Worked examples
Three copybooks, three ways the best-six rule plays out.
Maths H6 still counts
- English H1
- Biology H1
- Chemistry H2
- French H2
- History H3
- Maths H6+25
- Irish H5
Five strong grades plus a H6 in Higher Maths. With the +25 the maths score is 71 and it beats the H5 in Irish, which drops out.
Ordinary Maths, six Higher
- English H3
- Irish H4
- Geography H3
- Business H4
- Art H3
- Spanish H4
- Maths O2
Six Higher subjects at H3 to H4 and Maths at O2. No bonus: the 46 from maths is the lowest score and is the one that drops.
LCVP in the six
- English H4
- Irish O1
- Maths O3
- Home Economics H5
- Geography O2
- LCVP M
Two Higher, three Ordinary and an LCVP Merit. The Link Modules count as a subject, worth 46, the same as an O2.
Got your total? See which courses it would have got you (cut-offs for every CAO course), or check your percentile: 48.1% of 2026 candidates scored 400 or more, the median band was 390 to 399.
Common points scale
How CAO points are calculated: the 2026 points table
Three steps. Each grade converts to points on the CAO common points scale below (H1 = 100 down to H7 = 37, O1 = 56 down to O6 = 12; H8, O7 and O8 score 0). If you sit Higher Maths and get H6 or better, 25 bonus points are added to that subject. Then your six highest scores are added up. Nothing else counts: not a seventh subject, not the other levels you could have taken. The scale is unchanged since 2017. Higher Level grades on the left, Ordinary Level on the right.
Higher level
Ordinary level
LCVP
Foundation maths
Maths bonus
+25 points on top of any H6-or-better grade in Higher Level Maths. H7 and below get no bonus. Ceiling with the bonus: 625.
Offer season
From results day to your offer
01
Results day
Friday 21 August 2026, 10am. Grades land on the SEC portal: type them in above and you have your points in seconds.
02
Check the points archive
Compare your total against last year’s cut-off for your courses on cao.ie. Cut-offs move a little every year.
03
Round 1 offers
Wednesday 26 August 2026, 2pm. Highest preference you meet the points for wins. Reply date 1 September, 3pm.
04
Later rounds
Round 2 on Monday 7 September at 2pm, then 15, 22 and 29 September. Points can drop as places free up.
Guides
Results-week guides
CAO points 2026 →
Round 1 and Round 2 cut-offs for every course, searchable. Enter your total and see what it would have got you.
Points by college and course →
One page per CAO course: its Round 1 points, similar courses and what to expect in Round 2. Browse by college.
CAO key dates 2026 →
Appeal results Friday 25 September at 11am, Round 5 offers Tuesday 29 September at 10am, offer season ends 1 October, CAO 2027 opens 5 November.
Average Leaving Cert points →
Median 390 to 399, 624 students on 625, and the percentile for any total. Official CAO statistics for 2026.
CAO offers explained →
Why you only get one offer, how accepting upgrades itself, deferring a place, and the Available Places route.
Leaving Cert appeals →
Appeal results expected 25 September at 11am. The €40 fee, and what an upgrade does to your CAO offer.
Points by college
CAO points 2026 for every college
Round 1 and Round 2 cut-offs for all 1,376 CAO courses, grouped by college. Each course has its own page with last year’s points alongside.
- ATU CAO points211 courses
- TUS CAO points158 courses
- SETU CAO points152 courses
- TU Dublin CAO points149 courses
- MTU CAO points111 courses
- DCU CAO points71 courses
- DkIT CAO points69 courses
- University of Galway CAO points66 courses
- UL CAO points62 courses
- UCC CAO points58 courses
- Trinity CAO points57 courses
- Maynooth CAO points41 courses
- UCD CAO points37 courses
- Griffith College CAO points25 courses
- IADT CAO points24 courses
- DBS CAO points22 courses
- Mary Immaculate CAO points15 courses
- NCI CAO points11 courses
- NCAD CAO points10 courses
- Marino CAO points6 courses
- RCSI CAO points5 courses
- Setanta College CAO points3 courses
- St Patrick’s Maynooth CAO points3 courses
- American College CAO points2 courses
- CCT College Dublin CAO points2 courses
- Dorset College CAO points2 courses
- Galway Business School CAO points2 courses
- IBAT College Dublin CAO points2 courses
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Questions
Questions students ask
How are CAO points calculated?
Each Leaving Cert grade converts to points on the CAO common points scale: H1 is worth 100, O1 is worth 56, and so on. Your best six subjects count towards your total. If you sit Higher Level Maths and get H6 or better, 25 bonus points are added to your maths score.
What is the maximum number of CAO points?
The maximum is 625: six H1 grades (600 points) plus the 25-point Higher Maths bonus. In 2026, 624 candidates (1.0%) scored the full 625, according to the CAO points statistics.
How does the Higher Maths bonus work?
If you get H6 or better in Higher Level Maths, 25 bonus points are added to your maths score. The boosted score then competes for a place in your best six, so a H6 in maths (46 + 25 = 71 points) can beat a H5 (56) in another subject. There is no bonus for H7, H8 or Ordinary Level maths.
Do all my subjects count for points?
No. Only your best six results count, no matter how many subjects you sit. This calculator scores every subject you enter and automatically picks the six that give you the highest total.
Does LCVP count for CAO points?
Yes. The LCVP Link Modules count as one of your six subjects for most CAO courses: Distinction is worth 66 points, Merit 46, and Pass 28. A small number of courses don’t accept LCVP, so check the specific entry requirements.
Do Foundation Level Maths grades count for CAO points?
Often, yes. An F1 is worth 20 points and an F2 is worth 12 points, and many colleges accept Foundation Maths for points. Not all courses do, so always check the entry requirements of the specific course.
How many points is a H4? And an O2?
A H4 (60 to 69% at Higher Level) is worth 66 points. An O2 (80 to 89% at Ordinary Level) is worth 46 points. The full conversion table for every grade is just above this FAQ.
When do CAO offers come out?
In 2026, Leaving Cert results came out on 21 August and Round 1 offers on 26 August at 2pm. Round 2 is Monday 7 September at 2pm, then Rounds 3, 4 and 5 on 15, 22 and 29 September. Your points from this calculator are what you compete with in those rounds.
What is the average number of CAO points?
The median 2026 candidate scored between 390 and 399 points, and 48.1% of the 65,322 candidates scored 400 or more. CAO publishes the figures in bands, not as a single mean. Our points statistics page lets you check the percentile for any total.
Is this calculator official?
No. PointsCalculator.ie is a free independent tool. It uses the official CAO common points scale, but for course entry requirements and offers always check cao.ie and the college’s own pages.