Leaving Cert results and CAO 2026: our experts answer your questions

Welcome to The Irish Times CAO Helpdesk for 2026. Using the form below, you can submit any questions you have about this year’s process, from points and Leaving Cert results, to appeals, deferrals and more.Our education experts Deirdre Garrett and Brian Howard will be answering your questions from 11am today to give you quick and clear feedback as you navigate college offers, choices and deciding your next steps over the coming days. You can read their answers below.Cian O'Connell - 5 minutes agoMy son has Primary School Teaching down for St Pat’s in DCU, and is four points over last years requirements. Do you feel points are likely to go up, and if so, by how much? - Joanne HeaneyThe overall sense is that points should maybe drop a little since the Post-Marking Adjustment (PMA) has dropped from 5.8 per cent last year to 4 per cent this year, so that is positive. However, the overall numbers sitting the LC this year are up considerably, and there are 20,000 CAO applicants this year who sat their LC in a previous year, so there is a lot of competition. Unfortunately, there is no way of saying definitively what courses will go up or down, but having four points over last year is a good position to be in, so fingers crossed. - BrianCian O'Connell - 6 minutes agoQ. Hi, my child got way lower points than expected. He got much higher in mocks and all of his exams - how can this happen? - JanA. Your child may still get offered a course of interest on Wednesday. Breakdown of results and exact marks are available at 12 noon on Tuesday, Aug 25th. I reccommend that you apply to view your scripts. You can appeal results if you are still not happy. - Deirdre Cian O'Connell - 10 minutes agoIs it too late to apply for an apprenticeship?Q. Looks like my daughter has missed out on most of her CAO course choices; is it too late to apply for a PLC or apprenticeship?A. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. The good news is it is certainly not too late to apply for other options such as PLC courses, Tertiary Courses and Apprenticeships. Not all will still be available, so if you have an idea of what you want to apply for, make contact with the institution or apprenticeship.ie as soon as possible to find out if they still have vacancies. - BrianCian O'Connell - 15 minutes agoPrimary school teaching points queryQ. Hello, I received 488 points in my Leaving Certificate today and I want to do primary school teaching in Mary Immaculate College (MIC). This is only two points over the minimum from last year. How likely am I to secure a place? Please, I am so worried. - Christina GuiryA. Congratulations on doing so well. Points won’t be made public until after 2pm on Wed 26th August. MIC was 484 pts last year. Points can continue fluctuate from round 1 right until the final round 5. Round 5 happens after appeal results have been released. The best of luck. - Deirdre Cian O'Connell - 20 minutes agoPercentage breakdown of Leaving Cert results Q. When do percentages become available? - BarryA. At 12 noon on Tuesday August 25th, you will be able to access a full percentage breakdown of your results. - Deirdre