Free tool
CAO Points Calculator
Enter your subjects, levels and grades (real or predicted) and get your CAO points instantly — best six counted, Higher Maths bonus included. No signup, no email, just the number.
Your best six subjects
421
Includes the 25-point Higher Maths bonus ✓
Points are calculated from your best six results in one sitting. The 25-point bonus applies to Higher Level Maths at grade H6 or above, and only counts when Maths is among your best six (with the bonus included, it nearly always is). Always confirm entry requirements for specific courses — points alone don't guarantee eligibility. See our full points guide for details.
How CAO points are calculated
Your points come from your six best results in a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate. Each grade converts to points — a H1 is worth 100, an O1 is worth 56 — and a bonus 25 points is added for Higher Level Maths at grade H6 or above. The maximum possible is 625 (six H1s plus the Maths bonus).
Two things students often get wrong: a H7 (37 points) is worth less than an O1 (56 points), so dropping to a well-prepared Ordinary paper can sometimes be the smarter move — and points are only half the story, because many courses also require specific grades in specific subjects regardless of your total.
For the full breakdown — including the complete points table, LCVP scoring and strategy for choosing your six — read our Leaving Cert points guide, or see how the CAO system works from application to offers.
Related guides
No CAO Offer (or the Wrong One)? Here's Exactly What to Do
Missed the points, got your fifth choice, or got nothing at all — a calm, practical plan for the days after CAO offers come out.
How the CAO Actually Works: A Plain-English Guide
Deadlines, the order-of-preference rule, round offers, and the mistakes that cost students their place — the CAO system explained simply.
Leaving Cert Points Explained (With the Full Points Table)
How Leaving Cert points are calculated, how the maths bonus works, and why the points system matters less than you think.