Leaving Cert Points Explained (With the Full Points Table)

Points decide CAO offers, so it's worth understanding exactly how they're calculated — and where the common misunderstandings are. (Want the number without the maths? Use our free CAO Points Calculator.)

The basics

Your points come from your six best subjects in a single sitting of the Leaving Cert. You can sit more than six subjects, but only the best six count. The maximum is 625: six H1s (600) plus the 25-point maths bonus.

The points table

Grade	Higher	Ordinary
1 (90–100%)	100	56
2 (80–89%)	88	46
3 (70–79%)	77	37
4 (60–69%)	66	28
5 (50–59%)	56	20
6 (40–49%)	46	12
7 (30–39%)	37	0
8 (0–29%)	0	0

The maths bonus: a grade of H6 or above in Higher Level maths earns an extra 25 points — but only if maths counts among your six best subjects (with the bonus included, it almost always does).

LCVP: the Link Modules count as a subject for points (Distinction 66, Merit 46, Pass 28).

Things students often get wrong

A H7 beats an O1 in points? No. A H7 is 37 points; an O1 is 56. Dropping to a well-prepared Ordinary paper is sometimes the smarter move — but check your target courses first, because many require specific Higher grades regardless of points.

Points ≠ entry requirements. Meeting the points cut-off means nothing if you're missing a required subject or grade. Always check both.

Cut-off points aren't set by colleges. They're just where supply met demand last year. A course "requiring 510 points" isn't harder than one requiring 400 — it's more popular relative to its places. Nursing points aren't high because nursing needs geniuses; they're high because lots of people apply.

Strategy: choosing your six

• Play to genuine strengths, not prestige. Six subjects you can score H2–H3 in beat four H1 attempts and two disasters.
• Higher Level maths is worth serious consideration for the bonus — a H6 (46+25 = 71 points) outscores most other subjects' H3.
• Don't drop a subject your target course requires. This is the single most painful mistake we hear about every September.

A final bit of perspective

The points race is real, but it's also temporary. PLC progression routes, Level 7-to-8 ladders, mature entry and graduate entry all mean that a points shortfall at 18 delays almost nothing for someone determined. Points get you in the door of one particular route — they don't determine your career.

If you're choosing subjects or courses and aren't sure what direction suits you, that's a better question to solve than "how do I get more points." Tools like CourseCompass.ie approach it from that end: figure out what fits you first, then work out the points needed to get there.