Students make real decisions with these numbers, often on results day with an hour to spare. So every figure on this site comes from an official publication, and we say which one. This page explains where they come from, how we keep them current and what happens when something is wrong.

Where the numbers come from

  • Points scale, bonus and LCVP: the CAO common points scale on cao.ie, in force since 2017.
  • Course cut-offs: the CAO points lists for each round, and the CAO end-of-season points spreadsheets for 2021 to 2025, which give the five-year history on each course page.
  • Average points and percentiles: the CAO Leaving Certificate points statistics for the year.
  • Dates: the CAO timetable and offer dates pages, and the State Examinations Commission for results and appeals.
  • HEAR, DARE and QQI scoring: the 2027 HEAR and DARE handbooks and the CAO QQI FET scoring scheme, plus the DARE and HEAR Impact Report from the Irish Universities Association.
  • Entry requirements: each college’s own admissions pages and the NUI matriculation regulations.

Every guide lists the exact pages it used and the date we last read them. When something has been announced but not published, such as the 2027 offer dates, the page says so and does not guess.

How we keep it current

  • A watcher compares the figures on this site with the official pages every Monday, and twice a day from September to November when offers and appeals move fast. If a date or figure disappears from its source, or a new one appears (Round 3 points, the 2027 offer dates), we are told the same day.
  • Course cut-offs are re-read from cao.ie automatically during offer season. A course page only shows a new “updated” date when the CAO figures actually changed.
  • Every calculation has tests built from the official worked examples: the CAO points grid, the four QQI examples in the CAO scoring document, and the income examples in the HEAR handbook. If a number stops matching, the site cannot be published.

What the tools can and cannot tell you

The points calculator applies the CAO scale and the best-six rule exactly. It cannot know whether a particular college accepts Foundation Maths for points or whether you meet a course’s subject requirements; the minimum entry requirements guide covers that. Past cut-offs show what a course needed, not what it will need. The HEAR checker estimates a score from the handbook; HEAR itself decides after checking documents.

Corrections

Found something wrong or out of date? Email hello@pointscalculator.ie with the page and, if you have it, the source. We check it against the official text and, if you are right, fix it, usually within a day or two, and record it below. More ways to reach us are on the contact page.

Independence

PointsCalculator.ie is run by Avlas Digital, an Irish business. It is not connected to the CAO, the State Examinations Commission or any college. It is free to use and paid for by advertising. Advertisers have no say in what we write.

Changes to this site

  • 25 October 2026. New guides from the 2027 handbooks: HEAR (with a score checker), DARE, QQI Level 5/6 scoring (with a calculator) and minimum entry requirements, including where Foundation Maths counts. Course pages now chart Round 1 points back to 2021, with the trend and the grades that reach each cut-off. View
  • 22 October 2026. CAO 2027 timetable added from cao.ie: applications open 5 November 2026 at 12 noon, €35 fee until 20 January, normal closing date 1 February 2027, Change of Mind 5 May to 1 July. The 2026 dates stay on the page for reference. View
  • 22 September 2026. Course pages show the 2025 Round 1 points next to 2026, so you can see which way each course moved. View
  • 8 September 2026. Round 2 cut-offs added next to Round 1 for every course. View
  • 5 September 2026. One page for every CAO course and every college, with this year and last year side by side. View
  • 3 September 2026. Average Leaving Cert points page, from the official CAO points statistics: median 390 to 399 and a percentile for any total. View
  • 28 August 2026. Official 2026 Round 1 cut-offs for every course, searchable by name, code or college. View
  • 21 August 2026. Site launched: CAO points calculator on the common points scale, with the Higher Maths bonus, LCVP and Foundation Maths. View