CAO & Offers
CAO Available Places 2026: How It Works
The CAO Available Places facility opens 27 August 2026, listing courses with vacancies. Who can apply, how it works and how to use it well.
Clear answers for Irish students — results, offers, money and college life
Practical, up-to-date guidance on the Leaving Cert, CAO offers, SUSI grants, accommodation and choosing your path after school.
Find your course with CourseCompass →Results & offers season 2026
CAO & Offers
CAO Round 1 Offers 2026: How to Accept, Decline or Wait
CAO Round 1 offers land on 26 August 2026 at 2pm. Here's how to read your offer, accept it correctly and keep later-round upgrades open.
Leaving Cert
How to Calculate Your Leaving Cert Points (2026 Guide)
The full points table, the best-six rule, and how the Higher Maths bonus works — with a worked example so you can total your points in minutes.
Leaving Cert
How to Appeal Your Leaving Cert Results in 2026
An appeal is a full re-mark by a different examiner. How to apply, the tight deadline, refunds, and how an upgrade can change your CAO offer.
Leaving Cert
Leaving Cert Results 2026: What Happens Next
Leaving Cert results land Friday 21 August 2026 at 10am. Here's how to check them, what your points mean, and every deadline that follows.
CAO & Offers
No CAO Offer? Your Full List of Options in 2026
No CAO offer in 2026? You still have real routes to a degree: Available Places, PLC courses, apprenticeships, repeating and more.
Latest guides
Careers & Pathways
Apprenticeships in Ireland 2026: Earn While You Learn
Apprenticeships in Ireland now cover tech, finance and engineering as well as trades — get paid while you qualify. Here's how to apply in 2026.
CAO & Offers
CAO Available Places 2026: How It Works
The CAO Available Places facility opens 27 August 2026, listing courses with vacancies. Who can apply, how it works and how to use it well.
CAO & Offers
CAO Round 1 Offers 2026: How to Accept, Decline or Wait
CAO Round 1 offers land on 26 August 2026 at 2pm. Here's how to read your offer, accept it correctly and keep later-round upgrades open.
Student Finance
How Much Does College Cost in Ireland in 2026/27?
What college really costs in Ireland in 2026/27: the new €2,500 student contribution, who pays what, SUSI support, and a realistic budget guide.
CAO & Offers
How to Defer Your CAO Place: Rules and Deadlines
Want to defer your CAO offer to next year? Don't accept it online — contact the college admissions office fast. Here's the exact procedure.
Accommodation
Digs in Ireland: What Students (and Parents) Should Know
How digs work in Ireland: 5-day vs 7-day arrangements, what's included, your legal position as a licensee, and the questions to ask first.
College Life
First Year of College in Ireland: A Survival Guide
Starting college in Ireland? How to handle orientation, money, friends, workload and your head — and what to do if it isn't working out.
Leaving Cert
How to Calculate Your Leaving Cert Points (2026 Guide)
The full points table, the best-six rule, and how the Higher Maths bonus works — with a worked example so you can total your points in minutes.
Leaving Cert
How to Appeal Your Leaving Cert Results in 2026
An appeal is a full re-mark by a different examiner. How to apply, the tight deadline, refunds, and how an upgrade can change your CAO offer.
Leaving Cert
Leaving Cert Results 2026: What Happens Next
Leaving Cert results land Friday 21 August 2026 at 10am. Here's how to check them, what your points mean, and every deadline that follows.
CAO & Offers
No CAO Offer? Your Full List of Options in 2026
No CAO offer in 2026? You still have real routes to a degree: Available Places, PLC courses, apprenticeships, repeating and more.
Careers & Pathways
PLC Courses: The Smart Back Door to Your Degree
PLC courses are a proven route into degrees in Ireland — low cost, direct application, and links to higher education. Here's how they work.