Choosing a CAO course comes down to five steps: understand yourself, research courses that fit, check the entry requirements and realistic points, shortlist honestly, and list your ten Level 8 and ten Level 7/6 choices in genuine order of preference.
Every year around 80,000 people apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO), and the single most common regret is choosing a course for the wrong reason — points, a friend's choice, or a job title — rather than genuine fit. The five steps below are designed to prevent that: start with self-knowledge, research widely, check requirements and realistic points, weigh the practicalities, then order your list by true preference.
Good course choices are built on self-knowledge, not on scanning 1,500+ course titles hoping one jumps out. Before you look at any prospectus, get clear on four things:
A structured way to do this is a validated interest and personality assessment. The Course Compass assessment combines RIASEC interests, Big Five personality, and aptitude testing, then maps the result against 830+ CAO courses. You can also start free with our RIASEC interest test to get your three-letter Holland code before you narrow anything down.
Once you know your profile, cast a wide net. Two students with the same interest in "biology" might suit very different courses — Nursing, Biomedical Science, Physiotherapy, Environmental Science, or Agricultural Science. Look past the course title to the actual modules. For each course that interests you, check:
Use CourseCompass Course Search to compare across all Irish higher education institutions — UCD, TCD, DCU, UCC, University of Galway, UL, TU Dublin, ATU, SETU, MTU and more — and cross-reference with the official listings on cao.ie.
A course only belongs on your list if you can meet its requirements. There are two separate hurdles:
Be honest with yourself about your likely results, but don't self-eliminate too early — list aspirational courses high and safer options lower down (Step 5 explains why this costs you nothing).
Fit is not only academic. The courses that people stay in and enjoy usually score well on the practicalities too.
| Factor | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Location | Can you commute, or will you need accommodation? What's the real cost? |
| Finances | Fees, living costs, and any SUSI grant eligibility. |
| Course length | 3, 4, or 5 years? Does it include a placement year? |
| Learning style | Lecture-heavy vs. practical/lab vs. studio/project-based. |
| Class size | Large institution vs. smaller, more personal setting. |
| Progression | Does a Level 7 or Level 6 offer a clear route into a Level 8? |
The CAO lets you list up to ten Level 8 courses and up to ten Level 7/6 courses. The rule that trips people up every year:
List courses in the order you genuinely want them — not in the order you think you'll get the points for.
The CAO offers you the highest course on your list that you qualify for, so putting a "safe" low-points course above your dream course can only hurt you. You never lose a lower choice by placing a higher one above it. Order by preference, honestly, top to bottom.
A student's profile from Course Compass comes back as Investigative–Social–Artistic (ISA) with strong verbal aptitude and high Conscientiousness. Their interests point to health and helping roles. A sensible, preference-ordered Level 8 list might look like:
Each choice fits the same underlying profile, so any offer is a good outcome — the definition of a well-built list.
Points measure demand, not difficulty or quality. A 300-point course can be as challenging and rewarding as a 500-point one.
"I want to be a physiotherapist" is a job, not a course — and there may be five routes to it. Choose the course whose content and daily reality you'd enjoy.
Empty slots are missed safety nets. Fill your list with courses you'd genuinely accept.
Your July list isn't final. You can revise it free of charge until early July. See CAO Change of Mind.
Course Compass does Steps 1–3 systematically: it profiles your interests, personality, and aptitudes, then returns your best-match courses from 830+ CAO options with the reasoning behind each and the points required. It's a structured starting shortlist you then refine with Steps 4–5.
Last reviewed: July 2026. CourseCompass is not affiliated with the CAO. Application dates and rules follow the current CAO cycle; always confirm deadlines at cao.ie.