Last updated: August 2026
CAO points are calculated by converting each Leaving Certificate grade into a fixed points value on the common points scale, then adding the points from your six best results in a single sitting. Higher Level grades are worth more than Ordinary Level grades, and a 25-point bonus applies to Higher Level Maths at H6 or above, giving a maximum of 625 points.
- On the CAO common points scale, a Higher Level H1 is worth 100 points and an Ordinary Level O1 is worth 56 points.
- The maximum CAO score is 625 points: 600 from six H1 grades plus the 25-point Higher Level Maths bonus.
- Only your six best results from one sitting count towards your points total.
How CAO points are calculated
Every Leaving Certificate grade you receive is worth a set number of points. Higher Level grades carry more points than Ordinary Level grades at the same grade number, because the courses are more demanding. Grades run from 1 (the highest band) to 8 (the lowest), and are written with the level in front, so H3 is a grade 3 at Higher Level and O3 is a grade 3 at Ordinary Level.
To work out your total, the CAO takes your six best results from a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate and adds their points together. Results from different years are not mixed. If you sit more than six subjects, only the six highest-scoring results count, and the rest do not add to your total.
Students who achieve H6 or above in Higher Level Maths receive an extra 25 bonus points. The bonus is added to the Higher Maths result first, so it only lifts your total if Higher Maths ends up in your best six. That is why the theoretical maximum is 625 points rather than 600.
Points alone do not secure a place. Courses also set minimum entry requirements, which can include a certain grade in subjects such as English, Irish, Maths, a laboratory science or a language. Always check the specific requirements published by the college for each course you list.
| Grade | Marks | Points |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | 90 to 100% | 100 |
| H2 | 80 to less than 90% | 88 |
| H3 | 70 to less than 80% | 77 |
| H4 | 60 to less than 70% | 66 |
| H5 | 50 to less than 60% | 56 |
| H6 | 40 to less than 50% | 46 |
| H7 | 30 to less than 40% | 37 |
| H8 | less than 30% | 0 |
Plus 25 bonus points for Higher Level Maths at H6 or above.
| Grade | Marks | Points |
|---|---|---|
| O1 | 90 to 100% | 56 |
| O2 | 80 to less than 90% | 46 |
| O3 | 70 to less than 80% | 37 |
| O4 | 60 to less than 70% | 28 |
| O5 | 50 to less than 60% | 20 |
| O6 | 40 to less than 50% | 12 |
| O7 | 30 to less than 40% | 0 |
| O8 | less than 30% | 0 |
O7 and O8 score zero points on the common points scale.
CAO points calculator
Pick the level and grade for your six best subjects to see your total. Tick "HL Maths" on your Higher Level Mathematics result to include the 25-point bonus.
Need more than six rows, or want to compare sittings? Use the full CAO points calculator.
Courses your 2026 points would have reached
Enter your grades in the calculator above and this list shows the CAO courses whose published 2026 Round 1 cut-off your total would have met. Cut-offs move every year with demand, so treat 2026 as a realistic guide rather than a guarantee for 2027.
Points by course: where your points would have got you in 2026
These are the courses whose lowest 2026 CAO score your total would have met. Where a course made Round 2 offers on 7 September 2026 we use that Round 2 score, because it is the lowest score anyone was offered on it this year; otherwise we use Round 1. Points move every year, so treat this year's figures as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Once you pick a grade for at least one subject, we'll list the CAO courses your points would have reached in 2026.
What happened to CAO points in 2026
CAO Round 1 offers for 2026 issued after the Leaving Certificate results, and the cut-offs below come from our compilation of the published Round 1 points compared with 2025 Round 1. Round 2 offers followed on 7 September 2026, bringing 184 courses down from their Round 1 score, so the lowest score offered on a course this year is often the Round 2 figure. Cut-offs are set by demand: the last applicant offered a place sets the points for that course and round, which is why the same course can move in either direction from one year to the next.
Loading the published CAO 2026 Round 1 points…
Browse courses by points range
Prefer to browse? Explore courses by points band in our course search, then check the official points on each course page.
CAO points FAQs
This guide explains the CAO common points scale in general terms. Always confirm points, dates and entry requirements with the CAO and the course provider before making decisions.