CAO Points Explained and How the Leaving Certificate Grade Scale Builds Them
The Central Applications Office (CAO) points scale is a fixed conversion table. It turns each Leaving Certificate grade into a number, and it does nothing else. An H1 at higher level carries 100 points, and every band beneath it carries less. The scale does not weigh your school, your effort or your subject choice.
Grades go in, numbers come out. Your total is the sum of six of those numbers, drawn from one sitting. CollegeRoute sets the bands out in plain language and pairs them with Points Search, so you can look up what courses have historically required.
What Are CAO Points and Where Do They Come From?
CAO points are the common measure the Central Applications Office uses to rank applicants for higher education courses. They come from one source, the grades awarded in your Leaving Certificate examination. The CAO does not award grades, and it does not set point values. The two systems meet at the conversion scale.
A points total describes results already achieved. It is not a forecast, and a high total does not reserve a place on any course.
- Each subject grade converts to a fixed value on the published scale
- Only six subject results count towards a total
- All six must come from a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate
- The scale stops at 625 once the higher level maths bonus is counted
How the Leaving Certificate Grade Scale Assigns a Value
The scale works in bands of ten percentage points. Each band has a label, H1 to H8 at higher level and O1 to O8 at ordinary level. Each label carries one value. A result of 84 per cent at higher level is an H2, worth 88 points. So is a result of 81 per cent.
This is why a mark just under a boundary costs so much. One percentage point can move a grade down a full band. Below the bands shown here an H7 still carries 37 points, while an H8, an O7 and an O8 carry none.
| Percentage band | Higher level grade and points | Ordinary level grade and points |
|---|---|---|
| 90 to 100 per cent | H1, 100 points | O1, 56 points |
| 80 to 89 per cent | H2, 88 points | O2, 46 points |
| 70 to 79 per cent | H3, 77 points | O3, 37 points |
| 60 to 69 per cent | H4, 66 points | O4, 28 points |
| 50 to 59 per cent | H5, 56 points | O5, 20 points |
| 40 to 49 per cent | H6, 46 points | O6, 12 points |
| 30 to 39 per cent | H7, 37 points | O7, 0 points |
Why Do Higher, Ordinary and Foundation Levels Score Differently?
Because they are not the same paper. Higher level covers more material and is examined more demandingly, so the scale pays it more. An O1, the top ordinary level grade, is worth 56 points. That equals an H5, which sits mid range at higher level.
Foundation level is the third tier, offered in maths and Irish, and many courses do not count it. The CollegeRoute guide to cao points sets the three levels side by side, and Points Search shows what courses required in 2024 and 2025.
- Higher level, graded H1 to H8, holds the highest values on the scale
- Ordinary level, graded O1 to O8, tops out at 56 points for an O1
- Foundation level, in maths and Irish only, is treated separately by many courses
What Does the Single Sitting Rule Mean for Your Six Subjects?
It means your six scoring subjects must all come from the same examination year. You cannot lift a strong result from one year and combine it with another. If you repeat, that sitting is scored on its own terms.
A seventh subject does not open a seventh slot. It puts another candidate in front of the scale, and your weakest result drops out of the count.
Where Do LCVP Link Modules Fit on the Scale?
Link modules from the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) can occupy one of your six slots. A distinction is scored at 66, a merit at 46 and a pass at 28. If a link module beats your sixth strongest subject, it takes that place.
Only one link module result counts, and it competes with your subjects rather than sitting above them.
Reading the Scale Against What Courses Have Asked For
The scale tells you what a grade is worth, not what a course needs. That second figure comes from previous round results, and Points Search holds the 2024 and 2025 records. Treat them as history, because the 2026 figures do not exist until Round One offers on 26 August 2026. Onoir Studio Limited builds the site independently, and the Central Applications Office plays no part in it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CAO points is an H1 worth?
An H1 at higher level is the top band on the scale and carries 100 points. It covers results from 90 to 100 per cent. Because only six subjects count, six H1 grades give 600 points before the higher level maths bonus is considered. The bonus lifts that ceiling to 625.
Can I combine results from two different Leaving Certificate years?
No. The CAO counts one sitting, so your six scoring subjects must come from the same examination year. A stronger grade from an earlier year cannot be moved into a later total. If you repeat, the new sitting is assessed on its own, using the same grade scale and the same six subject limit.
Is an ordinary level O1 worth the same as a higher level grade?
An O1 carries 56 points, which matches the value of an H5 on the higher level scale. So a top ordinary level result equals a mid range higher level result. That comparison is worth making early, because dropping a level can cost more than the easier paper gains you.
Do foundation level subjects count towards a CAO points total?
Foundation level is offered in maths and Irish, and it is treated separately from higher and ordinary level. Many courses do not count a foundation level result towards the six scoring subjects, while some accept it for entry requirements only. Check the individual course listing before you assume a foundation grade will score.