🇮🇪 Ireland: CAO Points Calculator
Aggregate your Leaving Certificate grades into the official CAO points total used by every Republic of Ireland university — with the H4 Maths bonus, six-best-subjects cap, and LCVP Link Module rules applied automatically.
CAO Points Total
Six H1 grades (600 pts) plus the H4 Maths bonus = 625, the official ceiling.
How It Works
The Common Points Scale (2017 reform)
Since the 2017 grading reform, CAO points are awarded against a single Common Points Scale. Higher Level grades H1–H7 earn between 100 and 37 points; H8 (under 30%) earns nothing. Ordinary Level grades O1–O6 earn between 56 and 12 points; O7 and O8 earn nothing.
| Grade band | 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 (under 30%) | 0 | 0 |
The Maths Bonus (the regulatory trap)
Most informal calculators get this wrong. A 25-point bonus is awarded only if you sit Higher Level Mathematics and achieve a grade of H6 or above (40% or higher). If you take Ordinary or Foundation Maths, no bonus applies — even with the top mark. An H7 in Higher Maths also receives zero bonus.
This tool detects "Mathematics" entries flagged Higher Level and grants the bonus only when the grade is H1–H6, exactly per CAO policy.
Foundation Level Maths and LCVP
Foundation Maths counts toward CAO for many courses: F1 = 20 pts, F2 = 12 pts, F3 onwards = 0. Foundation Maths is not eligible for the 25-point bonus and will not satisfy a Higher Maths entry requirement on its own.
LCVP Link Modules can replace your weakest counted subject — but only if the LCVP result is higher than that subject. Distinction = 66, Merit = 46, Pass = 28, Unsuccessful = 0.
Best Six Rule & the 625 Ceiling
The CAO only sums your best six subject scores. Sitting nine subjects does not push you above 600 from grades alone — extras simply give you safety margin to drop weaker results. The absolute maximum is therefore six H1 grades (6 × 100 = 600) plus the H6+ Maths bonus (25), capped at 625 points.
Typical Russell-tier Irish courses (Medicine at TCD/UCD, Computer Science at Trinity, Actuarial at UCD) cluster between 555 and 625 in recent CAO rounds.
Authoritative References
- Central Applications Office — Official Common Points Scale and bonus points policy: cao.ie scoring page .
- State Examinations Commission (Ireland) — Leaving Certificate grading: examinations.ie .
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