Results Guide

Using Your Assessment Results

A comprehensive guide to understanding and acting on your personalized career assessment results.

Understanding Your Results Dashboard
What each section of your assessment tells you

Career Interests (RIASEC)

Shows your top interest areas across six career types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.

How to use: Your top 2-3 codes indicate career fields where you'll likely find satisfaction. Look for courses that align with these interests.

Aptitude Scores

Measures your strengths in Numerical, Spatial, Verbal, Logical, and Technical reasoning.

How to use: High scores show natural strengths; courses requiring these skills may feel more intuitive. Lower scores don't mean you can't succeed, but may require more effort.

Personality Profile (Big Five)

Your personality across five dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

How to use: Consider how your personality fits with course teaching styles and career environments. High Extraversion might thrive in team-based courses; high Conscientiousness excels in structured programmes.

Course Compass

AI-powered matches between your profile and 1,753 Irish courses, with match percentages and detailed explanations.

How to use: Start with 80%+ matches. Read the "Why this course?" explanations carefully. Don't dismiss lower matches if you have strong external reasons (family connections, specific career goals).

Researching Your Recommended Courses
Next steps for exploring your top matches
  1. 1

    Visit Official University Websites

    Click through to course pages from your results. Read full course descriptions, module breakdowns, and career outcomes.

  2. 2

    Check CAO Requirements

    Verify current points requirements, minimum grade requirements, and specific subject prerequisites (e.g., H4 in Maths for Engineering).

  3. 3

    Attend Open Days

    Visit campuses (or virtual open days). Talk to current students and lecturers. Get a feel for the environment and teaching style.

  4. 4

    Research Career Outcomes

    Look up graduate employment statistics, typical career paths, starting salaries, and professional body accreditation.

  5. 5

    Consider Practical Factors

    Location, commute time, accommodation costs, course fees (if applicable), placement opportunities, and year abroad options.

CAO Application Tips
How to use your results when filling out your CAO form
  • List courses in true preference order: Don't try to "game" the system. Put your genuine first choice at #1.
  • Use all 10 choices: Include reach courses (higher points), target courses (realistic), and safety courses (below expected points).
  • Consider Level 6 & 7 options: Not just Level 8 degrees. Higher certificates and ordinary degrees can lead to great careers.
  • Change Order of Preference (until July 1st): You can modify your CAO choices as you learn more. Update based on open day visits or changed interests.
  • Portfolio/Audition courses: Some courses require additional submissions. Check deadlines - they're often earlier than CAO deadline.
When to Talk to a Guidance Counselor
CourseCompass provides data-driven recommendations, but human guidance is valuable too

Consider booking a session with your school's guidance counselor or an independent career counselor if:

  • •Your recommended courses don't align with your expected Leaving Cert results
  • •You're feeling overwhelmed by the options or struggling to narrow down choices
  • •You have specific questions about course content, career paths, or further study options
  • •You're considering non-traditional paths (apprenticeships, PLCs, gap years)
  • •Family expectations conflict with your assessment results
  • •You have questions about financial support (SUSI grants, scholarships, student loans)
Download & Share Your Results
Your results are always accessible, downloadable, and shareable

All CourseCompass users have:

  • Lifetime Access: Log in anytime to review your results, explore different courses, or download reports.
  • Professional PDF Reports: Download comprehensive reports to share with parents, teachers, or guidance counselors.
  • Database Updates Included: As our course database is updated, your recommendations stay current.
Helpful External Resources

Additional resources to support your career research:

CAO.ie - Official CAO website
Qualifax.ie - National Course Database
CareersPortal.ie - Career information
StudentFinance.ie - SUSI grants info