How CAO points are worked out
Your CAO points come from your best six subjects in one sitting of the Leaving Certificate. Every grade converts to a score on the Common Points Scale, the six highest scores are added together, and that total is what colleges compare against their course cut-offs.
Two things trip people up. Higher Level Maths earns 25 bonus points on top of the normal score for a H6 or better, so a H4 in Maths is worth 91, not 66. And a H7 still scores 37 points while an O7 scores nothing, which is why dropping to Ordinary Level late in the year is rarely the safe move it feels like. The maximum possible total is 625: six H1s plus the Maths bonus.
The Common Points Scale
| Higher | Points | Ordinary | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | 100 | O1 | 56 |
| H2 | 88 | O2 | 46 |
| H3 | 77 | O3 | 37 |
| H4 | 66 | O4 | 28 |
| H5 | 56 | O5 | 20 |
| H6 | 46 | O6 | 12 |
| H7 | 37 | O7 | 0 |
| H8 | 0 | O8 | 0 |
Source: CAO points grid. This scale has applied to every Leaving Certificate since 2017.
Questions students ask
Why do I have to pick a top 3?
Because your points tell you what is reachable, not what is worth reaching for. Two students with identical points should not get identical course suggestions. Your top 3 is what separates them. It is three taps, the order matters, and you can change it whenever you like. Your points total is worked out either way, so nothing about the calculator itself is held back.
Should I pick the subjects I get the best grades in?
No. Pick the three you enjoy most, even if you are middling at them. If you list a subject you like but score poorly in, that is useful information rather than a problem: it points towards Level 6 and Level 7 courses, PLC routes and apprenticeships that get you to the same place without depending on that one grade.
Does the order really matter?
Yes. Your first pick carries the most weight when courses are matched to you, then your second, then your third. If two of them feel equal, put the one you would choose to study for another four years first.
What does "strong, but not a favourite" mean?
It means one of your best results is not in your top 3. That is worth pausing on, because it is the most common way people end up in a course they do not enjoy: the points were there, so the choice made itself. It is not a warning, just something to raise with your guidance counsellor.
Do I get bonus points for Higher Maths?
Yes, 25 extra points for a H6 or above. They are added to your Maths score before the best six are picked, so the bonus only counts if Maths is one of your top six subjects. This calculator handles that for you.
Does LCVP count towards my points?
Yes. The Link Modules count as one of your six subjects: a Distinction is worth 66 points, a Merit 46 and a Pass 28. Most colleges accept it, though a small number of courses do not, so check the course listing if it is close.
Can I combine grades from two different years?
No. Your points are calculated from six subjects sat in a single Leaving Certificate year. If you repeat, each year is scored separately and your best single year total is used. You can still repeat one subject to lift that year's total.
What about Foundation Level?
Foundation Maths scores 20 points for an F1 and 12 for an F2, and nothing below that. Foundation Irish scores no points. Some colleges do not award Foundation points at all, so check with the admissions office of anywhere you are applying.
Do I need to enter seven or eight subjects?
Enter everything you sat. Only the best six are counted, but the calculator needs them all to know which six those are. Subjects that do not make the cut are shown greyed out and tagged as not in your top 6.
Why would I save a period rather than just calculate once?
Saving your Christmas, summer, mock and target results lets you see the trend rather than a single number. It is the difference between knowing where you are and knowing whether what you are doing is working. Your top 3 is kept separately, so it carries across every period without you picking it again.
This calculator gives an estimate based on the official Common Points Scale. Always confirm requirements with the CAO and with the colleges you are applying to.