Question
Could my son really lose a college offer if his CAO details are incorrect?
Answer
Many students are left devastated each year due to errors or omissions in their CAO applications. In fact, a couple of hundred of last year’s applicants were shocked when they failed to receive an offer in round one of the CAO at the end of August due to “errors or omissions” in their applications.
In the coming days, applicants will receive an email to their CAO account instructing them to confirm that all the information is correct.
Included in this account information should be their Leaving Cert exam number. The CAO needs this number to match grades to the applicants who are sitting the Leaving Cert in 2026.
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This number was not entered when current sixth-year applicants submitted their initial application to the CAO earlier this year, so you must make sure that the number appears now. Remember, not all CAO applicants are doing the Leaving Certificate, and applicants must tell CAO about their qualifications if they want them taken into account.
The main cause for errors in 2025 occurred when the CAO was not able to match an applicant’s record – generated when they originally made their online application – with a name on the data feed provided to the Central Applications Office by the State Examinations Commission, which manages the Leaving Cert exams.
In March, the CAO emailed these applicants asking for the examination number, and some have not responded. Applicants now have another chance to ensure their account is complete and correct.
Parents should ensure that the correct Leaving Cert number is recorded when the CAO email arrives. If it is missing, it is the applicant’s responsibility to amend the online record now.
You should also note that if an applicant is repeating the Leaving Cert this year, they should ensure that their previous year’s Leaving Cert examination number and year is also listed on the application, as well as any other relevant qualifications.
Be sure applicants check the “spam” section of their email account in case it ends up there.
If an applicant selected the “SMS text message” option on their application, they would also receive a text message prompting them to log into the account to check and confirm their information.
Similarly, if an applicant has an exemption from Irish or a second language, this must appear in their CAO application at this time.
If a student has been granted an exemption from completing Irish at secondary school by the Department of Education, it will still be necessary to apply directly to the relevant institutions to obtain an exemption. A school exemption will not be sufficient.
The CAO provides a helpful webpage at cao.ie/exemptions providing information and links to the application Irish and second language exemption processes for the NUI, Trinity College, University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College.
Having received an email from the CAO, applicants must log into their online account and check if all their personal details are recorded correctly. If not, they must rectify any errors or omissions found by the end of May. The CAO will update all accounts with any changes by early June.
Crucially, applicants must proceed to the bottom of their account home page and click on “confirm” if they are happy that all information is complete and correct.
Changes to course choices can be made in May, up to July 1st. Some restrictions do apply for mature applicants and those who wish to apply for a restricted course. Such applicants should contact the Admissions Offices in the colleges before making a change of course choices.
- email: askbrian@irishtimes.com
