference/s in round two – if the points drop and you become eligible. If he does do not accept this 3rd preference offer, he can still be offered your 2nd /1st preference/s in round two – if the points drop and you become eligible. However, if the points do not drop he cannot change his mind and ask for the original round one offer. He will be left with no offer. The same system operates independently for levels 7/6.
Accepting an offer on level 8 in round one does not preclude you receiving a higher preference offer on level 7/6 in round two. Similarly, accepting an offer on level 7/6 in round one does not preclude you receiving a higher preference offer on level 8 in round two.

For example, if you are offered course C on level 8 and course Y on level 7/6, you will never be offered courses D,E,F,G, nor, courses Z,P,Q,R,S. in future rounds. If you accept course C you can still be offered one of A or B and X in the second round. If you accept course Y you can still be offered course A or B or X in the second round.

Round 2

The student’s first preference was CK 101 and he did not achieve enough points. This candidate is two positions from being offered a place. Six students were offered a place on CK 101 in round one. If two of the students in the queue for CK 101 do not accept their first round offer, two places will become available. These two places will then be offered on Round 2 and our candidate will be offered a place. Therefore, in round one our student was offered DN 201 and in round two, roughly a week later, was offered CK 101. Our candidate can now decide to hold onto his first round offer and decline the second round offered or can accept the second round offer and discard the first round offer.  It is worth repeating, that accepting an offer on round one from level 8, does not prevent a higher round 2 offer from either level 8 or indeed level 7/6. Similarly, accepting a round one offer on level 7/6 does not prevent a higher round two offer from level 7/6 or indeed level 8. No candidate will ever be offered a course below the course in he offered in round one. This reinforces why course should always be placed in order of preference.This whole process is carried out simultaneously for the level 7/6 courses. It is carried out in an identical manner and is totally independent of the offers received from the Level 8 section. Therefore, if eligible, it is possible to receive two offers, one level 8 and one level 7/6. Only one can be accepted. No candidate can accept both offers.

[Images: www.sxc.hu]