How to Defer Your CAO Place: Rules and Deadlines

To defer a CAO place, do not accept the offer online — instead, contact the admissions office of the college directly and promptly, typically within days of receiving the offer, stating the course code and your reason. The college, not the CAO, decides whether to grant the deferral. If it’s granted, your place is reserved for next year, subject to you re-applying through the CAO and listing that course as your first preference.

What is the correct procedure for deferring?

The single most important rule is this: do not accept the offer online. Accepting through your CAO account takes up the place for this year and closes off the deferral route. Instead, as soon as your offer arrives:

1. Leave the offer unaccepted in your CAO account.
2. Email or write to the admissions office of the college that made the offer, marked for the attention of admissions.
3. Act within days of the offer — colleges expect deferral requests promptly, well inside the reply deadline shown on your offer notice.
4. State the course code and title, your CAO application number, and the reason you’re seeking a deferral.
5. Wait for the college’s decision before doing anything else with the offer.

If the college grants the deferral, it will confirm the arrangement and the conditions. If it refuses, you still have time to accept the offer normally through cao.ie before the reply deadline — which is exactly why you should apply to defer immediately rather than at the last minute. The rules are set out on cao.ie and on individual college websites, and college policies do vary.

What do colleges consider when deciding?

Colleges weigh your reason, their own deferral policy, and the nature of the course. There is no automatic right to a deferral — it is entirely at the college’s discretion. Reasons that are commonly viewed sympathetically include health issues, bereavement, financial circumstances, and structured plans such as work experience or organised travel. A vague “I’m not sure I’m ready” tends to fare worse than a concrete, honest explanation.

Be aware too that:

• Some courses don’t permit deferrals at all — often those with restricted entry, professional-body requirements or limited places.
• Colleges may limit deferrals to one year.
• Conditions may attach — the college will tell you exactly what you must do, in writing. Keep that correspondence safe.

What happens next year if my deferral is granted?

You must re-apply through the CAO for the next cycle and list the deferred course as your first preference — that’s the standard condition of every deferral. For anyone deferring a 2026 offer, the key dates are already published: CAO 2027 opens on 5 November 2026, the discounted-fee application deadline is 20 January 2027, and the normal closing date is 1 February 2027. Miss the re-application or list the course lower than first, and you risk forfeiting the deferred place.

Handled correctly, though, a granted deferral is secure: the college reserves your place, and you won’t have to compete on points again for that course next year. Your Leaving Cert results don’t need to be re-achieved and rising points for the course won’t affect you — the place is yours, subject to meeting the deferral conditions the college set out.

What are the risks of deferring?

The main risks are practical rather than procedural, because a granted deferral does reserve your place. Still, think through these before you commit:

• The course itself can change. Colleges occasionally restructure or, rarely, discontinue courses; if that happens, the college will deal with you under its own policies, but the course you return to may differ in content or title.
• Your own plans can change. A year is a long time at 18 or 19. Some students return with renewed focus; others discover a different direction entirely — which is fine, but it means the deferred place goes unused and you’re choosing afresh.
• Momentum and cohort. Coming back a year later means starting with a different class group, and some people find it harder to restart study habits after a year away.
• Refusal risk. If the college says no and you’ve left it late, you could be squeezed against the reply deadline. Apply to defer the day you get the offer, or as close to it as possible.

None of these should scare you off a well-planned deferral — they’re simply the trade-offs to weigh. Citizens Information has good general material on taking time out before college.

What are the alternatives to deferring?

If deferral is refused, or your reasons are less than compelling, there are three main alternatives. First, accept the place and start — many worries about readiness fade in the first term, and college supports exist for health, financial and personal difficulties. Second, decline and re-apply next year as an ordinary applicant: you keep total freedom of choice, but you give up the reserved place and must compete on points again, which may have risen. Third, use the year differently within education — a PLC course, for instance, can strengthen your position and confirm your interest in the field; you can research options on qualifax.ie.

Quick recap

• Don’t accept online — contact the college admissions office directly, within days of the offer.
• Include the course code, your CAO number and a clear reason; mark it for the attention of admissions.
• The college decides; some courses don’t allow deferrals.
• If granted, your place is reserved — re-apply through CAO next year with that course first.
• CAO 2027 opens 5 November 2026; normal closing is 1 February 2027.
• If refused, you can still accept your offer before the reply deadline on your offer notice.