19-05-2025
Wise choices in change of mind needed as CAO demand soars
WITH over 89,000 CAO applications made this year, it means that there is more competition for college places.
Last year there were 83,369 first round offers made. 51,934 were Level 8 and 56% got offered their first preference. 83% got offered one of their top 3.
For Level 6/7 applicants, 92% got offered their first choice at the top of their list, and 99% were offered one of their top 3. If the trend is repeated this year, a student who fills the Level 6/7 list with courses offering progression routes to the Level 8 degree qualification they want will take a slightly longer road, but will still get there, even without a Level 8 course offer in August.
Collette Twomey, vice president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors sees the high number of CAO applications as a positive sign that more people are seeing higher education as an option that is of benefit to them.
She also highlights that the high numbers and competition for places make it all the more important for students to be strategic and research all pathways to the qualification that they want.
'Check the National Tertiary Office and QQI courses that offer entry to degree programs. Also, feedback we're getting from the Technological Universities is to encourage students to complete the Level 6/7 list where relevant to the Level 8 list so that they can start at Level 7 and progress to Level 8.' The TU's are noticing that students lose out on getting the degree they want because they don't put a course in the Level 6/7 list where they could start and progress on to Level 8 later on.
Finding the links can be done via the CAO website ( or ask your guidance counsellor for help.
There is still time to research progression options and make changes to the CAO application using the Change of Mind Facility.
Over 60% of CAO applicants will use the Change of Mind facility before the July 1st deadline. It is used to add, remove or change the order of course choices in the CAO application.
There are simple guidelines around filling the course lists designed to avoid the problem of students being offered 'the wrong course.' This can occur when a student is offered their first preference but they put their dream course further down the list, or they did not meet the subject requirements for the course even though they got the points.
Key advice
List courses in order of preference only and fill both lists.
Check that you have the subject requirements for the courses you apply for.
Use the Level 6/7 list as a backup plan in case you are not offered the Level 8 course that you want. Ask your guidance counsellor for help with this.
Check the Alert Lists on the CAO website listing new courses available and discontinued courses. Some alerts have been posted as recently as April 2025.
At offers stage, you can only accept one course out of the two lists.
If you accept a lower preference offer, you can still be offered a course higher on your list.
If you are offered your top preference course, you will receive no other offers from that list. This is why the dream course should go at the top.
